Analysis of the cannabidiol effects in epilepsy treatment based on seizure characteristics in EEG recordings - A review

Marta Kopanska; Danuta Ochojska; Julia Trojniak; Aleksandra Kawala-Sterniuk; Dariusz Mikolajewski; Waldemar Karwowski; Amir F Al-Bakri; Piotr Sterniuk; Jacek Szczygielski

doi:10.1002/epd2.70085

Analysis of the cannabidiol effects in epilepsy treatment based on seizure characteristics in EEG recordings - A review

Epileptic Disord. 2025 Dec;27(6):1148-1167. doi: 10.1002/epd2.70085. Epub 2025 Sep 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Rzeszow, Poland.
² Department of Psychology, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
³ Student Science Club "Reh-Tech", Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
⁴ Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.
⁵ Faculty of Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
⁶ Neuropsychological Research Unit, 2nd Clinic of the Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical University in Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
⁷ Computational Neuroergonomics Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA.
⁸ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq.
⁹ Institute of Law, University of Opole, Opole, Poland.
¹⁰ Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
¹¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.

PMID: 40932459
DOI: 10.1002/epd2.70085

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with a significant burden on patients, and ~30% of cases are resistant to standard antiepileptic treatments. This has led to the exploration of alternative therapies, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Studies suggest that CBD may reduce the frequency and severity of seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. In addition to clinical monitoring, EEG is frequently used to assess brain function and monitor CBD's effects on seizures, with documented improvements in EEG patterns among CBD-treated patients. Research indicates that CBD may decrease both the number and duration of seizures, observed clinically and in EEG manifestations. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the efficacy of CBD in treating drug-resistant epilepsy and analyzes its mechanisms of action in various forms of treatment-resistant seizures and their EEG presentations.

Keywords: EEG; brain signals; cannabidiol; epilepsy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Anticonvulsants* / pharmacology
Anticonvulsants* / therapeutic use
Cannabidiol* / pharmacology
Cannabidiol* / therapeutic use
Drug Resistant Epilepsy* / drug therapy
Drug Resistant Epilepsy* / physiopathology
Electroencephalography* / drug effects
Epilepsy* / drug therapy
Epilepsy* / physiopathology
Humans
Seizures* / drug therapy
Seizures* / physiopathology

Substances

Cannabidiol
Anticonvulsants