• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • 2MM Podcast
  • Write for us
  • Contact Us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Neurology

Transdermal cannabidiol gel effective for children with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies

byAndréa Rondeau-BrownandAlex Chan
September 7, 2021
in Neurology, Pediatrics
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

1. Transdermal cannabidiol gel was found to be a safe and effective treatment for children and adolescents with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies 

2. Treatment with transdermal cannabidiol was associated with a reduction in focal impaired awareness seizures and tonic-clonic seizures.

Developmental and epileptics encephalopathies (DEEs) are severe, epileptiform, drug resistant seizures with early onset among infants and children. The co-morbidity rates are high among patients with DEEs and they often present with behaviour and intellectual disabilities as well as reduced motor function, respiratory infections, sleep disturbances, and increased mortality risk. DEE patients are often treated with oral anti-seizure medications (ASM) which can be challenging when taking into consideration the physical, behavioural, and cognitive barriers for these children leading to the inability to tolerate oral administration. This study aimed to address this barrier by assessing the safety and efficacy of a transdermal gel medication. Specifically, Cannabidiol (CBD) which has been shown to reduce neuronal excitability and therefore reduces epileptic seizures. Health centers in Melbourne, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand participated in the study with DEE patients aged 3-18. CBD transdermal gel was used for 6.5 months in this nonrandomized, controlled, clinical trial. A total of n=46 patients received the treatment which consisted of 4.2% CBD transdermal gel administered daily in the amount of 125mg CBD each. This dosage increased each month and was adjusted for the child’s weight. Patients were assessed for daily seizure frequency which was recorded and subsequently reported by caregivers at each visit (occurring at weeks 2, 4, 6, 14, and 26). Over the course of the 6.5 month study period, the cohort saw an overall seizure reduction of 12.3% with the highest reduction in focal impaired awareness seizures (FIAS) by 44.5%. A strength of this study was that in addition to its quantitative nature, researchers included a qualitative interview at 6.5 months with caregivers. This allowed for the collection of information regarding overall quality of life and the impact of treatment on daily activities. Caregivers reported improvements with regards to alertness (40%), increased engagement (35%), cognition (33%), and reduced fatigue (28%).  The most common adverse events were related to reactions at the application site (19%) and these side effects were relatively mild. A limitation of this study was the nonrandomized nature of the clinical trial. Future studies may wish to conduct a randomized controlled trial to confirm the safety and efficacy of CBD transdermal gel. Overall, in the nonrandomized clinical trial, CBD transdermal gel was associated with a reduction in FIAS and tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) frequency.

Click to read the study in JAMA Network Open

Image: PD

RELATED REPORTS

Cerebral embolic protection does not decrease stroke incidence in TAVI patients

2 Minute Medicine Rewind July 7, 2025

Abridge drafts pediatric notes so physicians stay with the kids, not the keyboard

©2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Tags: epilepsyneurologypediatrics
Previous Post

Severe atopic dermatitis associated with symptoms of depression and internalizing behaviors in children

Next Post

A family-based health promotion intervention for the prevention of diabetes among women with prior gestational diabetes

RelatedReports

Cerebral protection device effective in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Cardiology

Cerebral embolic protection does not decrease stroke incidence in TAVI patients

July 8, 2025
Weekly Rewinds

2 Minute Medicine Rewind July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025
Baby-led weaning not linked to increased choking
AI Roundup

Abridge drafts pediatric notes so physicians stay with the kids, not the keyboard

July 7, 2025
Chronic Disease

Type 2 diabetes and abnormal amyloid concentrations are associated with accelerated brain atrophy

July 7, 2025
Next Post
Maternal vaccination during pregnancy not associated with infant hospitalization, mortality

A family-based health promotion intervention for the prevention of diabetes among women with prior gestational diabetes

Improved glycemic control in type 1 diabetics on very low-carbohydrate diets

Ranitidine may not lead to significant increase in N-nitrosodimethylamine in healthy adults

Novel coronavirus identified from patients with pneumonia in Wuhan, China

Poor humoral response observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis following a single dose of the BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Cerebral embolic protection does not decrease stroke incidence in TAVI patients
  • Nerandomilast slows FVC decline in progressive pulmonary fibrosis
  • 2 Minute Medicine: Pharma Roundup – Gastric Immunotherapy Gains, Prostate Pill Expansion, Five-Minute Myeloma Dosing, and Streamlined CAR-T Access [July 8th 2025]
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
No Result
View All Result

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.