In a recent article in the journal Pharmaceuticals, an observational study was presented that described the neurobehavioral effects of the full-spectrum CBD-dominant phytocannabinoid extract on children and adolescents with moderate and severe Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The current study provides much promise with regard to presenting possible alternatives for the treatment of ASD, an area in which there has historically been scant provision and significant side effects in pharmacological treatments.
A Glimpse into Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social interaction, communication, and behavioral issues.
It as a broad spectrum of various symptoms including some severe features that can really affect many people’s lives – causing complicstions for the individual and his or her family.
Current status in treatment with medication for the ASD is often quite unsatisfactory and associated with considerable side effects. This study aimed to explore a possible new way of treatment by means of extracts with dominance of cannabidiol CBD.
Other studies have shown success in this area.
Overview of the Study and Methodology
The study sample comprises 30 individuals from 5 to 18 years of age diagnosed with moderate to severe non-syndromic ASD.
They would be treated at the University Hospital of Brasília with a CBD-dominant plant extract based on a 33:1 ratio of CBD to D9-THC. The average treatment duration was 6.6 months.
Clinical evaluation and interviews with parents and caregivers were performed in order to gather information regarding the neurobehavioral changes and the improvement in quality of life of the children.
Encouraging Results
In fact, vast improvements were evident in most of the aspects of the disease as the outcome of this study.
To put it more bluntly, at least 70% of volunteers expanded their ways of improvement in these areas of social cognition such as communicative intent, learning, and attention directed towards other people.
The most impressive improvements were affecting expressive language and daily life activities.
The aggressive behaviour towards other persons, irritability, and sensory dysfunction scored significantly higher improvement rates in such repetitive and restrictive behaviour characteristics beyond 50%.
A very small percentage of the patients was experiencing deteriorating symptoms across all the categories mentioned.
Parental and Caregiver Insights
With more support coming from interview analyses of the parents and guardians, clinical findings were confirmed.
For all the categories assessed, at least 33% of the parents indicated notable improvements, and significantly robust ones were specifically highlighted for global communication and interaction with relatives, cognitive problems, as well as attention deficit and hyperactivity.
There also appeared to be improvements in quality of life as indicated by the evaluation of patients and their families; so it can be said with relative certainty that the impact of the treatment is quite wide ranging.
Understanding the Mechanisms
Putative mechanisms responsible for such improvement are associated with the endocannabinoid system, responsible for emotional and behavioral responses.
Some changes in the receptors and levels of endocannabinoids are observed not only within individuals suffering from ASD, thus providing another possible proof that cannabinoid-based treatments could address such underlying neurophysiological differences.
Safety and Side Effects
Promising study results aside, it is important to assess potential adverse side effects.
Treatment-emergent adverse effects most frequently reported to the clinic were irritability, agitation, and aggressiveness, generally mild and easily managed by dose reduction.
On the whole though, the safety profile of CBD-dominant extract appeared as good or better than the one of the normal pharmacology therapy.
A Step Forward
This work represents a significant step forward in efforts to identify new treatments for ASD. The use of CBD-dominant extracts shows a novel approach to ameliorating not only core symptoms but also the quality of life of the patients suffering with this disorder and their families.
Also, probing potential benefits of added cannabinoid treatments with other therapeutic lines, including behavioral therapies, may provide better supplementary benefits for the treatment of ASD patients.
These results currently suggest that phytocannabinoid extracts, which are predominantly composed of CBD, could successfully treat ASD, not only for its core symptoms but also for its comorbidities.
Treatment of AD with these new strategies provides better optimism for individuals and their families affected.
It is only a matter of time until this research landscape moves ahead, and the amalgamation of these new treatment options involving cannabinoids in the management protocols for AD becomes a new trajectory set with much promise for the transformation of life for those affected by the disorder.
