Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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META-ANALYSIS OF CANNABIDIOL TREATMENT FOR SEIZURES ASSOCIATED WITH LENNOX-GASTAUT SYNDROME

JIE XU 1, YANBIN ZHANG 1, BAOXIAO WANG 1, CHENGHUI QIN 2*

1 Department of Neurology, First People’s Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, 311100, Zhejiang, China
2 Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing，312000, Zhejiang, China

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Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe, treatment-resistant epileptic encephalopathy. Standard therapies, such as valproic acid, adrenocorticotropic hormone and prednisone, exhibit variable efficacy and tolerability. This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) in LGS, focusing on seizure frequency, adverse reactions (ARs) and quality of life. A systematic search identified relevant studies comparing CBD with a placebo in patients with LGS. Data were analysed using RevMan 5.3. Across eleven studies, no significant difference was observed between CBD and placebo in reducing seizure frequency (mean difference = 0.15; 95% CI: –0.07 to 0.36; p = 0.18) or convulsion incidence (RR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.05 - 16.39; p = 0.97). However, CBD was associated with significantly higher risks of diarrhoea (RR = 1.53), somnolence (RR = 2.29), reduced appetite (RR = 3.52), vomiting (RR = 2.68) and elevated serum transaminases (RR = 12.08). In conclusion, while CBD does not significantly reduce seizures in LGS, it substantially increases the risk of ARs. Further studies are needed to refine dosing strategies and identify patient subgroups that may benefit most from treatment.