CBD & Drug Resistant Epilepsy
WellSpan Health
June 2023 - July 2023
Research Objective: Conduct a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of CBD as a treatment for drug resistant forms of epilepsy. Primary aims include (1) determining seizure reduction greater than 50% and seizure freedom for CBD treatment groups; (2) compare seizure reduction greater than 50% in CBD treatment groups and control groups, when present; (3) assess frequency of adverse events in the CBD treatment groups.
Research Methods
Meta-Analysis
Collect articles from PubMed and EBSCO databases; utilize Rayyan to select articles for inclusion. Extract data on seizure reductions, seizure freedom and frequency & type of adverse events for CBD treatment and control groups. Generate forest plots and pooled odds ratio for data analysis.
Results
In the CBD only cohort:
a seizure reduction of greater than 50% from baseline occurred in 54.3% of patients
In the CBD only cohort:
total seizure freedom occurred in 8.8% of patients
CBD vs Control:
CBD was associated with a significant reduction in seizures when compared to the control
In the CBD only cohort:
adverse events occurred in 71.2% of patient; most were mild-moderate in severity
In the CBD and control groups:
the most frequent adverse events were fatigue & somnolence; gastrointestinal; viral/infection; pyrexia; worsening seizures
