Category Archives: Autism

Palmitoylethanolamide as adjunctive therapy for autism: Efficacy and safety results from a randomized controlled trial.

Posted on by
Reply

 Journal of Psychiatric Research Home

“Inflammation as well as glutamate excitotoxicity have been proposed to participate in the propagation of autism. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endocannabinoid proven to prevent glutamatergic toxicity and inhibit inflammatory responses simultaneously.

The present randomized, parallel group, double-blind placebo-controlled trial is the first study depicted to probe the efficacy of co-treatment with risperidone and PEA over 10 weeks in children with autism.

Seventy children (aged 4-12 years) with autism and moderate to severe symptoms of irritability were randomly assigned to two treatment regimens. The study outcomes were measured using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Edition (ABC-C). At trial endpoint (week 10), combination of PEA and risperidone had superior efficacy in ameliorating the ABC-irritability and hyperactivity/noncompliance symptoms (Cohen’s d, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.94, 0.41 to 1.46, p = 0.001) compared with a risperidone plus placebo regimen. Interestingly, effect of combination treatment on hyperactivity symptoms was also observed at trial midpoint (week 5) but with a smaller effect size (d = 0.53, p = 0.04) than that at the endpoint (d = 0.94, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, there was a trend toward significance for superior effect of risperidone plus PEA over risperidone plus placebo on inappropriate speech at trial endpoint (d = 0.51, p = 0.051). No significant differences existed between the two treatment groups for the other two ABC-C subscales (lethargy/social withdrawal and stereotypic behavior).

The findings suggest that PEA may augment therapeutic effects of risperidone on autism-related irritability and hyperactivity. Future studies are warranted to investigate whether PEA can serve as a stand-alone treatment for autism.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29807317

https://www.journalofpsychiatricresearch.com/article/S0022-3956(17)31405-X/fulltext

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Cannabidiol Based Medical Cannabis in Children with Autism- a Retrospective Feasibility Study

Posted on by
Reply

Home

“Objective: This retrospective study assessed safety, tolerability and efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) based medical cannabis, as an adjuvant therapy, for refractory behavioral problems in children with ASD.

Background: Anecdotal evidence of successful cannabis treatment in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are accumulating but formal studies are lacking.

Design/Methods: Sixty children with ASD (age = 11.8± 3.5, range 5.0–17.5; 77% low functioning; 83% boys) were treated with oral CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at a ratio of 20:1. The dose was up-titrated to effect (maximal CBD dose − 10mg/kg/d). Tolerability and efficacy were assessed using a modified Liverpool Adverse Events Profile, the Caregiver Global Impression of Change (CGIC) scale, the Home Situations Questionnaire–Autism Spectrum Disorder (HSQ-ASD) and the Autism Parenting Stress Index (APSI).

Results: Following the cannabis treatment, behavioral outbreaks were much improved or very much improved (on the CGIC scale) in 61% of patients. The anxiety and communication problems were much or very much improved in 39% and 47% respectively. Disruptive behaviors, were improved by 29% from 4.74±1.82 as recorded at baseline on the HSQ-ASD to 3.36±1.56 following the treatment. Parents reported less stress as reflected in the APSI scores, changing by 33% from 2.04±0.77 to 1.37±0.59. The effect on all outcome measures was more apparent in boys with non-syndromic ASD. Adverse events included sleep disturbances (14%) irritability (9%) and loss of appetite (9%).

Conclusions: This preliminary study support the feasibility of CBD based medical cannabis as a promising treatment option for refractory behavioral problems in children with ASD. Based on these promising results, we have launched a large, double blind, placebo controlled cross-over trial with 120 participants (NCT02956226).”

http://n.neurology.org/content/90/15_Supplement/P3.318

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Plasma anandamide concentrations are lower in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Posted on by
Reply

Molecular Autism logo

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by restricted, stereotyped behaviors and impairments in social communication.

Although the underlying biological mechanisms of ASD remain poorly understood, recent preclinical research has implicated the endogenous cannabinoid (or endocannabinoid), anandamide, as a significant neuromodulator in rodent models of ASD. Despite this promising preclinical evidence, no clinical studies to date have tested whether endocannabinoids are dysregulated in individuals with ASD.

Here, we addressed this critical gap in knowledge by optimizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology to quantitatively analyze anandamide concentrations in banked blood samples collected from a cohort of children with and without ASD (N = 112).

FINDINGS:

Anandamide concentrations significantly differentiated ASD cases (N = 59) from controls (N = 53), such that children with lower anandamide concentrations were more likely to have ASD (p = 0.041). In keeping with this notion, anandamide concentrations were also significantly lower in ASD compared to control children (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings are the first empirical human data to translate preclinical rodent findings to confirm a link between plasma anandamide concentrations in children with ASD. Although preliminary, these data suggest that impaired anandamide signaling may be involved in the pathophysiology of ASD.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29564080

https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0203-y

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Oral cannabis extracts as a promising treatment for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Preliminary experience in Chilean patients

Posted on by
Reply

Cover image volume 384, Issue

“Preclinical studies and several anecdotal case reports suggest a dysfunctional endocannabinoid system implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Objective: To report our preliminary findings in patients with ASD treated with oral cannabis extracts.

Most cases improved at least one of the core symptoms of ASD, including social communication, language, or repetitive behaviors. Additionally, sensory difficulties, food acceptance, feeding and sleep disorders, and/or seizures were improved in most cases.

71,5% of patients received balanced CBD:THC extracts; 19,0% high-CBD; and 9,5% high-THC extracts.

Oral cannabis extracts were well tolerated.

Two patients had more agitation and one had more irritability, effects that were solved by changing the strain.

Conclusion: In this small series of ASD patients, oral cannabis extracts were dramatically more effective than conventional medicines. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to establish efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis in ASD.”

http://www.jns-journal.com/article/S0022-510X(17)33120-9/fulltext

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

The Endocannabinoid System and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Insights from Animal Models.

Posted on by
Reply

ijms-logo

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) defines a group of neurodevelopmental disorders whose symptoms include impaired communication and social interaction with restricted or repetitive motor movements, frequently associated with general cognitive deficits. Although it is among the most severe chronic childhood disorders in terms of prevalence, morbidity, and impact to the society, no effective treatment for ASD is yet available, possibly because its neurobiological basis is not clearly understood hence specific drugs have not yet been developed. The endocannabinoid (EC) system represents a major neuromodulatory system involved in the regulation of emotional responses, behavioral reactivity to context, and social interaction. Furthermore, the EC system is also affected in conditions often present in subsets of patients diagnosed with ASD, such as seizures, anxiety, intellectual disabilities, and sleep pattern disturbances. Despite the indirect evidence suggestive of an involvement of the EC system in ASD, only a few studies have specifically addressed the role of the EC system in the context of ASD. This review describes the available data on the investigation of the presence of alterations of the EC system as well as the effects of its pharmacological manipulations in animal models of ASD-like behaviors.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28880200

http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/9/1916

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Role of Endocannabinoids on Neuroinflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevention

Posted on by
Reply

Logo of jcdr

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) disease has become a mounting socio-economical alarm around the world. Neuroinflammtion had been shown in postmortem brain specimens from ASD patients.

The Endocannabinoids System (ES) consists of a family of locally produced, short-lived, endogenous, phospholipid-derived agonists (endocannabinoids) that control energy balance and body composition. The growing number of medical benefits of ES, such as their ability to regulate processes like neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and memory, raise the question of their potential role as a preventive treatment of ASD.

The complex nature of ASD advocates a multimodal drug approach that could protect from the various processes underlying neurodegeneration and thus, at minimum, delay the pathological process. The expected benefit from a chronic treatment aimed at stimulating the endocannabinoid system is a delayed progression of ASD: i.e., reduced inflammation, sustained potential for neurogenesis, and delayed memory impairment. Such results could lead to new therapeutic strategies that target the inflammation and the decline in neurogenesis associated ASD.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5535348/

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Endocannabinod Signal Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Correlation Link between Inflammatory State and Neuro-Immune Alterations.

Posted on by
Reply

ijms-logo

“Several studies highlight a key involvement of endocannabinoid (EC) system in autism pathophysiology. The EC system is a complex network of lipid signaling pathways comprised of arachidonic acid-derived compounds (anandamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), their G-protein-coupled receptors (cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2) and the associated enzymes. In addition to autism, the EC system is also involved in several other psychiatric disorders (i.e., anxiety, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia). This system is a key regulator of metabolic and cellular pathways involved in autism, such as food intake, energy metabolism and immune system control. Early studies in autism animal models have demonstrated alterations in the brain’s EC system. Autism is also characterized by immune system dysregulation. This alteration includes differential monocyte and macrophage responses, and abnormal cytokine and T cell levels. EC system dysfunction in a monocyte and macrophagic cellular model of autism has been demonstrated by showing that the mRNA and protein for CB2 receptor and EC enzymes were significantly dysregulated, further indicating the involvement of the EC system in autism-associated immunological disruptions. Taken together, these new findings offer a novel perspective in autism research and indicate that the EC system could represent a novel target option for autism pharmacotherapy.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28671614

http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/7/1425
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Cannabis ‘mimics love hormone in the brain’, study finds – marking new research possibilities for autism

Posted on by
Reply

Cannabis behaves like the human 'love hormone'

“Cannabis has a reputation for inducing feelings of peace and love – and now scientists claim they have found the reason why.

A new study reveals the illegal drug acts much in the same way as chemicals produced by the natural ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, which is known to boost emotional feelings and bonding towards romantic partners, between mothers and babies and friends.

The research, conducted on mice, found that higher levels of oxytocin led to the release of anandamide – which behaves very similarly in the brain to the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC.

Both chemicals attach to the same brain cell receptors, producing a similar ‘high’.

As part of the study, the researchers found that blocking anandamide reduced the pro-social effects of oxytocin – while a drug which preserved anandamide in the mice’s brains seemed to make them happier around other mice than other, untreated, animals.

Scientists say the results could highlight new paths for research in the treatment of autism, for which symptoms often include difficulty socialising.

It is very difficult to directly deliver oxytocin to the brain, however.

Dr Daniele Piomelli, of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy, said another strategy could be to intervene further down the oxytocin-anandamide pathway.

Our findings open the exciting possibility that drugs that block the degradation of anandamide, which are currently being tested for various anxiety disorders, could give a boost to the brain’s own oxytocin and help people with autism socialise more.

– DR DANIELE PIOMELLI, RESEARCHER

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-10-27/cannabis-mimics-love-hormone-in-the-brain-study-finds/

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Enhancement of Anandamide-Mediated Endocannabinoid Signaling Corrects Autism-Related Social Impairment

Posted on by
Reply

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers

“We recently uncovered a signaling mechanism by which the endocannabinoid anandamide mediates the action of oxytocin, a neuropeptide that is crucial for social behavior, to control social reward. Oxytocin signaling has been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and social reward is a key aspect of social functioning that is thought to be disrupted in ASD. Therefore, as a proof of principle for the core component of ASD—social impairment—we tested an endocannabinoid-enhancing compound on two widely studied mouse models of ASD, the BTBR and fmr1−/− (model of Fragile X Syndrome).

Remarkably, we found that FAAH blockade completely reversed the social impairment in both mouse models. CB1 receptor blockade prevented the prosocial action of FAAH inhibition in BTBR mice.

The results suggest that increasing anandamide activity at CB1 receptors improves ASD-related social impairment and identify FAAH as a novel therapeutic target for ASD.

In conclusion, the present study provides new insights into the role of endocannabinoid signaling in social behavior and validates FAAH as a novel therapeutic target for the social impairment of ASD.”
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2015.0008
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous

Uncoupling of the endocannabinoid signalling complex in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome

Posted on by
Reply

“Fragile X syndrome, the most commonly known genetic cause of autism, is due to loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein, which regulates signal transduction at metabotropic glutamate receptor-5 in the brain.

The results identify the endocannabinoid signalosome as a molecular substrate for fragile X syndrome, which might be targeted by therapy.”  http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2045

“Cannabis-like chemical combats chief genetic cause of autism” http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/health/cannabislike-chemical-combats-chief-genetic-cause-of-autism-28867862.html#ixzz2DRLsbjJO

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stumbleupon Tumblr Posterous