Cannabinoids Significantly Reduced Dystonia in Seven Huntington's Disease Patients | Research

The takeaway

Seven patients with early-onset Huntington's disease showed significant improvement in motor symptoms, particularly dystonia, after starting cannabinoid treatment, with additional benefits in behavior and daily functioning.

HD patients and families, neurologists, movement disorder specialists.

Dystonia subscore improved by 35% (from 12.3 to 8.0, p=0.018) with cannabinoid treatment.

What the researchers found

UHDRS motor scores improved from 70.9 to 60.6 (mean change 10.3 points, 95% CI 6.0-14.6, p=0.018). The dystonia subscore improved from 12.3 to 8.0 (mean change 4.3 points, 95% CI 2.3-6.3, p=0.018). Patients also showed improvements in gait, fine motor skills, weight gain, and behavior.

Why it matters

Treatment options for dystonia in Huntington's disease are extremely limited. This case series provides evidence that cannabinoids may fill a significant therapeutic gap for one of HD's most debilitating symptoms.

The numbers in context

Motor score improved by 10.3 points (from 70.9 to 60.6). Dystonia subscore improved by 4.3 points (from 12.3 to 8.0). Both improvements were statistically significant (p=0.018).

How the study worked

Case series of seven early-onset HD patients assessed with the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale before and after starting cannabinoids, with no other medication changes during the observation period.

What this study cannot tell us

Small case series without placebo control or blinding. All patients had early-onset HD, which may differ from typical adult-onset HD. No standardized cannabinoid formulation or dose across patients.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary - uncontrolled case series with only seven patients, though results were statistically significant.

When this study was published

Published in 2018.

The bigger picture

Dystonia has high prevalence in HD but is often overshadowed by chorea in research. These findings suggest cannabinoids may be particularly effective for the dystonic component, which can be more disabling than chorea in many patients.

Questions still open

Would these results hold up in a controlled trial? Do cannabinoids work for dystonia in adult-onset HD as well? What cannabinoid formulation and dose is optimal? How long do the benefits last?

Common questions

Can cannabis help with Huntington's disease?

This case series found that cannabinoids significantly reduced dystonia and improved overall motor function in seven early-onset HD patients. Motor scores improved by about 15%, and patients gained additional benefits in gait, behavior, and weight.

Does cannabis treat dystonia?

In this small study of Huntington's disease patients, cannabinoids reduced dystonia scores by 35%. Previous reports have also described cannabinoid benefits for dystonia from other causes, but controlled trials are needed.

Read the original research

Cannabinoids for Treatment of Dystonia in Huntington's Disease.

Journal of Huntington's disease, 7(2), 167-173

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Saft, Carsten; von Hein, Sarah Maria; Lücke, Thomas; Thiels, Charlotte; Peball, Marina; Djamshidian, Atbin; Heim, Beatrice; Seppi, Klaus. (2018). Cannabinoids for Treatment of Dystonia in Huntington's Disease.. Journal of Huntington's disease, 7(2), 167-173. https://doi.org/10.3233/JHD-170283