Hospital: Cannabis helped children reduced seizures by 80%

Children with refractory epilepsy reduced their seizures by 80% after using cannabis oil in a controlled study of Garrahan Hospital in Argentina.

According to the researchers, the results “greatly exceeded expectations.”

Upon admission to the protocol, this group of children had an average of 959 crises per month (more than 30 per day), with a minimum of 30 per month and a maximum of 13,200 per month (more than 400 crises per day).

“The numbers are very positive and allow us to see a great reduction in the amount of crisis and improvements in the quality of life. This required study answers a question: Is cannabis oil effective and safe in pharmacologically controlled doses? “Today we know that the answer is yes,” says Carlos Kambourian, president of Garrahan Hospital.

Not only the medicine’s safety index, but also the response rate was highly successful.

“Of the 49 patients with sufficient follow-up, 39, that is, 80%, had a positive response with reduction in the number of crises. The initial group average of 959 crises per month (about 30 days) decreased to 381 crises per month (13 per day), equivalent to a 60% reduction.

According to these results, the updated treatment that 5 patients were currently free of seizures, and also, dropped 2 out of every three crises a day amongst the others.

“The results confirm what we perceive throughout the treatment with families and patients with refractory epileptic encephalopathies. They are indicators that allow us to understand the importance, efficacy and safety of having this new therapeutic option,” said the principal investigator and head of the Hospital’s Neurology Department, Roberto Caraballo.

Study will last another year

In Argentina, 1% of the population suffers from epilepsy. Around 120,000 children, according to Garrahan Hospital, could be benefited from these results, especially the 20% of this population who suffers from serious seizures. 

This research also provides similar results to other research around the world. Argentine researchers reported that their intention was to accurately and without prejudice evaluate the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for seizures before incorporating it as a treatment.

The researchers reported that patients will continue to be incorporated into the study and will be followed up for another year in order to assess that the results are maintained over time.

You can read the statement from Garrahan Hospital at the following link: http://bit.ly/2PNeh30