Cannabidiol Use in Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies: A Syndrome- and Age-Stratified Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #epileptic encephalopathies
- #meta-analysis
- #cannabidiol
- Pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrates clinically meaningful seizure reduction in approximately half of patients with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs).
- Pooled efficacy outcomes show a 49.9% rate for ≥50% seizure reduction, 26.7% for ≥75% reduction, and 5.7% achieving seizure freedom.
- Subgroup analyses by age, syndrome type, dose, clobazam use, and follow-up duration did not reveal robust or consistent effect modification, with findings often imprecise and lacking credibility.
- Adverse events were generally mild to moderate, including somnolence, decreased appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, and behavioral changes, manageable via dose adjustment.
- Transaminase elevations were mainly associated with valproate co-therapy and reversible upon dose reduction or discontinuation; serious adverse events and withdrawals were uncommon.
- Substantial heterogeneity and low-credibility subgroup signals limit confident attribution of superior efficacy to specific subgroups, necessitating cautious interpretation of results.