Key Takeaways:
- Patients with epilepsy who used marijuana had hospital stays that were approximately one day shorter compared to nonusers.
- Marijuana users were more likely to have epilepsy risk factors related to psychological conditions.
At the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting, researchers presented findings indicating that marijuana use among epilepsy patients was associated with reduced hospitalization duration and a higher rate of capturing epilepsy-related events during monitoring.
Study Overview
Oliver Hoerth, from the epilepsy division at the Mayo Clinic, stated that the study aimed to better understand how marijuana—specifically its THC component—impacts patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU).
The research involved a retrospective chart review of 2023 admissions data for 191 epilepsy patients at the Mayo Clinic. Of these, 130 were classified as non-marijuana users, and 61 as current users.
For the event capturability analysis, researchers focused on 151 patients admitted to the EMU for spell classification. Among these, 98 were nonusers and 53 were marijuana users. Capturable epilepsy-related events were recorded in 64 nonusers and 44 users.
Key Findings
- Length of Stay: The average length of stay in the EMU was 3.8 days overall. Marijuana users had shorter stays (3.2 days) compared to nonusers (4.1 days).
- Event Capturability: Marijuana users exhibited an 18.1% higher rate of epilepsy event capturability compared to nonusers.
- Risk Factors: Marijuana users were more likely to have psychological risk factors associated with epilepsy, including a history of physical, sexual, or mental abuse, as well as conditions like major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
Conclusions and Future Research
The researchers highlighted the need for further studies to examine the neuropsychological effects of marijuana use in epilepsy patients. These include potential impacts on cognitive function, mood disorders, and overall brain health.
Source:
Hoerth O, et al. Comparison of tetrahydrocannabinol’s results with length of stay in patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit. Presented at: American Epilepsy Society annual meeting; Dec. 6-10, 2024; Los Angeles.
Disclosures:
Hoerth reported no relevant financial disclosures.
