Effects of Cannabidiol on Adaptive Behavior and Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients With Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy
10.3988/jcn.2022.18.5.547
- Author:
Se Hee KIM
1
;
Han Som CHOI
;
Chung Mo KOO
;
Bong-Rim JOO
;
Byung-Joo PARK
;
Hae Kook LEE
;
Joon Soo LEE
;
Heung Dong KIM
;
Hoon-Chul KANG
Author Information
1. Divison of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Severance Children’s Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Publication Type:ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- From:Journal of Clinical Neurology
2022;18(5):547-552
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background:and Purpose Data regarding the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on the quality of life (QOL) are currently inadequate. We assessed the QOL of pediatric patients with epilepsy who were treated with CBD.
Methods:This prospective, open-label study included pediatric and adolescent patients (aged 2–18 years) with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Oral CBD was administered at 10 mg/kg/day. The Korean version of the Quality Of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE) questionnaire was administered when CBD treatment began and again after 6 months. Adaptive behavior was measured using the Korean versions of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) and the second edition of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-II).
Results:This study included 41 patients (11 with Dravet syndrome and 30 with LennoxGastaut syndrome), of which 25 were male. The median age was 4.1 years. After 6 months, 26.8% (11/41) of patients experienced a ≥50% reduction in the number of seizures. The total score for the QOLCE questionnaire did not change from baseline to after 6 months of CBD treatment (85.71±39.65 vs. 83.12±48.01, respectively; p=0.630). The score in the motor skills domain of Vineland-II reduced from 48.67±13.43 at baseline to 45.18±14.08 after 6 months of treatment (p=0.005). No other Vineland-II scores and no K-CBCL scores had changed after 6 months of CBD treatment.
Conclusions:CBD is an efficacious antiseizure drug used to treat Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. However, it did not improve the patient QOL in our study, possibly because all of our patients had profound intellectual disabilities.
