2020
CBD in epileptic spasms
Nine children with treatment-resistant epileptic spasms received pharmaceutical-grade CBD alongside their medication for a year.
What was investigated
At Massachusetts General Hospital nine children with treatment-resistant epileptic spasms took part in an approved compassionate use programme. They received plant-derived, highly purified CBD as a solution in addition to their existing medication: starting at 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, increased weekly by 5 mg up to 25. Seizure frequency, side effects and EEG were recorded over twelve months.
What was found
After one month 78 per cent of the children responded — they had at most half as many spasms as at the start; after twelve months it was again 78 per cent. Three of the nine were seizure-free after two months. In three of the five children examined, the hypsarrhythmia pattern disappeared from the EEG. Side effects occurred in eight of the nine, most often tiredness.
What the study does not show
An open-label study without a control group and without blinding, with nine participants. What was investigated was a prescription medicine at a high dose under medical supervision — it shares neither the purity nor the quantity of over-the-counter CBD products.