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Volatile Substance Misuse

Clinical Considerations, Neuropsychopharmacology and Potential Role of Pharmacotherapy in Management

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Abstract

Volatile substance misuse is among the most prevalent and toxic forms of psychoactive drug use, and often results in highly deleterious social, psychological and medical consequences. The prevalence of this pernicious form of substance misuse owes in part to the fact that volatile substances of misuse are ubiquitous in the natural environment. Commonly misused commercial products include glue, shoe polish, nail polish remover, butane lighter fluid, gasoline and computer duster spray. National samples of volatile substance misusers tend to exhibit high rates of psychiatric problems and antisocial behaviour. In addition, cognitive impairments and affective dysregulation are often observed among these individuals. Volatile substances exert their complex neuropharmacological effects on dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic and serotoninergic receptor systems, as well as on cell membranes and ion channels. Concomitantly, pharmacotherapies for volatile substance abuse might profitably target a number of mechanisms, including reward circuitry in the brain, symptoms of craving and withdrawal, neuropsychiatric and emotional impairments that promote volatile substance abuse, and cognitive enhancement to rectify deficits in executive function. This review details the modes of use, subjective effects, epidemiology, adverse consequences, neuropsychopharmacology and drug treatment of volatile substance misuse, and discusses the potential role of novel forms of pharmacological intervention for this oft-overlooked public health threat of epidemic proportions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge grants DA021405 (M.O.H.), DA15929 (M.O.H.) and DA032517 (E.L.G.) from the National Institutes of Health, which supported preparation of this manuscript and some of the research reported herein. The paper is an accurate representation of study results. The National Institutes of Health did not play a role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report or the decision to submit the paper for publication. The authors declare no conflicts of interest in writing this report.

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  1. Trinity Institute of the Addictions, College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Eric L. Garland

  2. University of North Carolina, Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, 325 Pittsboro St., CB #3550, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3550, USA

    Matthew O. Howard

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Garland, E.L., Howard, M.O. Volatile Substance Misuse. CNS Drugs 26, 927–935 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40263-012-0001-6

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