Written by Renata Filiaci, MSHW

Seizures and epilepsy are not the same. An epileptic seizure is a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is a disease characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. Translation: a seizure is an event and epilepsy is the disease involving recurrent unprovoked seizures.

A Person Is Considered To Have Epilepsy If They Meet Any Of The Following Conditions.

• At least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures occurring greater than 24 hours apart.
• One unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and a probability of further seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60%) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next 10 years.
• Diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome
• Epilepsy is considered to be resolved for individuals who had an age-dependent epilepsy syndrome but are now past the applicable age or those who have remained seizure-free for the last 10 years, with no seizure medicines for the last 5 years.

65 MILLION: Number of people around the world who have epilepsy.

3.4 MILLION: Number of people in the United States who have epilepsy.

Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy have seizures that are resistant to antiepileptic medications. Moreover, there are many side effects associated with them such as osteomalacia and anemia. The off-label use of cannabis sativa plant in treating seizures is known since ancient times.

There is one prescription medicine out called EPIDIOLEX, which is the first and only FDA‑approved prescription cannabidiol. It is approved to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in patients 1 year of age and older.

But, what about the other stuff that’s retailed in stores? Endocannabinoids (cannabinoids synthesized normally within the central nervous system (CNS)) have a role in decreasing the release of excitatory neurotransmitter in CNS, hence preventing from seizures. They act on CB1 and CB2 receptors with former being expressed by central and peripheral neurons, while the latter are mainly expressed by immune cells but are also found in the brain cells. An old thought of CB1 receptors being the only ones involved into neuronal activity regulation has been challenged by a recent experimental study on rats, which concluded that loss of both types of receptors will result into a spontaneous and more severe form of seizures than the loss of CB1 receptors alone. This formulates that the development of potential drugs enhancing the activity of these receptors could be used as a therapeutic means for seizure disorders, such as cannabis oil.

In a trial with more than 100 patient participants, the researchers observed a good antiepileptic effect of CBD with a few adverse effects, especially in participants with Dravet syndrome. Also, a randomized, controlled, double-blinded multi-center study was done to appreciate the potential effects of CBD in controlling drop seizures in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. A total of 171 patients were randomly divided into a drug or placebo group in 1:1 pattern. There was 43.9% reduction of drop seizures in CBD group patients and 21.8% of the reduction in the patients who were in the placebo group. Besides drop seizures, the frequency of other types of seizures was also reduced drastically which reflected a wide spectrum of effects of CBD in controlling different types of seizures. In many other studies compiled in a review, the median frequency of seizures decreased, there were complete resolution of spasms, and an improvement of illness in many child patients.