CBD Gel Proven Effective For Fragile X Syndrome
For people born with Fragile X Syndrome, quality of life is difficult to attain.
This rare genetic condition causes several developmental problems such as cognitive impairment and learning disabilities. Though it affects males more than females, children by the age of 2 already suffer from delayed speech and language development and this can lead to hyperactive and anxiety disorder later on.
Additionally, around a third of people with Fragile X Syndrome are prone to seizures.
This condition is extremely hard to treat with success because its causes lie in a genetic mutation.
Currently, there are no known single treatments available for Fragile X Syndrome just yet. The treatments available at conventional hospitals are designed to reduce symptoms at best. Ideally, parents should be treating their children as early as possible since this gives kids with Fragile X Syndrome the best chance of developing their skills at a normal age.
Many parents opt for educational therapy, though there are still countless people in the world today living with Fragile X Syndrome.
However, cannabidiol is giving hope to people with Fragile X Syndrome.
A brand new Australian study has just released results proving that CBD gel works well in patients with Fragile X syndrome.
For the study, which was published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, researchers administered transdermal CBD gel (ZYN002) to 18 patients between the ages of 6 to 17 years old. They were given the medication twice a day, in dosages from 50 to 250mg, for a total of 12 weeks.
They found that there was a “statistically significant reduction in the mean ADAMS [the Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Scale] total score from screening to week 12.” The subjects also showed improvements when the researchers measured other metrics including social evidence, hyperactivity, anxiety, and compulsive behavior.
“In this open-label study, ZYN002 CBD gel was well tolerated and produced clinically and statistically meaningful reductions in anxiety and behavioral symptoms among children and adolescents with FXS… Given the lack of medications approved for the treatment of FXS, this open-label study findings highlight urgent need for randomized, controlled, clinical trials to further assess the safety and efficacy of ZYN002 for FXS symptoms ranging from social avoidance, irritability, social unresponsiveness/lethargy, and stereotype, to anxiety.”
In May this year, a case report following three cases of patients with Fragile X Syndrome which was published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, revealed similar results. The researchers, hailing from the University of Colorado School of Medicine together with investigators from the University of California at Davis found that patients with the condition showed great improvement in symptom after taking CBD orally.
Specifically, they noted reductions in anxiety as well as panic attacks. They also found that patients had better sleep, sensory processing, and motor coordination. The symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome returned in two out of three patients when CBD treatment was halted, though it improved once again after CBD therapy was reintroduced.
“The present findings, coupled with the available preclinical data, highlight the potential for CBD as an intervention for individuals with FXS,” note the authors. “Until rigorous clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of CBD treatment for FXS, current treatments for the many behavioral problems associated with FXS should be utilized before off-label use of CBD products,” they say.
An older study conducted by Dr. Daniele Piomelli and Olivier Manzoni revealed that the stimulation of 2-AG endocannabinoid transmitters in the brain is beneficial in repairing brain function of animal models with this condition.
Since these transmitters are necessary for transporting electric signals within the brain, and since patients with Fragile X Syndrome are prone to limited synapse communication causing cognitive and behavioral problems, CBD might just be the revolutionary medicine that doctors have been hoping for.
“What we hope is to one day increase the ability of people with Fragile X syndrome to socialize and engage in normal cognitive functions,” explains Piomelli.
Though rare, Fragile X Syndrome affects 1.4 in every 10,000 males, and 0.9 in every 10,000 females. It’s still the most common cause of genetic intellectual disability disorders, and considering the severity of learning disabilities that these patients go through which affect their quality of life, CBD is proving to be a valuable medication.
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