RESUMO
The neurological observations have been reported at André Bouron Hospital of Saint-Laurent du Maroni and at General Hospital of Cayenne during a period of 5 years. All patients belonged to the "Noir Marron" ethnic group and lived in the area of Saint-Laurent. There were six women and four men, aged 15-35 years. Neurological symptoms were isolated or associated to other organ failure. Neurological manifestations included retrobulbar optic neuropathy, spastic paraparesis, sensitive ataxia and cerebellar ataxia, psychiatric symptoms were observed. Other organs affected were cardiovascular, digestive, cutaneous or endocrinologic (thyroid). Diet consist mainly in cassava. Thiamin deficiency has been observed several times. Improvement of neurological deficits following thiamin administration points towards Thiamin as an etiological factor. Ethnological specificity of Saint-Laurent area may explain that such neurological manifestation have not been observed in the rest of the department.
Assuntos
Etnicidade , Doenças Neuromusculares/etnologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Ataxia/etnologia , Baixo Débito Cardíaco/etnologia , Ataxia Cerebelar/etnologia , Delírio/etnologia , Dermatite/etnologia , Dieta , Feminino , Guiana Francesa , Frutas , Gastroenterite/etnologia , Bócio/etnologia , Humanos , Masculino , Exame Neurológico , Neurite Óptica/etnologia , Paresia/etnologia , Agitação Psicomotora/etnologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Espasmo/etnologia , Tiamina/uso terapêutico , Deficiência de Tiamina/tratamento farmacológico , Deficiência de Tiamina/etnologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The objective was to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of oculogyric spasm (OGS) in an Asian country. METHOD: All 2035 Asian (88% Chinese, 7% Malays and 5% Indonesians) psychiatric in-patients in the state psychiatric hospital in Singapore were surveyed for occurrence of oculogyric spasm (OGS) over a two-month period. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (1.7%) developed OGS (53% male and 47% female). All the 34 patients had been on maintenance antipsychotic drugs for more than five months. Eighteen patients had recurrent attacks. The mean chlorpromazine equivalent daily dose for those patients with recurrent OGS was 511 mg. This was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the 277 mg daily dose received by those without recurrent OGS. Most (68%) of the attacks occurred between 1400-2000 h suggesting that OGS may have a diurnal variation. CONCLUSIONS: OGS presenting as tardive dystonia may be due to a relative increase in cholinergic activity.
