Ciguatera fish poisoning and neurotoxic shellfish poisoning are distinct clinical entities characterized by gastrointestinal and neurological disturbances, following the consumption of certain reef fish and shellfish containing toxic polyether compounds sporadically present in certain toxic marine dinoflagellates. The biotransformation and bioaccumulation of gambierol and brevetoxin, and their ...

Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) is caused by consumption of molluscan shellfish contaminated with brevetoxins primarily produced by the dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. Blooms of K. brevis, called Florida red tide, occur frequently along the Gulf of Mexico. Many shellfish beds in the US (and other nations) are routinely monitored for presence of K. brevis and other brevetoxin-producing orga...

NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF FLUORIDE SUMMARY: This issue of Fluoride contains three new reports on fluoride (F) and neurotoxicity. A study of neurotoxic effects of F in aluminum potroom workers in Iran shows the importance of neurobehavioral testing for the early detection of cognitive impairment in workers occupationally exposed to airborne F. Two studies, from Iran and India, examined the IQ of chi...

Amphetamine-type psychostimulants (ATS), such as amphetamine (AMPH), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and methamphetamine (METH) are psychoactive substances widely abused, due to their powerful central nervous system (CNS) stimulation ability. Young people particularly use ATS as recreational drugs. Moreover, AMPH is used clinically, particularly for attention deficit hyperactivity dis...

Chronic a-interferon use has been reported to cause a variety of neurotoxic side effects. This case summary suggests the possibility of a new neurotoxic side effect of normal pressure hydrocephalus following chronic a-interferon use.

Inhalants are a group of substances that have mind-altering or psychoactive effects when inhaled. The intoxicating effect makes them liable to abuse. Volatility is the common physical characteristic shared by all inhalants. Inhalant abuse is a worldwide problem. The substances abused are numerous, cheap, legal and easily available (Table 1). They are usually emptied into a plastic bag or a used...

Positive symptoms of psychosis disrupt mentation. Do they also engineer brain cell death and deterioration? This hypothesis is currently popular as an explanation of the duration of untreated psychosis effect in early schizophrenia. The clinical and neurobiological evidence for its validity is visited and found wanting. Synaptic plasticity, not neurotoxicity, appears to be the mediating process.

Neurotoxic esterase activity was measured in homogenates of human placenta and hen brain, spinal cord, liver, kidney and spleen. The activity in liver comprised less than 20% of the Paraoxon-resistant esterases, but in the other tissues neurotoxic esterase accounted for over 50%. The same tissues were labelled with [3H]di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate, and any isopropyl group transferred on to ...