SOLVENT TOXICITY - A NEUROLOGICAL FOCUS

Adverse acute and reversible health effects related to inhalant use an d, solvent inhalation can occur from effects on heart, lung, kidney, l iver, skeletal muscle, and brain. Chronic inhalant use may lead to chr onic central nervous system dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (M RI) shows that organic solvents primarily effect the white matter. Des pite anatomic brain pathology, significant improvement can occur and a ggressive therapeutic intervention similar to that used in traumatic b rain injury should be encouraged.