Oral cannabis extracts as a promising treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Preliminary experience in Chilean patients

Kuester, G.; Vergara, Katherine Margarita Arrieta; Ahumada, A.; Gazmuri, A.M.

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2017.08.2623

Cited by 22 publications

(38 citation statements)

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“…Two patients had more agitation and one had more irritability, effects that were solved by changing the strain. In this small series of ASD patients, oral cannabis extracts were dramatically more effective than conventional medicines [52].…”

Section: Clinical Studiesmentioning

confidence: 74%

Medical Cannabis for Autism Spectrum Disorder, is it an option?

2019

Medical &Amp; Clinical Research

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Objective: A literature review was conducted to evaluate the validity of medical cannabis as an adjunctive treatment in the management of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Since there is no medical test to diagnose the disorders, the provider must listen to the parent/ caretaker and look at the child’s behavior and development to make a diagnosis. Unfortunately, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older. A deficiency in the endocannabinoid system in the body is considered as the reason for many disorders and recent researchers’ state that it might help in the treatment of autism. The chronic neuroinflammation can be eased with the help of the antioxidants which are present in the cannabis plant. The theory of Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CED) was based on the concept that many brain disorders are associated with neurotransmitter deficiencies, affecting acetylcholine in Alzheimer's disease, dopamine in Parkinsonian Syndromes, serotonin and norepinephrine in depression, and that a comparable deficiency in endocannabinoid levels might be manifest similarly in certain disorders that display predictable clinical features as sequelae of this deficiency. Design/Methods: A literature review was conducted of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine PubMed from 2012-2018 specific to the topic of medical cannabis and autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion: This literature review supports the feasibility of cannabis based medicine as a promising treatment option in children with ASD. Based on the promising results, it is recommended that large, double blind, placebo controlled cross-over trials be launched in jurisdictions where medical cannabis can be studied without limitations from the federal government.

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Section: Clinical Studiesmentioning

confidence: 74%

Medical Cannabis for Autism Spectrum Disorder, is it an option?

2019

Medical &Amp; Clinical Research

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“…Sample sizes ranged from one [ 55 ] to 188 [ 56 ]. Participants were mainly children, although in two studies there were mixed samples [ 57 , 58 ]. The three studies conducted by Pretzsch and colleagues [ 59 , 60 , 61 ] included only adults with normal cognitive abilities (IQ > 70).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabinoids for People with ASD: A Systematic Review of Published and Ongoing Studies

et al. 2020

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The etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains largely unclear. Among other biological hypotheses, researchers have evidenced an imbalance in the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which regulates some functions typically impaired in ASD, such as emotional responses and social interaction. Additionally, cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of Cannabis sativa, was recently approved for treatment-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy represents a common medical condition in people with ASD. Additionally, the two conditions share some neuropathological mechanisms, particularly GABAergic dysfunctions. Hence, it was hypothesized that cannabinoids could be useful in improving ASD symptoms. Our systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and aimed to summarize the literature regarding the use of cannabinoids in ASD. After searching in Web of KnowledgeTM, PsycINFO, and Embase, we included ten studies (eight papers and two abstracts). Four ongoing trials were retrieved in ClinicalTrials.gov. The findings were promising, as cannabinoids appeared to improve some ASD-associated symptoms, such as problem behaviors, sleep problems, and hyperactivity, with limited cardiac and metabolic side effects. Conversely, the knowledge of their effects on ASD core symptoms is scarce. Interestingly, cannabinoids generally allowed to reduce the number of prescribed medications and decreased the frequency of seizures in patients with comorbid epilepsy. Mechanisms of action could be linked to the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance found in people with ASD. However, further trials with better characterization and homogenization of samples, and well-defined outcomes should be implemented.

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“…Participants were mainly children, even if in two studies there were mixed samples [53,54]. The three studies conducted by Pretzsch and colleagues [55][56][57] included only adults with normal cognitive abilities (IQ>70).…”

Section: Characteristics Of Studies and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The treatment was represented by a cannabinoid oil solution with a CBD:THC ratio of 20:1 in two studies [53,58] and with a 30:1.5 ratio in one study [52]. Fluery-Teixeira et al [59] and Kuester et al [54], instead, used Cannabis sativa extracts with different compositions. Kurz and Blaas [51] reported the use of dronabinol (delta-9-THC) solved in sesame oil.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabinoids for People with ASD: A Systematic Review of Published and Ongoing Studies

Fusar-Poli

Cavone

Tinacci

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains largely unclear. Among other biological hypotheses, researchers have evidenced an imbalance in the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which regulates some functions typically impaired in ASD, such as emotional responses and social interaction. Also, cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of Cannabis sativa, has been recently approved for treatment-resistant epilepsy. Seizures represent frequent medical comorbidities of ASD and could be responsible for the onset or worsening of behavioral problems. Thus, it has been hypothesized that cannabinoids could be useful in improving some ASD symptoms. Our systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and aimed to summarize the literature regarding the use of cannabinoids in ASD. After searching in Web of KnowledgeTM, PsycINFO, and Embase, we included ten studies (eight papers and two abstracts). Four ongoing trials were retrieved in ClinicalTrials.gov. Findings are promising, as cannabinoids appeared to improve problem behaviors, sleep, hyperactivity, and communication deficits, with limited cardiac and metabolic side effects. Interestingly, they generally allowed to reduce the number of prescribed medications and decreased the frequency of seizures in epileptic patients. Mechanisms of action could be linked to the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance found in people with ASD. However, further trials need to be implemented with better characterization and homogenization of samples, and well-defined outcomes.

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Oral cannabis extracts as a promising treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Preliminary experience in Chilean patients

Cited by 22 publications

References 0 publications

Medical Cannabis for Autism Spectrum Disorder, is it an option?

Medical Cannabis for Autism Spectrum Disorder, is it an option?

Cannabinoids for People with ASD: A Systematic Review of Published and Ongoing Studies

Cannabinoids for People with ASD: A Systematic Review of Published and Ongoing Studies

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