Evidence supporting the use of: Cannabinoids
For the health condition: Convulsions

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 4

Cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), have scientific validation for their use in supporting or treating certain types of convulsions, especially in rare and severe forms of epilepsy. The most prominent evidence comes from clinical trials involving CBD in the treatment of Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two childhood-onset epileptic disorders that are often resistant to conventional anti-seizure medications.

One of the landmark studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2017) demonstrated a significant reduction in seizure frequency in patients with Dravet syndrome treated with CBD compared to placebo. Similar results were found in trials with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. These findings led to the approval of Epidiolex, a pharmaceutical-grade CBD product, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 specifically for these conditions.

While the exact mechanism is not fully understood, CBD is believed to modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, contributing to its anticonvulsant effects. However, evidence supporting the use of cannabinoids for convulsions outside of these rare epileptic syndromes is limited, and the use of THC-dominant cannabis for seizures lacks substantial scientific backing and may even worsen some seizure types.

In summary, there is strong scientific evidence supporting the use of CBD (but not all cannabinoids) for certain types of convulsions, particularly in specific epilepsy syndromes, meriting a high rating for evidence in this context.

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