Abstract
Background
Inhalants are being abused by large numbers of people throughout the world, particularly socio-economically disadvantaged children and adolescents. The neuropsychological effects of acute and chronic inhalant abuse include motor impairment, alterations in spontaneous motor activity, anticonvulsant effects, anxiolytic effects, sensory effects, and effects and learning, memory and operant behaviour (e.g., response rates and discriminative stimulus effects).
Objectives
To search and determine risks, benefits and costs of a variety treatments for inhalant dependence or abuse.
Search methods
We searched MEDLINE (1966 – February 2010), EMBASE (Januray 2010) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (February 2010). We also searched for ongoing clinical trials and unpublished studies via Internet searches.
Selection criteria
Randomised-controlled trials and controlled clinical trails (CCTs) comparing any intervention in people with inhalant dependence or abuse.
Data collection and analysis
Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion, assessed trial quality and extracted data.
Main results
No studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria have been retrieved.
Authors’ conclusions
Implications for practice: due to the lack of studies meeting the inclusion criteria, no conclusion can be drawn for clinical practice.
Implications for research: as a common substance abuse with serious health consequences, treatment of inhalant dependence and abuse should be a priority area of substance abuse research.
Plain language summary
No evidence-based treatment option for inhalant dependence or abuse
Inhalants are being abused by large numbers of people throughout the world, particularly socio-economically disadvantaged children and adolescents. This agent can cause many brain problems, for example, abnormal movement, sensory impairment, learning/memory impairment. Authors aimed to search and determine risks, benefits and costs of a variety treatments for inhalant dependence or abuse. Despite comprehensive searches of studies, the authors found no high quality study and, therefore, could not make any recommendation for the treatment of inhalant dependence or abuse. Research in this area is needed.
