Anecdotal stories abound about the successful use of CBD to treat seizure disorders, but what is happening inside the body to create this outcome? CBD has been studied since the 1970s as an anti-seizure and anti-epileptic compound.37 Different mechanisms of action have been studied, but the exact mechanism has yet to be defined. Epidiolex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Both are rare diseases that manifest in early childhood with the onset of seizures and can cause significant neurodevelopmental problems. While this drug’s exact mechanism of action is unknown, it is believed that it may act by modulating endogenous systems such as neuronal inhibition, intracellular calcium, and adenosine modulation.38 Although there is one medication on the market approved for the treatment of these specific disorders, more research is needed into improving the efficacy and creating new medications that are targeted specifically to additional seizure disorders and different seizure types.
References:
Ghosh P and Bhattacharya SK. (1978) Anticonvulsant action of cannabis in the rat: role of brain monoamines. Psychopharmacology, 59(3), 293–297.
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