Low-dose CBD showed improvements in behavioral problems for some children with autism in a Turkish clinic | Research

The takeaway

In a small Turkish study of 33 children with autism, CBD-enriched cannabis at low doses improved behavioral problems in about a third of patients, with no significant side effects.

Parents of children with autism exploring CBD, clinicians considering CBD for autism, autism researchers

32.2% of children showed decreased behavioral problems with low-dose CBD

What the researchers found

Among 33 children treated with CBD-enriched cannabis (average 0.7 mg/kg/day), 32.2% showed decreased behavioral problems, 22.5% improved in expressive language, 12.9% improved in cognition, and 9.6% increased social interaction. No change was reported in 19.35% of patients.

Why it matters

With no approved drugs for core autism symptoms, families are increasingly turning to CBD. This real-world clinical data, while limited, adds to the emerging evidence base that low-dose CBD may help some children with behavioral aspects of autism.

The numbers in context

33 children; mean age 7.7 years; average CBD dose 0.7 mg/kg/day; median treatment 6.5 months; 32.2% improved behavior; 22.5% improved language; 12.9% improved cognition; 19.35% no change

How the study worked

Retrospective clinical report of 33 children (27 male, 6 female) with autism spectrum disorder treated with full-spectrum CBD (less than 3% THC) at a single center in Turkey from January 2018 to August 2020, with a median treatment duration of 6.5 months.

What this study cannot tell us

No control group, very small sample, unblinded parent-reported outcomes, single center, variable treatment durations, no standardized outcome measures used.

How to read the evidence

Small uncontrolled case series with parent-reported outcomes and no standardized measures

When this study was published

Published in 2021. Clinical trials of CBD for autism are underway in multiple countries.

The bigger picture

Multiple small studies from different countries are now reporting similar patterns of improvement in autism-related behavioral problems with CBD, building a case for larger controlled trials.

Questions still open

Would these improvements hold up in a controlled trial with standardized measures? Is the low dose (0.7 mg/kg) more effective or just safer than higher doses used in other studies? What predicts which children will respond?

Common questions

Can CBD help children with autism?

In this small study, about a third of 33 children showed improved behavioral problems with low-dose CBD. However, without a control group, these results should be interpreted cautiously.

What dose of CBD was used for autism?

The average dose was 0.7 mg/kg/day, which is considerably lower than doses used in some other studies (average 3.8 mg/kg/day in the literature). The researchers noted no significant side effects at this lower dose.

Read the original research

CBD-enriched cannabis for autism spectrum disorder: an experience of a single center in Turkey and reviews of the literature.

Journal of cannabis research, 3(1), 53

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Bilge, Serap; Ekici, Barış. (2021). CBD-enriched cannabis for autism spectrum disorder: an experience of a single center in Turkey and reviews of the literature.. Journal of cannabis research, 3(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-021-00108-7