J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 6. pii: jnnp-2017-317168. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-317168.
[Epub ahead of print]
Stockings E1, Zagic D1, Campbell G1, Weier M1, Hall WD2,3, Nielsen S1, Herkes GK4, Farrell M1, Degenhardt L1.
Abstract
Review evidence for cannabinoids as adjunctive treatments for treatment-resistant epilepsy. Systematic search of Medline, Embase and PsycINFO was conducted in October 2017. Outcomes were: 50%+ seizure reduction, complete seizure freedom; improved quality of life (QoL). Tolerability/safety were assessed by study withdrawals, adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Analyses were conducted in Stata V.15.0. 36 studies were identified: 6 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 30 observational studies. Mean age of participants was 16.1 years (range 0.5-55 years). Cannabidiol (CBD) 20 mg/kg/day was more effective than placebo at reducing seizure frequency by 50%+(relative risk (RR) 1.74, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.43, 2 RCTs, 291 patients, low Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) rating). The number needed to treat for one person using CBD to experience 50%+ seizure reduction was 8 (95% CI 6 to 17). CBD was more effective than placebo at achieving complete seizure freedom (RR 6.17, 95% CI 1.50 to 25.32, 3 RCTs, 306 patients, low GRADE rating), and improving QoL (RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.26), however increased risk of AEs (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.36) and SAEs (RR 2.55, 95% CI 1.48 to 4.38). Pooled across 17 observational studies, 48.5% (95% CI 39.0% to 58.1%) of patients reported 50%+ reductions in seizures; in 14 observational studies 8.5% (95% CI 3.8% to 14.5%) were seizure-free. Twelve observational studies reported improved QoL (55.8%, 95% CI 40.5 to 70.6); 50.6% (95% CI 31.7 to 69.4) AEs and 2.2% (95% CI 0 to 7.9) SAEs. Pharmaceutical-grade CBD as adjuvant treatment in paediatric-onset drug-resistant epilepsy may reduce seizure frequency. Existing RCT evidence is mostly in paediatric samples with rare and severe epilepsy syndromes; RCTs examining other syndromes and cannabinoids are needed.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER:
CRD42017055412.
© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
KEYWORDS:
cannabidiol; cannabinoids; cannabis; dravet syndrome; epilepsy; lennox-gastaut syndrome; seizures
- PMID: 29511052
- DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-317168
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Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: SN, MF and LD have all been investigators on untied investigator-driven educational grants funded by Reckitt Benckiser. MF and LD have received an untied educational grant from Mundipharma for postmarketing surveillance studies of Reformulated OxyContin. SN, MF and LD have been investigators on untied investigator-driven educational grants funded by Indivior. WDH provided evidence to parliamentary committees on medical uses of cannabis in Australia and the UK, and is on the Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis. MW, WDH, MF and LD have previously published manuscripts on the topic of therapeutic use of cannabis.
