CBD Potential to Treat Epilepsy in Children

New research from Aston University suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may be an effective treatment for epilepsy in children. The study found that CBD, which is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, can decrease epileptic seizures in children who have forms of the condition that are resistant to treatment.

The research was a collaboration between the Aston University team and researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Their paper, titled ‘Cannabidiol modulates excitatory-inhibitory ratio to counter hippocampal hyperactivity’, has been published in the journal Neuron.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects children and adults alike, and it can start at any age. In the UK alone, there are approximately 60,000 cases of epilepsy in children. The condition can be caused by brain injuries resulting from trauma, birth difficulties, or infections such as meningitis. Some researchers believe that genetic factors also play a role in the development of the condition.

The researchers found that CBD can block the signals that cause seizures in the brain. Specifically, CBD blocks signals emitted by lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) molecules, which amplify nerve function in the brain and trigger epileptic seizures. The study builds on previous research that demonstrated how CBD can prevent LPI from amplifying nerve signals in the hippocampus.

However, the researchers note that LPI molecules can also weaken the signals in the brain that are meant to counter seizures. To understand better how CBD works to treat epilepsy in children, the researchers used a leading model of epilepsy developed by Professor Gavin Woodhall. The model allowed the researchers to record electrical signals in the brains of epileptic rodents, some of which were treated with CBD. This helped the researchers identify the precise molecular mechanisms that were halted by CBD.

Professor Woodhall, co-director of Aston Institute for Health and Neurodevelopment, said, “These new insights into epilepsy and the mechanism by which CBD works to stop seizures is the fruit of years of collaboration between neuroscientists in the UK and the USA and our industry partner, GW Pharma. We are hopeful that it will lead to even better treatments in the future.”

However, there is an ongoing debate about the use of CBD as a treatment option, not just for epilepsy in children, but in wider healthcare in the UK. Some doctors have been reluctant to prescribe CBD to children with epilepsy due to a lack of confirmatory clinical trial data. In addition, some researchers in the UK have argued that whole-plant medicinal cannabis products are more effective than CBD products in treating epilepsy in children. A paper produced by researchers at Imperial College London reported that epileptic seizure frequency fell by an average of 86% in a trial of ten children treated with whole-plant medicinal cannabis. The ICL researchers also reported that no children in their study reacted to CBD-based therapies.