A prospective study of neurocognitive changes 15 years after chronic inhalant abuse.

The recreational inhalation of volatile hydrocarbons, more commonly known as inhalant abuse, occurs frequently in many disadvantaged subpopulations. The inhalation of leaded patrol, containing tetraethyl lead, causes initial euphoria and sedation but can lead to lack of coordination, and coma with increased doses. Leaded patrol overdoses can cause encephalopathy; a neurological syndrome that includes tremors, ataxia, eye movement abnormality, and seizures.  A previous study showed that central nervous system disruption occurring from the inhalant abuse showed a substantial recovery after two years of abstinence.  This study, specifically, involved two remote Aboriginal communities from Arnhem Land, Australia.  The participants included 27 healthy controls, 60 ex-chronic inhalant abusers, and 17 with a history of encephalopathy. This study was the first to demonstrate that in the absence of encephalopathy, specific cognitive and neurological impairments, caused by inhalant abuse, are completely reversible after 15 years of abstinence, although serious neurological deficits may last longer or become permanent. The persistence of the deficits is completely related to the initial blood lead levels and the duration and severity of the abuse.  This study showed that at 2 years of abstinence, blood lead was reduced but remained elevated. After 15 years, the blood lead and other performance scores were all equivalent to those of the healthy control groups. For the group with a history of encephalopathy, the blood lead levels declined over the course of the 15 years, but not as drastically as the other test groups. 

Source: 

 Addiction. 2013 Jun;108(6):1107-14. doi: 10.1111/add.12124. Epub 2013 Mar 13.

A prospective study of neurocognitive changes 15 years after chronic inhalant abuse.

Cairney S, O' Connor N, Dingwall KM, Maruff P, Shafiq-Antonacci R, Currie J, Currie BJ.

Source

Menzies School of Health Research, Institute of Advanced Studies, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia; Flinders University and Northern Territory Clinical School, Darwin, NT, Australia.