More than half of children with treatment-resistant focal epilepsy experienced at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency after receiving purified cannabidiol (CBD), according to a new study published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior.
The study examined the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of purified CBD among children with treatment-resistant non-self-limited focal epilepsies, a group for which researchers said evidence on CBD remains limited.
Researchers retrospectively analyzed 79 children treated at 11 pediatric neurology centers in Argentina and Chile. Every participant had previously received at least four antiseizure medications without achieving adequate seizure control.
CBD was added to patients’ existing treatments, with doses individualized based on effectiveness and tolerability. Patients were followed for an average of 30 months, with follow-up periods ranging from six to 44 months.
After treatment, 43 of the 79 children, or 54.4%, experienced a reduction in seizure frequency of at least 50%. Four children, representing 5.1% of the study population, became seizure-free.
The average CBD dose was 34 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, with doses ranging from 10 to 40 mg/kg/day.
Researchers found that the treatment response remained stable at 12, 18, 24 and 30 months, suggesting that improvements were sustained rather than limited to the early stages of treatment.
Children who responded to CBD also showed improvements in interictal epileptiform abnormalities measured by electroencephalogram, according to the study.
Effectiveness was similar among children with tuberous sclerosis complex and those with other forms of focal epilepsy. Researchers also found no significant relationship between treatment response and seizure type, age when seizures began, duration of epilepsy, age when CBD treatment started or the antiseizure medications patients were taking alongside CBD.
Adverse events were reported in 23 children, or 29.1%, but researchers said they were generally mild and temporary and could typically be managed by adjusting the CBD dose. Drowsiness was the most frequently reported side effect, and no serious treatment-related adverse events occurred.
“Adjunctive purified CBD was associated with sustained seizure reduction and good long-term tolerability in children with treatment-resistant non-SeLFEs,” researchers concluded.
