Cannabidiol in the treatment of status epilepticus

Johannes Rösche; Johannes Rösche

doi:10.3934/medsci.2025025

AIMS Medical Science

2025, Volume 12, Issue 4: 370-378. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2025025

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Cannabidiol in the treatment of status epilepticus

Johannes Rösche ^{1,2
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1.
Helios-Kliniken Kassel, Klinik für Neurologie und klinische Neurophysiologie, Kassel, Hesse, Germany
2.
Department of Neurology, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Received: 05 October 2025 Revised: 09 December 2025 Accepted: 22 December 2025 Published: 30 December 2025

This is a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of status epilepticus with purified Cannabidiol. A search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted using the search item “status epilepticus” in combination with three other ones (i.e., Cannabidiol, Cannabis, THC). After excluding not relevant papers and duplicates, 11 papers with case reports remained, which described the successful therapy of refractory or super-refractory status epilepticus with purified Cannabidiol in 10 of 12 cases. Apart from one infantile patient, a 27-year-old male, and a 51-year-old female patient, all patients were children or adolescents. There is no reliable information about a proper loading dose in this situation. Apart from one case, the effective dose was at least 10 mg/kg/day. All results were be interpreted very cautiously; additionally, there are some reports about the provocation of status epilepticus using purified cannabidiol.
Citation: Johannes Rösche. Cannabidiol in the treatment of status epilepticus[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2025, 12(4): 370-378. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2025025

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Abstract

This is a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of status epilepticus with purified Cannabidiol. A search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted using the search item “status epilepticus” in combination with three other ones (i.e., Cannabidiol, Cannabis, THC). After excluding not relevant papers and duplicates, 11 papers with case reports remained, which described the successful therapy of refractory or super-refractory status epilepticus with purified Cannabidiol in 10 of 12 cases. Apart from one infantile patient, a 27-year-old male, and a 51-year-old female patient, all patients were children or adolescents. There is no reliable information about a proper loading dose in this situation. Apart from one case, the effective dose was at least 10 mg/kg/day. All results were be interpreted very cautiously; additionally, there are some reports about the provocation of status epilepticus using purified cannabidiol.

Abbreviations

ASM

Antiseizure medication

CDB

Cannabidiol

DBS

Deep brain stimulation

EEG

Electroencephalography

FIRES

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome

ILAE

International League against Epilepsy

IVIG

Intravenous immunoglobulin

NCSE

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus

NORSE

New onset status epilepticus

PRISMA

Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses

RSE

Refractory status epilepticus

SPIDER

Sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type

Status epilepticus

SRSE

Super-refractory status epilepticus

THC

∆⁹-trans-Tetryhydrocannabinol

VNS

Vagus nerve stimulator

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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