Effects of MRI abnormalities on WAIS-R performance in solvent abusers

• Published in: Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol. 96; no. 1; pp. 34 - 39
• Main Authors: Yamanouchi, N., Okada, S., Kodama, K., Sakamoto, T., Sekine, H., Hirai, S., Murakami, A., Komatsu, N., Sato, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.1997; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Atrophy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Diseases - chemically induced; Brain Diseases - pathology; Brain Diseases - psychology; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; cognitive function; Female; Humans; Intelligence - drug effects; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; organic solvent; Pons - pathology; pontine atrophy; Solvents; Solvents - adverse effects; Substance-Related Disorders; toxic encephalopathy; Toxicology; Wechsler Scales; white matter; Performance evaluation; Human; Drug addiction; Nervous system diseases; Correlation; Cognitive disorder; Pathophysiology; Psychometrics; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral disorder; Organic solvent; Toxicology; Central nervous system disease; Pons varolii; Atrophia; Medical imagery; Quantitative analysis; Intelligence quotient
• ISSN: 0001-6314; 1600-0404
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1997.tb00235.x

Objective ‐ To clarify how chronic solvent abuse affects cognitive function using magnetic resonance imaging as an index of brain damage. Material and methods ‐ A total of 25 chronic solvent abusers underwent magnetic resonance imaging with quantitative neurometry and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales revised. Results ‐ The abusers with white matter change (n=10) showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower performance IQ, especially in Digit Symbol subtest (P<0.01). Also, the severity of pontine atrophy was significantly correlated with PIQ (r=0.60, P<0.01). Conclusions ‐ These data indicate that solvent abuse causes the decline in the test performance reflecting cognitive and fine motor dysfunction and that white matter changes and pontine atrophy may have some roles in this decline.