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Cocaine-induced seizures.

A Pascual-Leone1, A Dhuna, I Altafullah

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Neurology
|March 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Cocaine intoxication can cause seizures, particularly with intravenous or crack cocaine use. Most cocaine-induced seizures are brief and do not cause lasting brain damage.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Acute cocaine intoxication is a significant cause of medical emergencies.
  • Seizures are a known, but not fully understood, complication of cocaine use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence and characteristics of seizures in patients with acute cocaine intoxication.
  • To identify factors associated with cocaine-induced seizures and their neurological outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 474 patients admitted for cocaine intoxication complications.
  • Analysis of patient history, seizure characteristics, route of administration, and concurrent drug use.
  • Review of neuroimaging (CT) and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings in relevant subgroups.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Seizures occurred in 7.9% of patients without a prior seizure history and 16.9% of those with a history of seizures.
  • Intravenous or 'crack' cocaine use was more frequently associated with seizures than nasal cocaine.
  • Most cocaine-induced seizures were generalized, single, and without lasting neurological deficits.
  • Focal or multiple seizures, or those induced by nasal cocaine, were often linked to intracerebral complications or polydrug use.
  • Habitual cocaine abuse correlated with diffuse brain atrophy and EEG slowing.

Conclusions:

  • Cocaine-induced seizures are a notable complication, typically benign in patients without prior seizure history.
  • Specific patterns of cocaine use and patient history can predict more severe seizure presentations and neurological sequelae.
  • Chronic cocaine abuse may contribute to structural and functional brain changes.