While some parents have opted to try store-bought formulations of cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for children with epilepsy, there’s been little, if any, data to show how these artisanal formulations stack up, but one recent study now suggests the pharmaceutical version leads to higher blood concentrations of the compound and an improvement in seizure control.

Promising new antiepileptic agents are on the horizon. For the most part, these are orphan drugs or repurposed older agents that were belatedly found to have previously unrecognized antiseizure effects. Some of these investigational antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may even be disease-modifying agents.

Not too long ago, published research on cannabis-based therapies for patients with epilepsy consisted of a modest collection of retrospective reviews, case series reports, online patient/family surveys, and a handful of small, randomized controlled studies – not weighty by evidence-based standards.

As pediatric neurology patients, including those with epilepsy, approach adulthood, it makes sense that their health care needs also will evolve. Yet for many young patients, caregivers, and physicians, the transition of care to a neurologist who treats adults is a challenging prospect.