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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The benzodiazepines are the most effective, safest, and most widely used antianxiety drugs. As a class of drugs, there are few major differences between the various benzodiazepine derivatives. The main distinguishing features are different plasma half-lives and the presence or absence of pharmacologically active metabolites. Plasma half-lives vary considerably, from 2 to 3 hours to more than 100 hours. All benzodiazepines are equally effective in the short term management of anxiety and insomnia, and their classification into 'anxiolytics' and 'hypnotics' is not justified. There are numerous other indications for benzodiazepine use, such as muscle spasm in osteoarthritic conditions, and acute alcohol withdrawal, but the benzodiazepines have no antidepressive or analgesic effects. While there is no good evidence for their long term efficacy in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia, the benzodiazepines are more effective and safer than their main predecessors, the barbiturates. Some of the benzodiazepines, particularly those with long plasma half-lives which are commonly used as hypnotics, have a prolonged duration of action and cause marked 'hang-over' effects. Alcohol enhances the effects of these drugs, and thus can also increase their side effects. Adversely effects such as oversedation, tremor, ataxia and confusion are much more common in elderly patients. Ever since the benzodiazepines were first marketed 20 years ago their use has increased rapidly, and it is now estimated that between 12 and 16% of the adult population in developed countries use tranquillisers at some time each year. However, their overall use has probably diminished somewhat in the last few years. Although their indications are very common, it is possible that some of this extensive usage may be the result of dependence. Until recently, published reports of such dependence were comparatively few. However, withdrawal symptoms have now been demonstrated in a substantial proportion of patients on long term, normal dose benzodiazepine treatment. The abstinence syndrome usually lasts for 8 to 10 days, and is characterised by insomnia, anxiety, loss of appetite and bodyweight, tremor, perspiration, and a host of perceptual disturbances. More serious developments such as epileptic fits and psychosis are probably infrequent during withdrawal from therapeutic doses. The overall incidence of benzodiazepine dependence remains unknown.
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PMID:Rational use of anxiolytic/sedative drugs. 613 9

Many studies have demonstrated that the ability of alcohols and other intoxicant-anesthetics to affect biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes rests in their hydrophobicity. This means that potency is determined by the ability of the drug to move from a water phase into a lipid or membrane phase. In more precise terms, anesthetic effects are correlated with the volume occupied by the anesthetic molecules within the membrane. Although the anesthetic effects, particularly the inhibition of nerve condition, have been used most frequently in establishing this correlation, the intoxicating effects (i.e., ataxia) of a series of alcohols had also been correlated with their membrane partitioning. These results suggest that the intoxicating, as well as anesthetic, effects of ethanol and related drugs are due to their penetrating into hydrophobic regions of nerve membranes. The predominant hydrophobic region of biological membranes is the "sea" of lipid that surrounds "islands" of functional proteins. This leads to the postulate that intoxicant-anesthetics alter the physical properties of membrane lipids and thus affect neuronal function. To evaluate this hypothesis, we must consider the lipid composition of brain membranes, the importance of membrane lipids in neuronal function, the techniques available for the study of membrane physical properties, and the effects of ethanol on nerve membranes.
Curr Alcohol 1981
PMID:Membrane fluidity and alcohol actions. 628 44

Disordering of brain and erythrocyte membranes by ethanol in vitro was measured by ESR using 5-doxylstearic acid as spin label. Synaptosomal plasma membranes and erythrocyte membranes were isolated from two lines of mice developed, by selective breeding, for differential sensitivity to hypnotic effects of ethanol. Membranes taken from alcohol-sensitive "long-sleep" mice were more strongly disordered by ethanol in vitro than were membranes from alcohol-resistant "short-sleep" mice. Furthermore, within a population of genetically heterogeneous mice, the most ethanol-sensitive animals had the most ethanol-sensitive synaptosomal plasma membranes. In vivo sensitivity of the individual mice was evaluated by measuring brain ethanol levels at a precise behavioral end point, recovery from ataxia. The data extend our previous observations of correlations between in vitro and in vivo effects of ethanol and suggest that membrane disordering may be a primary mechanism of acute effects of ethanol.
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PMID:Ethanol disordering of spin-labeled mouse brain membranes: correlation with genetically determined ethanol sensitivity of mice. 628 76

Adolescent sons of alcoholic, depressed, and normal fathers were compared on a measure of static ataxia, or body sway. It was found that the young males at risk for developing alcoholism were more ataxic than the sons of depressed fathers and normal controls. The possibility that static ataxia may be a premorbid marker for detecting males at heightened risk for alcoholism is discussed.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res
PMID:Static ataxia: a possible marker for alcoholism. 639 12

From the clinical point of view, the nervous system effects of alcohol are the most important when work-related problems are considered. Alcohol is a primary, descending, central nervous system depressant that causes a familiar dose-dependent progression of acute intoxication from euphoria to ataxia, stupor, and ultimately coma. Chronic effects of alcohol on the nervous system are more difficult to diagnose. Particularly an insidiously developing alcoholic psychoorganic syndrome is a very difficult problem in occupational health. The interactions of low-level, chronic exposure to solvents and heavy drinking are interesting but, unfortunately, poorly understood. Withdrawal phenomena ranging from common hangover to tremulousness, cerebral convulsions, and delirium can also severely disturb normal worklife. The multitude of factors which regulate drinking behavior among the working population provides a challenge for investigators in the field of occupational health. More research should be focused on alcohol diseases and their effects on work, the effects of work on alcohol consumption, and the interactions of alcohol and compounds present in the work environment. The first step towards these problems is the development of valid methods for the early detection of heavy drinkers among the working population.
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PMID:Alcohol, work and the nervous system. 639 13

C57BL/6J/BOM mice were given 15% (w/v) ethanol solution as their sole drinking fluid. Nerve conduction velocities (NCV) and motor coordination (ataxia) of the unanesthetized animals were examined after a single IP injection of 3.0 g ethanol/kg body weight at 6, and 9 months after the start of drinking and after 3 months of abstinence. During chronic consumption of ethanol, tolerance for relative conduction time (RCT) change developed in six months. This tolerance was not observed after 9 months of ethanol treatment. The tolerance for ataxia persisted throughout the period of ethanol treatment. After a three month's abstinence, no differences between the controls and the animals previously on ethanol were observed regarding responses to acute ethanol administration. These observations suggest that different mechanisms underlie the development of tolerance for the effect of ethanol on peripheral nerve conductance and for the ataxia from ethanol in the central nervous system.
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PMID:Tolerance for the decrease in nerve conduction velocity and for the motor impairment produced by ethanol in mice: differential development during chronic ethanol consumption. 654 61

We evaluated blood concentrations and clinical findings in 17 cases of isopropanol (IPROH) ingestion seen over a 8.5 year period at our institution. Eight ingestions involved IPROH alone ("pure") while the remainder involved at least ethanol in addition to IPROH ("mixed"). Fourteen patients had a history of alcoholism. Admission blood IPROH concentrations ranged from 5 to 70 mg/dL while the concentration of the acetone metabolite ranged from nondetectable to 220 mg/dL. The mean acetone concentration was significantly higher for "pure" ingestions than for "mixed" ingestions (p less than 0.05); however, the mean IPROH concentrations showed no significant difference. The mean anion gap was significantly higher for "mixed" ingestions than for "pure" ones (p less than 0.01). Fifteen patients were either alert or lethargic while two, who had ingested no compounds other than IPROH, were comatose. The most common other physical findings were tachycardia (10 cases), decreased deep tendon reflexes (5), dysarthria (4), and ataxia, hypotension, fever, and mydriasis (3 cases each). None of the findings including level of consciousness showed statistically significant correlation with the IPROH concentrations. Twelve patients were hospitalized; eleven of these recovered with supportive care alone. One patient expired from trauma suffered in a motor vehicle accident.
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PMID:Isopropanol ingestion: interpretation of blood concentrations and clinical findings. 666 30

Male mice of parent inbred strains C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, and mice from several of the BXD/Ty Recombinant Inbred (RI) strains derived from the cross of the parent inbred strains were tested for responsiveness to ethanol. Separate groups of mice from these strains were characterized for sensitivity to ethanol's effects to increase activity in an open field and to induce ambulatory ataxia in the grid test. The strain distribution pattern of the RI strains indicated polygenic control of both responses to ethanol. Other mice from this battery were tested for acceptance of an ethanol solution, a measure related to preference drinking. This trait may be substantially influenced by a single gene. Mice were then rendered physically dependent on ethanol through inhalation of ethanol vapor for three days. Severity of handling-induced convulsions was used to index the severity of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome. The distribution of the RI strains indicated possible influence of a major gene on ethanol withdrawal severity.
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PMID:Polygenic and single-gene determination of responses to ethanol in BXD/Ty recombinant inbred mouse strains. 668 63

A total of 70 patients presenting with suspected acute trazodone poisoning were notified to the Poisons Unit (National Poisons Information Service for England) from August 1980 until March 1983. Detailed follow-up information was obtained on 41 patients, 22 of whom were thought to have ingested trazodone alone. In these latter patients drowsiness (11), ataxia (5), nausea/vomiting (4) and dry mouth (2) were the manifestations of toxicity reported most frequently, only 2 patients became unconscious (grade 2 or 3 coma), and all recovered uneventfully with no more than minimal supportive therapy. The presence of trazodone was confirmed in 8 out of 9 patients from whom specimens (blood and urine) were received. The highest plasma trazodone concentrations (15 and 19 mg/l, respectively) were both associated with only drowsiness and ataxia. However, in 2 further patients moderate plasma trazodone concentrations (4.2 and 8.2 mg/l, respectively) were associated with deep (grade 3-4) coma, although 1 of these latter patients had also ingested ethanol (plasma concentration 3.0 g/l). Although acute trazodone poisoning does not appear to be associated with cardiac arrhythmias or convulsions, these results emphasise that drowsiness and ataxia are commonly encountered, while coma may occur in severe cases. The possible contribution of metabolites of trazodone to toxicity and the potentiating effect of co-ingested drugs or alcohol must be remembered.
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PMID:Acute trazodone poisoning: clinical signs and plasma concentrations. 671 57

Hypothermia was studied 5 min before, and 30 and 60 min after intraperitoneal administration of ethanol (3 g/kg) in 20 inbred strains of mice. Ethanol was given daily for 8 days, and temperatures were taken on Days 1, 3, 5, and 8. Tolerance was indexed by the reduction in hypothermia over days. There were large strain differences in baseline temperature, the hypothermic effect of ethanol, and in development of tolerance to hypothermia. Some strains of mice (DBA/1J, DBA/2N, MA/MyJ, and PL/J) did not develop tolerance to the hypothermic effect of ethanol. Initial sensitivity to the hypothermic effect of ethanol was significantly genetically correlated with tolerance development, indicating control of these responses by common genes. Ethanol-induced changes in activity and ataxia, as well as blood ethanol concentrations, were also assessed. Although there were significant strain differences in activity reduction, ataxia, blood-ethanol concentrations, and changes in these parameters during the course of chronic treatment, none of these variables could explain the genetic differences in hypothermic sensitivity and tolerance.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1982
PMID:Tolerance to ethanol hypothermia in inbred mice: genotypic correlations with behavioral responses. 675 16


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