Epilepsija in konoplja z roko v roki.

Cannabis and its extracts and substances have been used for centuries to relieve and treat epilepsy. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of compounds derived from these plants. Specifically, cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to be an anticonvulsant with new mechanisms of action and a favorable side effect profile. Cannabinoid-based therapies are already approved in some parts of the world for the treatment of various disease states in various fields such as spasticity, nausea and pain. Numerous preclinical evidence and data support the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy, in addition, there is growing data in the areas of menstrual problems and pain, rheumatoid arthritis, malaria, etc.

Many people who suffer from epilepsy say that cannabis use helps them alleviate seizures, especially when using cannabis with high levels of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Much research has been conducted in the field of science since 1970, some of which also included clinical studies. The findings of these studies reveal that cannabis contains a large amount of various cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other substances. The most researched cannabinoids are mainly THC and CBD. For the former, “hitting / intoxication” is very well known as a side effect, for the latter it has been proven that it does not cause unwanted psychoactive side effects. Based on initial research, a number of studies are currently underway across the U.S. and other countries trying to answer the question of whether a CBD drug formulation can help control epileptic seizures.

Exactly how cannabinoids work in epilepsy is not yet fully understood. In a study in mice published in the scientific journal Epilepsia, the results showed that CBD has a wide range of biological effects with several possible areas of action in the nervous system. The results on the positive anti-seizure properties and the favorable side effect profile support the further development of cannabinoid-based and cannabis-based epilepsy treatment. Activity in models of neuronal injury, neurodegeneration, and psychiatric illness suggests that CBD and other cannabinoids may also be effective in a number of central nervous system disorders that can make life difficult for individuals with epilepsy. Treatment of seizures and concomitant conditions is highly desirable.

In some people, epileptic seizures occur during the day, in others only during sleep, in some in both cases. It is estimated that three million Americans (1% of the population) face epilepsy, and this percentage is lower in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The diagnosis is usually made as early as children under 10 years of age and adults over 55 years of age.

Epileptic seizures can be divided into general and partial.
A general seizure occurs when abnormal electrical activity occurs in all areas of the cerebral cortex, which is reflected in movement, thinking, reasoning, and memory. This category of seizures includes tonic-clonic seizures, which include numbness of the body, jerky movements, and usually loss of consciousness. Absence seizures, characterized by short periods of staring, blinking eyes, and small / short movements in the arms and wrists, also fall into the same category.
Partial seizures, also called focal seizures, are limited to one half of the brain. When they occur, you can stay conscious, but you are not aware that an attack is happening. These attacks can affect behavior, awareness, and responsiveness. They may also involve involuntary movements.

Seizures that occur during sleep are thought to trigger changes in electrical activity in the brain during certain phases of sleep and wakefulness. Most nocturnal seizures occur in the 1st and 2nd stages of the sleep phase (snooze and light sleep). Local and / or generalized seizures may occur during sleep.

In young children and infants, seizures mostly occur during sleep and usually resolve when the child reaches adulthood.

Recently, the number of research and studies in the field of cannabis, cannabinoids and other ingredients found in cannabis has been increasing exponentially. Many articles have already been published proving the medical usefulness of cannabis and cannabinoids, especially in the treatment of the most severe forms of childhood epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism and some associated disorders, especially behavioral hyperactivity. Many leading and reputable experts in the treatment of childhood epilepsy have acknowledged that convincing evidence of the effectiveness of cannabidiol and other cannabinoids is sufficient, both in the field of pure CBD isolate and the use of the full spectrum of cannabinoids from the plant. Some state that the results of using the full spectrum are even significantly better than using the isolate alone, namely the amount of cannabidiol consumed is significantly lower than when using only pure/isolated CBD compound (natural or synthetic origin). Some state that the lowest dose that still ensures efficacy is 0.5 mg/kg/day.

In Slovenia, the first study involving cannabis and cannabinoids was conducted in 2016 and included 23 children. In three-quarters of severe patients, the improvement was at least 50%, and in one-third of the children the seizures disappeared completely. Dr. David Neubauer and colleagues have written and published a handbook entitled Recommendations for the Use of Cannabidiol and Cannabinoids / Medical Cannabis in Pediatrics - Pediatric Neurology, stating that general practitioners, researchers, and especially patients and the general public approve and advocate cannabinoid and cannabinoid treatment. consider it very effective. On the other hand, there are specialist doctors (neurologists, epileptologists) who have resistance to this type of treatment.

V zadnjih letih je na področju zdravljenja s konopljo in kanabinoidi nastalo veliko število znanstvenih raziskav, ki dokazujejo učinkovitost zdravljenja s kanabinoidi in mnoge med njimi so podprte s kliničnimi študijami.

V Hempethici sledimo to področje in v prihodnosti načrtujemo tudi razvoj lastnih izdelkov za blaženje tovrstnih težav.

Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/marijuana-and-epilepsy
https://www.institut-icanna.com/si/blog/60/Novosti-zdravljenja-otrok-z-%C2%BBmedicinsko-konopljo%C2%AB
https://old.delo.si/novice/slovenija/pri-vecini-otrok-je-konoplja-pozdravila-ali-ublazila-epilepsijo.html
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsija
http://pednevro.pedkl.si/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019.04-Priporoc%CC%8Cila-za-uporabo-medicinske-konoplje.pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/epi.12631
https://ufhealth.org/sites/default/files/media/PDF/EpilepsySleep.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29998598/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29429908/