How inhalant abuse damages the brain.

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Spray paint, paint thinner, and paint remover. What do they have in common? They are three very dangerous and commonly abused inhalants that contain a solvent called toluene. There is plenty of evidence that solvent abuse leads to brain damage. Many long-term solvent abusers have difficulties with coordination and walking. They also seem to suffer from lowered intelligence. Dr. Neil Rosenberg, a NIDA-sponsored scientist working at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, wanted to find out which parts of the brain solvents damage and how the damage correlates with loss of mental functioning. He also wanted to learn how the damage caused by solvents compares to that caused by cocaine.

The Experiment: Solvents, Cocaine, and the Brain

Key Questions: How does the brain damage caused by solvents compare with that caused by cocaine? How does the amount of brain damage observed in a solvent abuser correlate with the amount of cognitive functioning lost in a cocaine user?

Brief Description of Experiment: Fifty-five long-term solvent abusers took a series of cognitive tests and 50 of them underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an imaging technique that can detect abnormalities in the brain. At the same time, 61 cocaine abusers took cognitive tests and 51 underwent brain MRIs.

Brain Areas Studied with MRI

Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum, Pons, and Thalamus:

These regions play a critical role in receiving sensory information from the peripheral nervous system and the spinal cord, and relaying messages throughout the brain that control thinking, learning, movement, and other behaviors.

White Matter: White matter is an insulator for nerve fibers, allowing messages to be transmitted faster. It contains lots of neurons that are sheathed in a white fatty insulating protein called myelin.

The Results of the Study

Cognitive Test Results: Both groups performed below general population averages on tests that...

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