Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies/efficacy of cannabis-related drugs in ASD
| Study characteristics | Characteristics of patients | Treatment characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authors/year | Study design | No. of ASD participants | Mean age years | Active treatment doses/mg/day | Daily dosage mg/kg/day | Mean follow-up months | Benefits No. of patients or (%) |
| Serap-Ekici et al. (2021), this study Retrospective | Retrospective | 33 | 7.7 ± 5.5 | Synthetic CBD |
0.7 (0.3–2) max 40 mg/day |
6.5 |
10 (32.2%) patients reported a decrease in behavior problems 7 (22.5%) patients reported an increase in expressive language 4 (12.9%) patients reported an improvement in cognitive functions 3 (9.6%) patients reported an increase in social interaction 1 (3.2%) patient reported a decrease in stereotypes 6 (19.3%) patients reported no change |
| Aran et al. (2019) |
Retrospective Cohort study Open-label |
60 | 11.8 (5–17.5) |
Cannabinoid oil A solution at a 20:1 ratio of CBD and THC |
Sublingual assumption 2 or 3 times/daily with CBD doses stated at 1 mg/kg/day and titrate up to 10 mg/kg/d stated at 1 mg/kg/day stated at 1 mg/kg/day | 10.9 |
61% of patients reported an improvement in behavior problems 39% of patients reported an improvement in anxiety 47% of patients reported an improvement in communication 33% of patients received fewer medications or lower doses 24% of patients stopped psychotic medications 8% of patients received more medications |
| Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider et al. (2019) | Prospective | 188 | 12.9 | Most patients consumed oil with 30% CBD and 1.5% THC. Insomnia was treated with an the evening dose of 3% THC oil |
On average 79.5 ± 61.5 mg CBD and 4.0 ± 3.0 mg THC, three times a day. Average additional 5.0 ± 4.5 mg THC daily for insomnia |
6 |
Quality of life: 66.8% of patients reported an improvement Mood: 63.5% of patients reported an improvement Adaptive abilities: 42.9% of patients reported an improvement Concentration: 14% of patients reported an improvement |
| Paulo Fleury et al. (2019) |
Prospective Cohort study |
18 (15 analyzed) | 10.9 (6–17) | Sativa extract containing 75:1 CBD:THC ratio | CBD: mean 175 mg/day (100–350); THC: 2.33 mg/day (1.33–2.33). | 12.4 |
30% of patients reported an improvement in ADHD 20% of patients reported improvements in behavior disorder 25% of patients reported improvements in communication, social, and interaction deficit 20% reported improvements in cognitive function 40% reported improvements in sleep disorder |
| Barchel et al. (2019) |
Prospective Cohort study |
53 | 11 (4–22) | Cannabinoid oil solution at a concentration of 30% and 20:1 ratio of CBD and THC |
CBD: 16 mg/kg (maximal daily, dose 600 mg) THC: 0.8 mg/kg (maximal daily, a dose of 40 mg). |
66 days (30–588) |
Hyperactivity: Improvement: 68.4% No change: 28.9% Worsening: 2.6% - Self-injury: Improvement: 67.6% No change: 25% Worsening: 8.8% - Sleep problems: Improvement: 71.4% No change: 23.8% Worsening: 4.7% - Anxiety: Improvement: 47.1% No change: 29.4% Worsening: 23.5% Overall: improvement: 74.5%; no change: 21.6%; Worsening: 3.9% |
| Mostafavi and Gaitanis (2020) |
Retrospective Preliminary |
32 | Not reported | Medical marijuana or hemp-based products | None | None |
91% improvement in seizures 60% improvement in aggression |
| Mc Vige et al. (2020) | Retrospective | 20 | Not reported | Medical cannabis | None | Improvement in the degree of overall pain |
Improvement in seizure frequency and severity Improvement in sleep, mood, aggression toward self and/or others, communication abilities and 50% of patients discontinued or reduced the use of other medication |