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Cannabinoids and Epilepsy.

Abstract
Cannabis has been used for centuries to treat seizures. Recent anecdotal reports, accumulating animal model data, and mechanistic insights have raised interest in cannabis-based antiepileptic therapies. In this study, we review current understanding of the endocannabinoid system, characterize the pro- and anticonvulsive effects of cannabinoids [e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (CBD)], and highlight scientific evidence from pre-clinical and clinical trials of cannabinoids in epilepsy. These studies suggest that CBD avoids the psychoactive effects of the endocannabinoid system to provide a well-tolerated, promising therapeutic for the treatment of seizures, while whole-plant cannabis can both contribute to and reduce seizures. Finally, we discuss results from a new multicenter, open-label study using CBD in a population with treatment-resistant epilepsy. In all, we seek to evaluate our current understanding of cannabinoids in epilepsy and guide future basic science and clinical studies.
AuthorsEvan C Rosenberg, Richard W Tsien, Benjamin J Whalley, Orrin Devinsky
JournalNeurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics (Neurotherapeutics) Vol. 12 Issue 4 Pg. 747-68 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 1878-7479 [Electronic] United States
PMID26282273 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Review)
Chemical References
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Cannabinoids
Topics
  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants (therapeutic use)
  • Cannabinoids (therapeutic use)
  • Epilepsy (drug therapy)
  • Humans

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