CBD Oil Reduced Behavioral Symptoms in a 9-Year-Old with Nonverbal Autism | Research

The takeaway

A 9-year-old boy with nonverbal autism showed reduced violent outbursts, improved sleep, and better social interactions after treatment with high-CBD, low-THC oil.

Parents of children with ASD, pediatric neurologists, autism researchers

Dose: 20 mg CBD per mL, titrated to 0.5 mL twice daily

What the researchers found

Treatment with full-spectrum CBD oil (20 mg CBD/<1 mg THC per mL), titrated from 0.1 mL to 0.5 mL twice daily, resulted in reduced violent outbursts, self-injurious behaviors, and sleep disruptions. Social interactions, concentration, and emotional stability improved.

Why it matters

Safe and effective treatment options for autism spectrum disorder remain limited. This case adds to a growing body of preliminary evidence that CBD may help manage some behavioral symptoms.

The numbers in context

20 mg CBD/<1 mg THC per mL; starting dose 0.1 mL twice daily; target dose 0.5 mL twice daily; dose increased every 3-4 days

How the study worked

Single case study of a 9-year-old male with nonverbal autism spectrum disorder. CBD oil was started at 0.1 mL twice daily and increased every 3-4 days to 0.5 mL twice daily.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report with no control or blinding. Improvements could reflect natural development, placebo effect, or other factors. Cannot generalize to the broader ASD population.

How to read the evidence

Single case report without controls or blinding. Provides anecdotal evidence only.

When this study was published

Published in 2022

The bigger picture

While a single case cannot establish efficacy, it contributes to the emerging literature on cannabinoids for ASD and provides specific dosing information that may inform future clinical trials.

Questions still open

Would these improvements persist long-term? Could controlled trials replicate these findings across a broader spectrum of ASD presentations?

Common questions

What dose of CBD was used for autism in this case?

The child received full-spectrum oil containing 20 mg CBD and less than 1 mg THC per mL, starting at 0.1 mL twice daily and increasing every 3-4 days to a target of 0.5 mL twice daily.

What improvements were seen?

The child showed reduced violent outbursts, fewer self-injurious behaviors, better sleep, improved social interactions, better concentration, and greater emotional stability.

Read the original research

Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study.

Cureus, 14(8), e28442

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ma, Lucy; Platnick, Sofia; Platnick, Howard. (2022). Cannabidiol in Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study.. Cureus, 14(8), e28442. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.28442