Volatile Substance Abuse: A Review of Possible Long-Term Neurological, Intellectual and Psychiatric Sequelae

1986 ◽  
Vol 148 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Ron

The possibility that chronic abuse of volatile substances can cause permanent neurological, psychiatric, and intellectual sequelae is critically reviewed. Toluene, present in the commonly used adhesives, is most often implicated in ‘glue sniffing’; this review focuses on its potential long-term effects. Many criticisms—particularly poor matching of control samples and inability to distinguish between acute and chronic effects—can be levelled at the available studies, while no adequate follow-up studies have been performed. In the light of present knowledge, the possibility that permanent structural brain damage, with accompanying psychiatric manifestations, results from solvent abuse remains inconclusive.

Impact ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-65
Author(s):  
Tomomi Higashi

Talk to any allergy sufferer and they will tell you how awful it can be. Runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and difficulties breathing. For many these symptoms rise only to the level of annoyance and can be avoided by steering clear of the source of their allergy. What many people don't realise though is that allergies can become a far more serious issue for a large segment of the population. Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing due to allergies bring many people to emergency rooms and these are just the acute symptoms. Along with the potential for an allergic attack during a windy or dusty day, researchers and medical professionals are beginning to recognise that there are chronic, long term effects associated with allergies. In order to mitigate both the acute and chronic effects of allergies a better understanding of how genetic factors combine with environmental conditions to produce the ranges of symptoms and effects of allergy suffers is needed. Professor Tomomi Higashi, from the Department of Hygiene at Kanazawa University in Japan, is an expert in this field and is currently working to improve treatment and prevention of allergic disease.


1986 ◽  
Vol 113 (4_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S247-S253 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANKE A. EHRHARDT ◽  
HEINO F.L. MEYER-BAHLBURG

ABSTRACT Precocious puberty in girls has endocrinological as well as behavioral implications. We present data from a first systematic controlled follow-up study of 16 adolescent girls with a history of idiopathic precocious puberty (IPP) compared to closely pairmatched adolescent control subjects of comparable pubertal status and normal pubertal history. Findings in four areas of behavior are reported: (1) Psychiatric sequelae: the IPP sample showed an increase in minor psychopathological symptoms. (2) Psychosexual development: The IPP sample was advanced in sociosexual milestones, albeit mostly within the normal range for adolescents. (3) Intelligence: IQ was not different from controls. However, school achievement was accelerated during childhood. (4) Cognitive pattern: The IPP sample had lower spatial perception scores than controls.


Author(s):  
Mattis Bertlich ◽  
Clemens Stihl ◽  
Enzo Lüsebrink ◽  
Johannes C. Hellmuth ◽  
Clemens Scherer ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose It has been established that the infection with SARS-CoV-2 may cause an impairment of chemosensory function. However, there is little data on the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on chemosensory function. Methods Twenty three SARS-CoV-2-positive patients diagnosed in spring 2020 with subjective hyposmia (out of 57 positive patients, 40.3%) were compared to SARS-CoV-2-positive patients without hyposmia (n = 19) and SARS-CoV-2-negative patients (n = 14). Chemosensory function was assessed by the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT), Taste Strips (TS), Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), and the SNOT-22. The initial cohort with hyposmia were also examined at 8 weeks and 6 months after initial examination. Results There were no differences between the SARS-CoV-2-positive cohort without hyposmia and negative controls in terms of BSIT (8.5 ± 2.6 vs. 10.2 ± 1.8), TS (3.4 ± 0.6 vs. 3.9 ± 0.3) or VAS (2.1 ± 1.3 vs. 1.1 ± 0.5); yet the SNOT-22 was significantly elevated (27.7 ± 11.2 vs. 16.4 ± 10.8). The SARS-CoV-2-positive group with hyposmia performed significantly poorer in BSIT (4.0 ± 1.7 vs. 8.5 ± 2.6/10.2 ± 1.8), TS (2.6 ± 1.3 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6/3.9 ± 0.3), and VAS (7.9 ± 2.2 vs. 2.1 ± 1.3/1.1 ± 0.5) compared to both control groups. At week 8 and month 6 control, six and five patients, respectively, still suffered from subjectively and objectively impaired chemosensory function. The other patients had recovered in both respects. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 patients with subjectively impaired chemosensory function regularly perform poorly in objective measurements. About 70% of patients suffering from olfactory dysfunction in SARS-CoV-2 quickly recover—the rest still suffers from considerable impairment 6 months after infection.


Author(s):  
Stefanie M.P. Kouwenhoven ◽  
Nadja Antl ◽  
Martijn J.J. Finken ◽  
Jos W.R. Twisk ◽  
Eline M. van der Beek ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1213-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nannah I Tak ◽  
Saskia J te Velde ◽  
Johannes Brug

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the long-term effects of the Schoolgruiten Project, a Dutch primary school-based intervention providing free fruit and vegetables (F&V). In addition, we assessed whether children’s appreciation of the project mediated these intervention effects.Design and methodsParticipating schoolchildren (mean age 9·9 years at baseline) and their parents completed parallel questionnaires at baseline, at 1-year and at 2-year follow-up, including questions on usual F&V intake of the child, potential behavioural determinants, their appreciation of the project and general demographics. Primary outcomes were usual F&V intakes as assessed by parent and child self-reported food frequency measures. Secondary outcome measures were taste preference, knowledge of daily recommendations, availability and accessibility for fruit intake. Multilevel linear regression analyses were used to assess differences at second follow-up adjusted for baseline values between control and intervention groups.SubjectsReports were available for 346 intervention children (148 parents) and 425 control children (287 parents).ResultsBoth child and parent reports indicated that the intervention group had a significantly higher fruit intake at 2-year follow-up (difference, servings/d: 0·15; 95 % CI 0·004, 0·286 for child reports; 0·19; 95 % CI 0·030, 0·340 for parent reports). No significant effects on vegetable intake were observed. Significant positive intervention effects were also found for knowledge of fruit recommendations among boys. Some evidence was found for partial mediation analyses of the effects on fruit intake.ConclusionThe present study indicates that the Schoolgruiten scheme was effective in increasing children’s fruit intake and that appreciation of the project partially mediated this effect.


1999 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Jardine ◽  
M. V. Griffiths ◽  
E. Midgley

AbstractConservative treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME) led us to consider the use of hearing aids as a way of managing the associated hearing loss. This study aimed to assess the compliance of patients and acceptance of hearing aids for the management of children with OME.Thirty-nine children who had been given binaural hearing aids to manage OME were assessed at routine follow-up after six months. A clinician who did not prescribe the aid administered a questionnaire to assess compliance, change in symptoms and acceptance of the aids.Thirty-eight parents thought the aids were easy to use and 25 (66 per cent) were completely satisfied with the management. Aided hearing improved by a mean of 17 dB (Range 10–30) over three frequencies, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 Khz and all parents reported subjective hearing improvement in their children. The stigma of an aid was reported as minimal under the age of seven.Hearing aids provide a non-invasive way of managing the problems associated with OME which is acceptable to certain parents and children. Long-term effects of using aids need to be evaluated before they can be recommended.


1992 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. R9-R11
Author(s):  
A.M. Wood ◽  
S.P. Bidey ◽  
J. Soden ◽  
W.R. Robertson

ABSTRACT We have studied the chronic effects of TSH (100μU/ml) and insulin (10μg/ml) on intracellular pH (pHi) in FRTL-5 cells using the pH sensitive probe 2′7-bis (2-carboxyethyl-5′-6′) carboxyfluorescein. FRTL-5 cells were cultured on Petri dishes either in the presence of 4H, ie. Coons F-12 containing cortisol (10nM), transferrin (0.5μg/ml), glycyl-histidyl lysine acetate (10ng/ml) and somatostatin (10μg/ml), or with 4H+insulin (5H), 4H+TSH, or 4H+TSH+insulin (6H). pHi was measured in small groups of cells by microspectrofluorimetry both in the presence and absence of bicarbonate ions after cells had been deprived of serum for at least a day. In


2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562110698
Author(s):  
Kristaninta Bangun ◽  
Jessica Halim ◽  
Vika Tania

Chromosome 17 duplication is correlated with an increased risk of developmental delay, birth defects, and intellectual disability. Here, we reported a female patient with trisomy 17 on the whole short arm with bilateral complete cleft lip and palate (BCLP). This study will review the surgical strategies to reconstruct the protruding premaxillary segment, cleft lip, and palate in trisomy 17p patient. The patient had heterozygous pathogenic duplication of chromosomal region chr17:526-18777088 on almost the entire short arm of chromosome 17. Beside the commonly found features of trisomy 17p, the patient also presented with BCLP with a prominent premaxillary portion. Premaxillary setback surgery was first performed concomitantly with cheiloplasty. The ostectomy was performed posterior to the vomero-premaxillary suture (VPS). The premaxilla was firmly adhered to the lateral segment and the viability of philtral flap was not compromised. Two-flap palatoplasty with modified intravelar veloplasty (IVV) was performed 4 months after. Successful positioning of the premaxilla segment, satisfactory lip aesthetics, and vital palatal flap was obtained from premaxillary setback, primary cheiloplasty, and subsequent palatoplasty in our trisomy 17p patient presenting with BLCP. Postoperative premaxillary stability and patency of the philtral and palatal flap were achieved. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of our surgical techniques on inhibition of midfacial growth. However, the benefits that the patient received from the surgery in improving feeding capacity and facial appearance early in life outweigh the cost of possible maxillary retrusion.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document