title: Phytocannabinoids and epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antiepileptic drugs often produce serious adverse effects, and many patients do not respond to them properly. Phytocannabinoids produce anticonvulsant effects in preclinical and preliminary human studies, and appear to produce fewer adverse effects than available antiepileptic drugs. The present review summarizes studies on the anticonvulsant properties of phytocannabinoids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature search using the PubMed database to identify studies on phytocannabinoids and epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preclinical studies suggest that phytocannabinoids, especially cannabidiol and cannabidivarin, have potent anticonvulsant effects which are mediated by the endocannabinoid system. Human studies are limited in number and quality, but suggest that cannabidiol has anticonvulsant effects in adult and infantile epilepsy and is well tolerated after prolonged administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phytocannabinoids produce anticonvulsant effects through the endocannabinoid system, with few adverse effects. Cannabidiol and cannabidivarin should be tested in randomized, controlled clinical trials, especially in infantile epileptic syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: J E C
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hallak
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Zuardi
authors.forename: J A S
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Crippa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002185:Cannabidiol; D013759:Dronabinol; C580853:cannabidivarin
keywords: cannabidiol; cannabinoids; delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; epilepsy; seizure; treatment