Lower circulating endocannabinoid levels in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Adi Aran, Maya Eylon, Moria Harel and 7 others
PMID 30728928WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism spectrum disorder had lower serum AEA, OEA, and PEA levels than matched controls.
The levels did not relate to symptom severity, adaptive behavior, ADHD, epilepsy, or medication use.
Key findings
01Serum AEA, OEA, and PEA levels were lower in children with ASD than in matched controls.
02Serum 2-AG and AA levels did not differ significantly between groups.
03Serum endocannabinoid levels were not significantly related to ASD severity, adaptive functioning, ADHD, epilepsy, or medication use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study compared blood samples at baseline, so it cannot show that low endocannabinoid levels cause ASD or predict treatment response. 80% of children with ASD were taking psychotropic medications, and the study could not fully separate medication effects from ASD status. The ASD group was aged 5.5 to 21 years and had a wide adaptive functioning range, so results may not apply to all children with ASD. Endocannabinoid levels did not correlate with ASD severity, adaptive functioning, ADHD, epilepsy, or medication use. The study measured serum levels, not brain levels, and did not assess genetic, electrophysiological, or imaging biomarkers.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists funding from the National Institute for Psychobiology in Israel, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Israel Society for Neuroscience, and BOL Pharma (IL). It does not include a separate author conflict-of-interest statement.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that low endocannabinoid levels prove CBD helps ASD or that these blood tests can diagnose ASD. The study measured baseline serum levels in children with ASD and controls, not treatment outcomes. Eighty percent of children with ASD were taking psychotropic medications, and the study could not fully separate medication effects from ASD status. The levels did not correlate with ASD severity or adaptive functioning.