Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: DAIANA CRISTINA FREITAS ALMEIDA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : DAIANA CRISTINA FREITAS ALMEIDA
DATE: 11/11/2024
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: BLOCO DA PÓS GRADUAÇÃO
TITLE:

MEDICAL CANNABIS AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: GASTROINTESTINAL AND DIETARY IMPLICATIONS IN A GROUP OF CHILDREN IN MACAPÁ - AP

KEY WORDS:

Medicinal cannabis; autism spectrum disorder; food selectivity.

PAGES: 64
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Saúde Coletiva
SUMMARY:

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a multifactorial brain development disorder with a strong
genetic basis and encompasses several conditions with apparently different phenotypes
across 3 levels of support. The WHO estimates that one in 100 children is diagnosed with
ASD worldwide and that there is a higher prevalence in boys than girls, at a ratio of 3:1
currently. Studies show that in addition to changes in cognition, behavioral manifestations
and difficulties in communication, a variety of gastrointestinal dysfunctions and symptoms
such as constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas and vomiting can present a very variable
prevalence (from 9 to 90%) in children with ASD when compared to neurotypical children.
Furthermore, children with ASD are five times more likely to develop eating difficulties
associated with food selectivity than children without ASD. In this context, medicinal
cannabis oil has been widely used as a therapeutic accessory in the management of autism
and its comorbidities in Brazil. Its main components are the cannabinoids Δ9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Therefore, we sought to verify the
effectiveness of the use of Cannabis oil by pediatric patients aged 3 to 10 years with autism
in the city of Macapá and region - Ap, with the following objectives: to monitor behavioral
changes and food selectivity, to correlate gastrointestinal symptoms with a possible case of
intestinal inflammation and the severity of autism, as well as to characterize the nutritional
profile of the population studied. Method: structured questionnaires and dietary scales
applied at 3 times, before using the oil, 3 and 6 months later. Partial results: 70% of the sample
was composed of boys and 30% of girls, with 40% of these having a nutritional diagnosis
appropriate for their age. The children in the study are using 3 types of oil, all with CBD:
broad spectrum, full spectrum and isolated CBD. Among the factors related to food, rigid and
inappropriate behaviors had a higher average for children under 6 years old, and among all
the children, the guardian reported the presence of food selectivity for the majority. Initial
conclusions: it was observed that despite few reports of gastrointestinal disorders or
symptoms among the studied population, the majority presented food selectivity, with
differences in inappropriate behavior related to food between age groups, a fact that  will be monitored over the months with the use of medicinal Cannabis oil.

Keywords: Medicinal cannabis; autism spectrum disorder; food selectivity.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2356026 - ALESSANDRA AZEVEDO DO NASCIMENTO
Interno - 1018628 - JOSE LUIS DA CUNHA PENA
Interno - 2070112 - MADSON RALIDE FONSECA GOMES