Organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy
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Organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN), also called organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy (OPIDP), is a neuropathy caused by killing of neurons in the
central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all p ...
, especially in the
spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
, as a result of acute or chronic
organophosphate poisoning Organophosphate poisoning is poisoning due to organophosphates (OPs). Organophosphates are used as insecticides, medications, and nerve agents. Symptoms include increased saliva and tear production, diarrhea, vomiting, small pupils, sweating, musc ...
. A striking example of OPIDN occurred during the 1930s
Prohibition Era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...
when thousands of men in the American South and Midwest developed arm and leg weakness and pain after drinking a "medicinal" alcohol substitute. The drink, called " Ginger Jake," contained an adulterated
Jamaican ginger Jamaica ginger extract, known in the United States by the slang name Jake, was a late 19th-century patent medicine that provided a convenient way to obtain alcohol during the era of Prohibition, since it contained approximately 70% to 80% ethan ...
extract containing
tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate Tricresyl phosphate (TCP), is a mixture of three isomeric organophosphate compounds most notably used as a flame retardant and as a plasticizer in manufacturing for lacquers and varnishes and vinyl plastics. Pure tricresyl phosphate is a colour ...
(TOCP) which resulted in partially reversible neurologic damage. The damage resulted in the limping called "jake paralysis" – and also "jake leg" or "jake walk", which were terms frequently used in the blues music of the period. Europe and
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
both experienced outbreaks of TOCP poisoning from contaminated abortifacients and cooking oil, respectively. The disorder may contribute to the chronic multisymptom illnesses of the Gulf War veterans as well as
aerotoxic syndrome Aerotoxic syndrome relates to ill-health effects that are claimed to be caused by breathing contaminated airliner cabin air. This condition is not an established medical diagnosis. Potential sources of contamination Modern jetliners have envi ...
(especially tricresyl phosphate poisoning) The exact cause of the syndrome is unknown, although it has been associated with inhibition of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 6 (PNPLA6, aka neuropathy target esterase). There is no specific treatment, and recovery is usually incomplete, affecting only
sensory nervous system The sensory nervous system is a part of the nervous system responsible for processing sensory information. A sensory system consists of sensory neurons (including the sensory receptor cells), neural pathways, and parts of the brain involved i ...
, while motor neuropathy persists.


See also

*
Aerotoxic syndrome Aerotoxic syndrome relates to ill-health effects that are claimed to be caused by breathing contaminated airliner cabin air. This condition is not an established medical diagnosis. Potential sources of contamination Modern jetliners have envi ...
*
Gulf War syndrome Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness is a chronic and multi-symptomatic disorder affecting military veterans of both sides of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have been linked to it, including fatigue ...


References


External links

* Organophosphates Neurological disorders Toxic effects of substances chiefly nonmedicinal as to source {{med-toxic-stub