The other side of the leaf: Seizures associated with synthetic cannabinoid use

Relation Between Acute Administration of Synthetic Cannabinoids and Induction of Epileptic Seizures

“…We found that GTC seizures were the main presenting seizure type that occurred within 15 minutes of synthetic cannabinoid intake in 81.8% of cases, seizure recurrence occurred in 59.1%, and all were related to synthetic cannabinoids use, seizures were complicated by falls or trauma in 40.9%, status epilepticus did not complicate any case. It is consistent with the findings of Gounder et al 17 who discovered that the presenting occurrence was a tonic-clonic seizure in 90% of cases, occurring throughout 5 minutes of use in 27%, throughout 30 minutes of use in 46%, and throughout 12 hours of use in 80% of patients, and that the seizure relapse rate of 38% is comparable to the rate of seizure relapse caused by other systemic insults and Simmons et al 19 who found that convulsions were described most commonly within 1 hour after use of spice product. According to Lemos 20 and Musshoff et al 21 ; synthetic cannabinoid-induced motor impairments and epileptic seizures directly following intake can present a severe health threat and may be correlated with a high risk of adverse and traffic accidents.…”

“…Regarding the correlation between synthetic cannabinoid intake and seizures, statistically significant differences were found in our study in terms of seizures in cases using synthetic cannabinoids compared with nonusers. This is consistent with the findings of Gounder et al 17 who discovered that seizures could take place in the context of synthetic cannabinoid use, such as in individuals who do not appear to be predisposed to seizures. In addition, Schneir et al 18 discovered that the cannabinoid structure of spice products varies substantially from that of marijuana, which could be important for the incidence of convulsions, as did Gugelmann et al 11 who discovered an increased frequency of seizures in young people that smoke spice including various forms of synthetic cannabinoids.…”

“…Also, we found statistically significant differences as regards the presence of EEG changes among cases using synthetic cannabinoids (45% of cases) in comparison to nonusing (2.5%). Gounder et al 17 stated that EEG changes were found in 30% of cases using synthetic cannabinoids in the form of focal and generalized paroxysmal responses. This difference may be due to the different manufacturing of synthetic cannabinoids among societies, and even in the same society, there are different components and additives, different dosage in every sachet, making it difficult to know the incriminated substance and the dose that might be related to seizure induction and EEG changes and also may be due to the methodological differences between studies.…”

Abuse of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in the Workplace: Medical, Toxicological, and Forensic Aspects

“…Moreover, new psychoactive substances, such as synthetic cannabinoids, are now an additional concern to deal with [48]. Indeed, these compounds also bind to cannabinoid receptors and abuse can cause anxiety; confusion; hypertension; psychosis; hallucinations; tachycardia; seizures; and, in severe cases, it can lead to death [49][50][51].…”

Value of EEG in the differentiation of glial tumor and encephalitis: a case report and review of literature

“…Pa cien tams, ku rie prieð sin te ti niø ka na bi noi dø var to ji mà ne bu vo pa ty rae prie puo lio, ne tu rë jo ri zi kos veiks niø ir po prie puo lio nu trau kë jø var to ji mà, trau ku liø pa si kar to ji mo daþ nis sie kë 8 %. Ðis daþ nis, straips nio au to riø, pri ly gi na mas am fe ta mi no su kel tam trau ku liø pa si kar to ji mo daþ niui (7 %) [36].…”