Cannabidiol as an adjuvant treatment in adults with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.

Cannabidiol oil (CBD) has been approved as an anti-seizure medication for the treatment of uncommon types of epilepsy, occurring in children: Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. There are few publications in relation to use the CBD in adult patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, safety, and quality of life, of adjuvant treatment with CBD, in adult patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy for at least 6 months. An open, observational, prospective cohort study was conducted using a before-after design (time series) in adult patients undergoing outpatient follow-up in a public hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From a total of 44 patients, 5% of patients were seizure-free, 32% of patients reduced more than 80% of their seizures and 87% of patients reduced 50% of their monthly seizures. Eleven percent presented a decrease of less than 50% in seizure frequency. The average final dose was 335 mg/d orally administered. Thirty-four percent of patients reported mild adverse events and no patient reported severe adverse effects. At the end of the study, we found in most patients a significant improvement in the quality of life, in all the items evaluated. Adjuvant treatment with CBD in adult patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy was effective, safe, well tolerated, and associated with a significant improvement in their quality of life.

Perfil de fitocannabinoides en muestras derivadas al Laboratorio de control de calidad de la ENyS / Phytocannabinoid profile in samples sent to the ENyS quality control laboratory

[RESUMEN]. Las plantas de cannabis se clasifican en quimiotipos, según las concentraciones relativas de tetrahidrocannabinol (THC) y cannabidiol (CBD). El quimiotipo I tiene alto contenido de THC (sativa dominante); el quimiotipo II tiene un contenido aproximado 1:1 de THC:CBD (híbrida) y el quimiotipo III con CBD como constituyente predominante (indica dominante). El objetivo fue clasificar las muestras recibidas en el Laboratorio de con trol de calidad de la ENyS según su quimiotipo. El análisis de cannabinoides se realizó mediante cromatografía líquida de ultra alta resolución acoplada a espectrometría de masas y se calculó la razón THC/CBD. Se analizaron 121 muestras de tejido vegetal, que tuvieron un fuerte predominio de quimiotipo I (75%) y 139 muestras de aceite, con 41% de quimiotipo I, 40% de quimiotipo II y 19% de quimiotipo III.

[ABSTRACT]. Cannabis plants are classified into chemotypes, based on the relative concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Chemotype I has high THC content (sativa dominant); chemotype II has an approximate 1:1 content of THC:CBD (hybrid) and chemotype III has CBD as the predominant constituent (indica dominant). Our aim was to classify the samples received at the ENyS Quality Control Laboratory according to their chemotype. Cannabinoid analysis was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and the THC/CBD ratio was calculated. 121 plant tissue samples were analyzed, which had a strong predominance of chemotype I (75%) as well as 139 oil samples, wich rendered 41% chemotype I, 40% chemotype II and 19% chemotype III.