The impact of prolonged hunger strike: clinical and laboratory aspects of twenty-five hunger strikers.
BACKGROUND
Hunger strike is a very serious entity which may lead to severe diseases and death.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to document the clinical, neurophysiological, neuroradiological, and neuropsychological aspects of prolonged hunger strike.


METHODS
We investigated the clinical and laboratory characteristics of 25 hungerstrikers hospitalized during refeeding process. One sample t-test, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney and Pearson correlation tests were used for statistical analyses.


RESULTS
Twelve of them had a continuous hunger strike ranging between 190-366 days. The other 13 had quitting intervals for various reasons with a continuous hunger ranging between 65-265 days with a total hunger duration of 153-382 days. The mean loss of body mass index (BMI) was 40.98 +/- 9.3%. Imbalance, sleep disorders, somatosensory disturbances, and adynamia were the most common complaints. At admission, one third experienced ophthalmoparesis, about half of them had paresis, one quarter had truncal ataxia. At discharge 16% had persistent ophthalmoparesis and 36% nystagmus. Only four patients (16%) could walk independently. There was no serious MRI, EEG findings. Most prominent EMG findings were the decrease in median and sural nerve cnap, median and fibular cmap, and fibular ncv values. They showed mild impairment in MMTS and most of them had attention deficit and frontal type memory impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
It can be concluded that vitamin B intake, independent of the quantity and timing, lowers the morbidity and mortality of hunger strikers.
Bakirkoy Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases, Istanbul.
D
D
Kirbas
N
N
Sutlas
D Y
DY
Kuscu
N
N
Karagoz
O
O
Tecer
U
U
Altun
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D020915:Korsakoff Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013217:Starvation / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013317:Strikes, Employee; D013997:Time Factors; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014803:Vitamin B Complex