Spectrum of Benefits: CBD Alters Neural Activity in People with Autism

As a struggling musician in my twenties, I had the unique opportunity to live with David Mavity: a wonderful sixty-year-old autistic man who needed help with his day-to-day life. This arrangement allowed me to pursue a career as a recording and performing artist in the prohibitively expensive San Francisco Bay Area. So, it worked out quite well for both of us. Though the arrangement began as a way for me to fund my musical aspirations, I soon came to love the dear gentleman like a beloved uncle. 

David suffered from the side effects of his autism medication

I delighted in David's many remarkable talents. For instance, he could remember the weather of any day in Berkeley, California over the past thirty years. Or, if you blurted out a random date, he could tell you what the picture on the cover of the New Yorker magazine was for that particular week. He was right every time. He could tell you the key signature of any Beethoven or Bhrams symphony and how many minutes a traffic light stayed red on a given intersection in Berkeley. His abilities were uncanny, if peculiar. Yet, many aspects of his life remained profoundly challenging, and this broke my heart.

My friend swallowed a cocktail of medications each day in a constant effort to alleviate symptoms of his autism such as hitting himself, extreme anxiety, unbridled rage, and debilitating paranoia. The pills helped to a degree, yet the side effects were no fun: restless legs, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, and horrific nightmares. Additionally, he became dangerously overweight as a result of decades of antidepressants and antipsychotics. I believe that David could have benefited from some of the more recent treatments, such as cannabidiol (CBD).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects an estimated one out of 68 boys and girls in the US. The complex condition has several suspected causes, including inherited genetic mutations, metabolic dysfunctions, and environmental factors, which do not include vaccinations. (Previously, vaccinations were thought to contribute to autism, yet this theory has been debunked.) None-the-less, there are still some mysteries about the causes of ASD. Abnormal development and improper functioning of communication among brain cells are the primary culprits of the sometimes-debilitating symptoms of autism. As a result, people on the spectrum sometimes experience social and cognitive impairments that can make their lives stressful.

CBD treatments ease the challenges of autism 

As the rates of ASD rise globally, more and more people are turning to CBD as an alternative treatment for the disorder. A recent study published in Gastroenterology & Hepatology reports some promising effects of using cannabis, and specifically CBD, for easing the unpleasant symptoms of autism. The many therapeutic benefits of CBD, says the report, involve the microbiome and neurological manipulation. These benefits include the improvement of mental health, sleeplessness, and other issues. Additionally, the patients in the study found that they gained a sense of greater control over their autism as well as experienced fewer side effects than traditional medications. Reports such as this have led to a growing chorus of people who try CBD to see what it may offer to those living with autism.   

CBD can promote decreased anxiety in those with autism

The science behind CBD's efficacy for treating autism draws a clear and nuanced picture. By increasing levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide, CBD promotes neurological anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. Through this chemical interaction, serotonin levels increase, creating an outcome of physiological and emotional wellbeing. Both those living with, or without, autism have achieved this nature of therapeutic benefit. However, the experience of autism presents an especially acute need for these benefits. The study highlights the unique effects of the neurological chemical process initiated in the brain by CBD. These benefits include:

• Decreased anxiety

• Improved language ability

• Relaxed social interaction

Studies reveal improvements in the behavior of patients treated with CBD 

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego recently led a clinical trial involving 30 children with severe autism. The conclusions of this study indicate that CBD alters the neural activity of people with autism. The researchers found significant improvement of problematic symptoms, including aggressive behavior, self-injury, and hyperactivity.

Scientific Reports published another study in which cannabis oil containing 30% CBD led to improvements in restlessness and rage attacks in 89% of the autistic patients who were studied. Moreover, 20% of them who previously had trouble sleeping before the treatment found that their insomnia disappeared entirely after the CBD. Additionally, their experiences of agitation, depression, anxiety, seizures, and tics significantly decreased.

CBD enhances quality of life  

Patients in this same study were asked to answer questions about their quality of life. Twice as many patients reported a "good quality of life" after receiving CBD as they did before the CBD. Many of the patients who had previously been taking antipsychotics to treat their autism decreased their dosage or stopped taking it altogether after the CBD treatment. Above all, the researchers concluded that CBD was a "well-tolerated, safe, and effective option to relieve symptoms associated with ASD."

In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude to the researchers who found that CBD can help people living with autism. There are certainly blessings that come with a diagnosis of autism, like the incredible memory of my friend David. Yet, the challenges can be alienating and painful, especially when complicated by the effects of heavy antipsychotics or other drugs. For this reason, CBD's entry onto the medicinal stage is a welcome gift for people with autism.