TRENDS IN THE USE OF CANNABIDIOL IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Athirson de Sousa Soares Silva, Islenne Martins Almeida Guimarães, Maria Clara Correia Lopes, Danilo Dheyvison Nascimento Pureza

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis sativa, popularly known in Brazil as marijuana, has gained increasing prominence in the bioscientific field due to its proven applications for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. Among the main compounds of Cannabis sativa, Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most used in the current medicinal context, especially in the treatment of neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders. In this sense, this study aims to synthesize the main scientific evidence on the use of cannabidiol in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological diseases. METHODS: This is an integrative literature review carried out in October 2024, in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), PubMed, and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) databases. Inclusion criteria were studies published in English and/or Portuguese between 2014 and 2024, which addressed the central research question ("What is the current panorama of the use of cannabidiol in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological diseases?"), studies of the clinical trials, analyses, cohort studies, case-control studies, case reports and case series. Only studies involving patients with neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, stroke and neuropathic pain, were considered. RESULTS: It was observed that the combination of cannabidiol and THC, administered in the form of an oromucosal spray, has significant therapeutic potential in the management of spasticity and symptoms related to MS. In addition to improving the quality of life and daily activities of patients, cannabinoid therapy can have specific effects on motor and cognitive aspects, such as the stretch reflex, auditory verbal memory and processing speed. The improvement in a large number of patients reinforces the possible efficacy of the treatment, which also presented an acceptable safety profile, making it a viable option for the management of spasticity in neurological diseases such as MS and motor neuron diseases. CONCLUSION: Despite the promising results, it is important to highlight that the low level of evidence and the limited number of studies in humans are factors that restrict the generalization of this information. Although the positive effects on spasticity, related symptoms and cognitive functions are notable, the scarcity of robust and controlled clinical trials prevents a definitive decision on the efficacy of this therapeutic approach.