Methamphetamine-associated catatonia: Case series and systematic review of the literature from 1943-2020.

BACKGROUND: Catatonia due to a general medical condition may result from a variety of causes, including substance intoxication and withdrawal. Stimulants are occasionally associated with catatonia, though there has been little investigation of methamphetamine's relationship to catatonia. Here we present 5 cases of catatonia associated with methamphetamine use and a systematic review of the associated literature from 1943 to 2020. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature and present 5 cases of catatonia evaluated using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale and KANNER catatonia rating scale. RESULTS: Methamphetamine use was associated with catatonia in a small number of cases in the literature. However, some of these reports included other possible etiologies. The patients in our case series met DSM-5 criteria for catatonia due to a general medical condition, with all reporting recent methamphetamine use and testing positive for amphetamines on urine drug screen. CONCLUSIONS: Given the ongoing rise in methamphetamine use in the United States, it is important that clinicians understand that methamphetamine use can be associated with catatonia. Patients with methamphetamine-associated catatonia may respond favorably to lorazepam and require shorter hospital stays than other catatonic patients. Lastly, methamphetamine-associated catatonia highlights how alteration in dopamine function and projections may be a critical neural mechanism underlying catatonia in general.

Integration of 3-Dimensional/4-Dimensional Ultrasound Technology into Undergraduate Medical Education: Student Perception of Innovative Obstetrics Education.

The current study assessed level of comfort of medical students using 3-dimensional/4-dimensional (3D/4D) ultrasound technology after participating in an obstetrical ultrasound educational activity. The majority of students agreed that they were capable of performing and interpreting 2-dimensional and 3D/4D obstetrical ultrasounds and that the training benefited their clinical decision-making skills. Additionally, students agreed that access to 3D/4D ultrasound technology would encourage patients to seek physician care and act as a useful tool for patient education.