According to a study published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports, cannabis-based medicinal products were associated with improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and health-related quality of life among autistic adults over an 18-month period.
The study was conducted by researchers from King’s College London, Imperial College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and St. George’s Hospital NHS Trust.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry involving 130 autistic adults who were prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products, or CBMPs. Participants were assessed at baseline and followed for up to 18 months using patient-reported outcome measures.
Researchers examined changes in anxiety, sleep quality and health-related quality of life using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire, the Sleep Quality Scale and the EQ-5D-5L. They also reviewed patient global impression of change scores and reported adverse events.
According to the study, anxiety and sleep quality scores improved significantly from baseline to 18 months. Health-related quality of life scores also improved, with EQ-5D-5L index values rising from 0.43 at baseline to 0.51 at 18 months.
Patient global impression of change scores increased from 5.43 at one month to 5.65 at 18 months, indicating continued perceived improvement over time.
Twenty-five participants, or 19.23%, reported a total of 232 adverse events during the study period. Researchers said most adverse events were mild or moderate.
The authors concluded that treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products was associated with improvements in quality of life, anxiety and sleep outcomes among autistic adults over 18 months.
However, they cautioned that the study did not include a control group, meaning the findings show an association rather than proving that cannabis-based medicines directly caused the improvements. They said randomized controlled trials are needed to better determine the long-term efficacy and safety of CBMPs for autism spectrum disorder.
