Author(s)

Gabriela Pesántez Ríos^1,2*, Ignacio Pascual Pascual^2,3, Ximena Pesántez Ríos¹, Luciana Armijos^4,5, Estefanía Chediak⁵, Hugo Navarrete Zambrano⁵, Ruth Jimbo^4,5, Galo Pesantez Cuesta¹

¹Servicio de Neurología Pediátrica, Centro Nacional de Epilepsia, Quito, Ecuador.
²Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España.
³Servicio de Neurología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
⁴Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Quito, Ecuador.
⁵Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.

Introduction: Epilepsy is considered a chronic neurological condition that manifests itself with seizures, where 30% - 40% of patients do not achieve control of their seizures despite proper management. Seizures represent a significant limitation in the patient’s daily activities and are often accompanied by emotional and relational difficulties that have a great impact on the quality of life of the patient and their families. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been found to be effective in controlling seizures and may also improve cognitive and behavioral abilities. Material and Methods: The Quality of Life of the Patient with Epilepsy (CAVE) scale was applied to patients with refractory epilepsies who use Cannabidiol (CBD) added to their base therapy, before the use of CBD and after 12 months of follow-up. The presentation of collateral effects was also evaluated. Results: Out of 34 patients, 26 (76.5%) increased their CAVE value at the end of the study and only 1 (2.9%) decreased. 19 (55.9%) improved in learning and behavior, 55.8% in the frequency of seizures and 79.4% reported a decrease in the intensity of seizures. There were other positive side effects such as improvement in alertness, language, sleep and behavior. The main side effects were mild and transitory, including drowsiness, and constipation. There was a correlation between the global perception of improvement and seizure control. Conclusions: This study shows that in the long term CBD improves the quality of life of patients with refractory epilepsies, through the control of seizures and the improvement of cognitive and behavioral functions.

Quality of Life, Refractory Epilepsy, Cannabidiol

Pesántez Ríos, G. , Pascual Pascual, I. , Pesántez Ríos, X. , Armijos, L. , Chediak, E. , Navarrete Zambrano, H. , Jimbo, R. and Pesantez Cuesta, G. (2021) Long-Term Impact in the Quality of Life of Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy That Use Cannabidiol. Neuroscience and Medicine, 12, 103-113. doi: 10.4236/nm.2021.124009.