Oral Cannabidiol Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder to Treat Related Symptoms and Co-morbidities

Dana Barchel, Orit Stolar2, Tal De-Haan, Tomer Ziv-Baran, Naama Saban, Danny Or Fuchs, Gideon Koren and Matitiahu Berkovitch

Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2019, volume 9, article 1521, 1-5

Doi : 10.3389/fphar.2018.01521

 

Objective : Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly exhibit comorbid symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity and anxiety. Several studies are being conducted worldwide on cannabidiol use in ASD; however, these studies are still ongoing, and data on the effects of its use is very limited. In this study we aimed to report the experience of parents who administer, under supervision, oral cannabinoids to their children with ASD.

Methods : After obtaining a license from the Israeli Ministry of Health, parents of children with ASD were instructed by a nurse practitioner how to administer oral drops of cannabidiol oil. Information on comorbid symptoms and safety was prospectively recorded biweekly during follow-up interviews. An independent group of specialists analyzed these data for changes in ASD symptoms and drug safety.

Results : 53 children at a median age of 11 (4–22) year received cannabidiol for a median duration of 66 days (30–588). Self-injury and rage attacks (n = 34) improved in 67.6% and worsened in 8.8%. Hyperactivity symptoms (n = 38) improved in 68.4%, did not change in 28.9% and worsened in 2.6%. Sleep problems (n = 21) improved in 71.4% and worsened in 4.7%. Anxiety (n = 17) improved in 47.1% and worsened in 23.5%. Adverse effects, mostly somnolence and change in appetite were mild.

Conclusion : Parents’ reports suggest that cannabidiol may improve ASD comorbidity symptoms; however, the long-term effects should be evaluated in large scale studies.

Keywords : cannabidiol, autism spectrum disorder, ASD comorbid symptoms, ASD treatment, pediatrics, clinical research trial, THC – tetrahydrocannabinol

 

INTRODUCTION

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly exhibit co-morbid symptoms of hyperactivity, self-injury, aggressiveness, restlessness, anxiety and sleep disorders (Mannion and Leader, 2013; South et al., 2017). Conventional medical treatment includes various psychotropic medications such as atypical anti psychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s), stimulants and anxiolytics (Canitano and Scandurra, 2008; Stachnik and Gabay, 2010;Wink et al., 2010; Hurwitz et al., 2012).

Several studies are being conducted worldwide on the use of cannabidiol in children with ASD to treat comorbid symptoms. However, there is limited published data on the use of cannabinoids in this population (Kurz and Blaas, 2010; Kuester et al., 2017). A recent review has suggested cannabidiol as a candidate for treatment of ASD (Poleg et al., 2019). Cannabis contains numerous chemically active compounds, including 19-tetrahydrocannabinol (19-THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and terpenoids (Russo, 2011). 19-THC activates the endocannabinoid system in the central nervous system, affecting appetite, anxiety, cognitive function and memory (Palmieri et al., 2017). In contrast, CBD is anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic and antipsychotic (Detyniecki and Hirsch, 2015). Studies in mice models of ASD have demonstrated the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of ASD symptoms (Foldy et al., 2013; Wei et al., 2015).

In this study we aimed to record the experience of parents who administered under supervision cannabidiol to their children with ASD.

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