Quality of life for autistic people increased in a rare study of tailored cannabis treatments
According to a study published in August by Frontiers in Psychiatry, a customized cannabis regimen can ease the symptoms of autism. Researchers studied 20 autistic patients who followed individual treatment with CBD oil, THC oil or a combination thereof. Although the study was small, autistic patients noted a significant reduction in symptoms and a better quality of life for themselves and their families.
The challenges of autism
Autism spectrum disorders can have multiple causes, but they encompass a wide range of conditions that affect 1 in 36 people and can affect patients in different ways, from mild to debilitating. Autism is usually characterized by social difficulties, sensory problems and repetitive behaviors, but can also be associated with high levels of comorbid conditions such as intellectual disabilities, problems with emotional regulation and seizure disorders.
Although these symptoms and associated discomfort vary from autistic person to autistic person, they can make life challenging for both autistic patients and their families. Unfortunately, few treatment options are available to meet these needs.
The quality of life of autistic patients improved in 95% of cases and the lives of their families improved in 83% of cases.
Can cannabinoids relieve autism symptoms?
Some researchers and advocates have long suggested cannabis as a potential therapy for autism, in part because autistic patients have been found to have lower levels of endocannabinoids. This could indicate impairment of the endocannabinoid system, a cell signaling system that cannabis can stimulate.
Previous studies have shown that cannabis can reduce the severity of autism symptoms. Unfortunately, the benefits and number of patients helped by cannabis vary drastically between studies. However, the manifestations of autism and the chemical composition of cannabis treatments can also vary drastically.
This lack of clarity led the authors of the recent Frontiers in Psychiatry study to investigate whether cannabis treatments tailored specifically to an individual could prove to be consistently more effective.
Related
Why isn’t the endocannabinoid system taught in medical schools?
Unique dosage for unique people
Brazilian-based Frontiers in Psychiatry researchers met the challenge by designing a 20-person study in which each patient was matched to their ideal dose of cannabis extract.
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They started with a small dose of full-spectrum CBD extract and regularly adjusted each patient’s treatment based on their symptoms. As we progressed, some patients found that slowly adding THC improved results, until researchers finally arrived at an individual ratio of THC and CBD. Once the researchers determined an ideal dose and ratio of CBD to THC for each patient, they maintained that regimen for six months.
After six months of individual cannabis treatment, the patients’ caregivers conducted a survey about the impact of cannabis on the lives of the patient and their families. The survey covered a variety of areas relevant to autism and its symptoms.
Cannabis improves the quality of life of autistic people
The survey results showed that caregivers felt that cannabis generally improved all symptom categories analyzed. Still, the details varied from person to person.
However, overall, the quality of life of autistic patients improved in 95% of cases and the lives of their families improved in 83% of cases.
Many caregivers reported improvements in areas such as seizures (84%), meltdowns (76%), discomfort in noisy or crowded places (72%), aggressiveness toward others (67%), consumption of non-foods (63%), excessive appetite (62%) and screaming and making random noises (54%).
Cannabis also regularly improved communication skills – 85% of caregivers reported that their autistic loved one was more receptive to direct verbal communication. Additionally, 75% said visual contact and attention to conversations improved. Meanwhile, verbal communication improved in 50% of patients.
Is cannabis the first treatment to improve mental performance?
Cannabis is celebrated for making healthy adults feel a little spacey and mellow. However, intellectual and cognitive performance (which is sometimes impaired in autistic patients due to comorbid mental disorders) also improved in 57% of study cases. The authors highlighted this remarkable finding because no other drug is known to improve this specific comorbidity.
However, some patients experienced worsening of specific symptoms, such as: B. Difficulty making visual contact, paying attention to verbal communication, meltdowns, and aggressiveness toward self or others. Like any drug, cannabis is not a panacea, and two of the 20 patients experienced an overall worsening of symptoms, while 19 of the 20 autistic patients reported an overall improvement in quality of life.
Further studies are required
While this study is promising, it is limited by its small size and open, non-blinded design. Therefore, much larger studies are needed to confirm that these results generalize to most autistic patients. Because patients and caregivers knew they were receiving cannabis, it is also possible that the placebo effect influenced some of the results.
Still, the study suggests that larger double-blind studies are warranted and could potentially give us more insight into the effects of cannabis on autistic patients. It also highlights how different patients may respond better to different doses and ratios of CBD to THC – and how to approach this challenge clinically. This finding could change the way future research on autism and cannabis is conducted and provide more accurate results about its potential benefits. The complexity is great for both autistic people and herbal cannabis formulations.
One clear obstacle limits cannabis research on autism – the US federal government.
One clear obstacle limits cannabis research on autism – the US federal government. America is the world’s leading source of medical research funding and the country considers marijuana a Schedule 1 drug with no medical use and high potential for abuse. In 2023, President Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services to review the marijuana transition and inform the DEA of its recommendation. We will see.
If you are considering using cannabis for autism, keep in mind that it may be contraindicated for some medications and medical conditions. Always consult a doctor who specializes in cannabinoids first.
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