Synthetic Cannabinoid Intoxication Presenting as Malignant Catatonia: a Case Report

AbstractThe use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has been steadily increasing in recent years and represents a new class of substances of abuse. Despite they elicit cannabimimetic effects similar to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), they have stronger affinities to the endocannabinoid system and cause greater psychiatric and medical effects. Case reports of catatonia following SC use have been sporadically described in the literature, but the underlying mechanisms behind these symptoms are unclea r. In this article, we present a case of a patient who presented in a state of malignant catatonia following SC use, and we discuss the possible underlying mechanisms behind this association.
Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Category: Addiction Source Type: research