Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown to be effective in treating specific pediatric seizure disorders. Researchers explored if CBD would be effective in treating drug-resistant epilepsy in reducing seizures in adults, it was not.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in Australia and New Zealand, 188 people with drug-resistant epilepsy were dosed with a transdermal patch twice a day. The patches were either a placebo (no CBD) or contained 195 mg or 390 mg of CBD. At the end of the 12-week trial period, when looking at seizure rates in the participants, researchers found no difference in the three cohorts involved in the study.
At the end of the 12-week study, researchers extended their efforts into an “Open Label Extension”, where the participants (n=171) were given transdermal patches and were aware that the patches contained specific amounts of CBD. By the 6th month of the extension period, 115 of the participants reported a reduction in seizure rates. In their findings, researchers raised concern that the “Placebo Effect” may have influenced this outcome. (Placebo Effect: The belief by a patient that a drug is effective when no attributed benefit can be established clinically).
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