Neurological and cognitive impairment associated with leaded gasoline encephalopathy.
BACKGROUND
A toxic encephalopathy (or 'lead encephalopathy') may arise from leaded gasoline abuse that is characterised by tremor, hallucinations, nystagmus, ataxia, seizures and death. This syndrome requires emergency and intensive hospital treatment.


METHODS
We compared neurological and cognitive function between chronic gasoline abusers with (n=15) and without (n=15) a history of leaded gasoline encephalopathy, and with controls who had never abused gasoline (n=15).


RESULTS
Both groups of chronic gasoline abusers had abused gasoline for the same length of time and compared to controls, showed equivalently elevated blood lead levels and cognitive abnormalities in the areas of visuo-spatial attention, recognition memory and paired associate learning. However, where gasoline abusers with no history of leaded gasoline encephalopathy showed only mild movement abnormalities, gasoline abusers with a history of leaded gasoline encephalopathy showed severe neurological impairment that manifest as higher rates of gait ataxia, abnormal rapid finger tapping, finger to nose movements, dysdiadochokinesia and heel to knee movements, increased deep tendon reflexes and presence of a palmomental reflex.


CONCLUSIONS
While neurological and cognitive functions are disrupted by chronic gasoline abuse, leaded gasoline encephalopathy is associated with additional and long-lasting damage to cortical and cerebellar functions.
Cairney
Sheree
S
The Neuropsychology Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia.
Maruff
Paul
P
Burns
Chris B
CB
Currie
Jon
J
Currie
Bart J
BJ
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005742:Gasoline / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D005742:Gasoline; D007854:Lead