Electrophysiological Evaluation of People With Volatile Substance Addiction

Nurten Uzun; Yılmaz Kendirli; Ayşegül Gündüz; Gülçin Benbir

Nurten Uzun¹, Yılmaz Kendirli², Ayşegül Gündüz¹, Gülçin Benbir¹

¹Department Of Neurology, İstanbul University, Cerrahpasa Faculty Of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
²Neurology Clinic 2, Bakirkoy Rsh Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey

Keywords: volatile substance addiction, toluene, evoked potentials, nerve conduction studies, electroencephalography

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Scientific BACKGROUND: There is an increase in addiction of volatile substances in recent years. Miscellaneous electrophysiological pathological findings are determined in volatile substance abusers.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to examine the neurologic effects of these substances by electrophysiologic methods.

METHODS: Cases and METHOD: Twenty-three patients from Bakirkoy Psychiatry Hospital, Alcohol and Substance Addiction Research and Treatment Center were included in this study. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, somatosensorial, visual and auditory evoked potentials (SEP, VEP, BAEP) as well as electroencephalography (EEG) were studied in all 23 patients. The results were compared with the published data and the values of age matched 19 normal controls.

RESULTS: RESULTS: In nerve conduction studies, there were pathological findings in 14 (60.9%) cases, in three (13%) mild sensorimotor polyneuropathy was determined. Tibial nerve motor distal latencies as well as median nerve sensorial and sural nerve distal latencies were longer in patients compared to controls (p<0.05). SEP findings were pathological in six (26.1%) cases, VEP in two (8.7%) cases and BAEP in eight (34.8%) cases. Scalp SEP distal latency by tibial nerve stimulation as well as distal latencies of right and left V. wave, left III-V interpeak latency, right and left interpeak latencies and I-V interaural latency difference in BAEP were longer in abusers (p<0.05). Although it was not statistically significant, the ratio of pathological findings was higher if the exposure time was over 2 years. EEG was found to be normal in all patients.

CONCLUSION: YORUM: Our results showed that toluene results in slowly progressive multifocal central nervous system damage and subclinical damage could be determined in early stages by electrophysiologic methods.