"CBD & Seizures in Lennox–Gastaut syndrome"

 

Researchers provide further evidence that the cannabis compound, CBD, is effective at reducing seizures in people with epilepsy.

The new study reveals CBD significantly reduced seizures in people with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Previously, the researchers demonstrated CBD was effective at seizure control in Dravet syndrome.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a “high” and has been an increasing focus of medical research, was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.

In the new study comparing 2 doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a -41.9% reduction in “drop seizures” (a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance) in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD,
-a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD and
-17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo.

“This new study adds rigorous evidence of cannabidiol’s effectiveness in reducing seizure burden in a severe form of epilepsy and, importantly, is the first study of its kind to offer more information on proper dosing,”
says Dr. Devinsky.

"GPR55 The third Cannabinoid Receptor (CB3)"

Finding the CB3 receptor could mean huge medical advancements for cannabis medicine.Originally called GPR55 after the gene that encodes it, the CB3 receptor is an exciting discovery for science. It is now clear this receptor is part of the Endocannabinoid System and interacts with endocannabinoids and phtyocannabinoids like THC and CBD.

Every animal, have an Endocannabinoid System. Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body. But where has CB3 been hiding? Well, turns out it hasn’t exactly been hiding. It’s more like researchers didn’t connect it to endocannbinoid activity before now.

Firstly, the two most researched receptors are CB1 and CB2. While CB1 receptors are prominent in the central nervous system, and CB2 receptors typically reside in the immune system. CB3 receptors were incognito, previously identified as GPR55. At first, science didn’t know that this receptor even accepted cannabinoids.

The CB3 receptor stayed hidden from scientists because it’s so unlike the other cannabinoid receptors. It only shares 13% of amino acid identity with them. It simply doesn’t look like it would react with cannabis, so scientists on the hunt for new cannabinoid receptors passed over it for years. This designation means that while the receptor had been found, science doesn’t yet know what activated that receptor.

When CB3 was first discovered in 1999, many doubted it was a cannabis receptor. It wasn’t until real proof came along years later that medical researchers accepted that GPR55 was indeed the 3rd Cannabinoid Receptor.

"Safety and efficacy of cannabidiol in children and adults with treatment resistant Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome"

Since 2014, patients with severe treatment-resistant epilepsies (TREs) have been receiving add-on cannabidiol (CBD) in an ongoing, expanded access program (EAP), which closely reflects clinical practice.

Researchers conducted an interim analysis of long-term efficacy and tolerability in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS) who received CBD treatment through December 2016.

The Study...

Children and adults with LGS/DS taking stable doses of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at baseline were included from 25 EAP sites across the United States.

During the 4-week baseline period, parents/caregivers kept diaries of all countable seizure types. Patients received a pharmaceutical formulation of highly purified CBD in oral solution at 2-10 mg/kg/day, titrated until tolerability limit or a maximum dose of 25-50 mg/kg/day.

"Does CBD Have Medical Benefits for Dogs"?

As with any pet wellness trend, when it comes to CBD oil for dogs, there’s a lot of information floating around online.

Of course, you want to do what’s best for your pup, which leads to the question: What do I need to know about CBD oil?

Every animal with a spinal column has an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which scientists estimate evolved more than 600 million years ago and has been carried forward across the millennia.

This ancient system—discovered through the work of several researchers between roughly 1965 and 1995—is named for Cannabis sativa L., the plant species that most dramatically affects it.

Its basic functions have been summarized as to “relax, eat, sleep, and protect.”


Ok all this, but how CBD Is Thought to Help Dogs...???

Researchers are still learning CBD’s specific effects on dogs, but here’s how the compound is thought to work:

Dogs have an endocannabinoid system (ECS), just like humans. 
The ECS is a network of cellular activators and receptors in the body that regulate physiological processes, including pain, mood, inflammation, stress, and more. 

CBD binds to and activates the vanilloid, adenosine, and serotonin receptors in a dog’s ECS and helps to regulate pain perception, inflammation, temperature, and more. It also boosts dopamine levels, helping to reduce anxiety and improve mood. 

CBD also blocks GPR55 signaling, which decreases cancer cell reproduction.

Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Cannabidiol has been used for treatment-resistant seizures in patients with severe early-onset epilepsy. We investigated the efficacy and safety of cannabidiol added to a regimen of conventional antiepileptic medication to treat drop seizures in patients with the Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, a severe developmental epileptic encephalopathy.