GENERAL EFFECTS OF INHALANTS ON THE BRAIN
Inhalants produce potent psychoactive effects that
have been described as causing a euphoric state similar
to that seen with inebriation from ethanol (1). Exposure
to inhalants occurs primarily via pulmonary absorption,
and significantly less absorption takes place through
the skin or gastrointestinal tract (1). No special drug
paraphernalia are necessary for inhalant abuse. Many
abusers attain the desired effects of inhalants by simply
removing the lid of a can or tube and sniffing the
fumes, or spraying the aerosolized mists into the
mouth. A complicating factor is that many inhalant
abusers also avail themselves of other non-inhalant
substances such as ethanol, marijuana, heroin, cocaine,
amphetamines, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA or Ecstasy), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),
and psilocybin. In addition, substance abusers may
have coexistent disorders such as acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome, traumatic brain injury, hepatic
cirrhosis, and nutritional deficiencies that impact neuropathological
studies. Thus the correlation between
the effects of a given inhalant such as toluene and its
clinical and neuroradiological findings can be difficult
in some patients. Indeed, a precise assessment of the
extent of exposure to inhalants cannot usually be determined