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Nervous System Mercury Poisoning (Minamata Disease)

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Neurologic disorders associated with exposure to inorganic and organic forms of MERCURY. Acute intoxication may be associated with gastrointestinal disturbances, mental status changes, and PARAPARESIS. Chronic exposure to inorganic mercury usually occurs in industrial workers, and manifests as mental confusion, prominent behavioral changes (including psychosis), DYSKINESIAS, and NEURITIS. Alkyl mercury poisoning may occur through ingestion of contaminated seafood or grain, and its characteristic features include POLYNEUROPATHY; ATAXIA; vision loss; NYSTAGMUS, PATHOLOGIC; and DEAFNESS. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1997, Ch20, pp10-15)

Also Known As:

Minamata Disease; Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System; Encephalopathy, Mercury; Inorganic Mercury Poisoning; Mad Hatter Disease; Mad Hatter's Disease; Mercurial Neuroanesthenia; Mercurial Psychosis; Mercury Poisoning, Inorganic; Mercury Poisoning, Neurologic; Mercury Poisoning, Organic; Mercury Psychosis; Organic Mercury Poisoning; Mad Hatter Diseases; Mad Hatters Disease; Mercury Induced Nervous System Diseases; Mercury Neurotoxicity Syndrome; Mercury Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Nervous System Diseases, Mercury Induced; Nervous System Mercurialism; Neuroanesthenia, Mercurial; Neurologic Mercurialism; Neurologic Mercury Poisoning; Neurotoxicity Syndromes, Mercury; Poisoning, Inorganic Mercury; Poisoning, Neurologic Mercury; Poisoning, Organic Mercury; Psychosis, Mercurial; Psychosis, Mercury; Syndrome, Mercury Neurotoxicity; Syndromes, Mercury Neurotoxicity; System Mercurialism, Nervous; Mercurialism, Nervous System; Mercurialism, Neurologic; Mercury Encephalopathy; Mercury-Induced Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases, Mercury-Induced; Nervous System Poisoning, Mercury; Neurotoxicity Syndrome, Mercury; Poisoning, Mercury, Nervous System; Poisoning, Mercury, Neurologic

Networked: 90 relevant articles (2 outcomes, 12 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Poisoning
2.	Communication Disorders (Communication Disorder)
3.	Nervous System Mercury Poisoning (Minamata Disease)
4.	Tremor (Tremors)
5.	Neoplasms (Cancer)

Experts

1.	Ishihara, Nobuo: 3 articles (01/2014 - 01/2002)
2.	Akagi, H: 3 articles (08/2001 - 08/2000)
3.	Sakamoto, Mineshi: 2 articles (05/2007 - 07/2006)
4.	Kizaki, T: 2 articles (10/2001 - 03/2001)
5.	Harada, M: 2 articles (10/2001 - 03/2001)
6.	Ohno, H: 2 articles (10/2001 - 03/2001)
7.	Takeda, Masayuki: 1 article (06/2013)
8.	Takahashi, Kota: 1 article (06/2013)
9.	Saito, Hisashi: 1 article (06/2013)
10.	Hara, Noboru: 1 article (06/2013)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Nervous System Mercury Poisoning:

1.	SulfurIBA 01/01/1983 - "5. Thus, both the composition of the sulfur-containing radical and the steroid moiety are important for protection against inorganic mercury poisoning." 02/01/1991 - "The protection of invertebrates, fish, and vascular plants against inorganic mercury poisoning by sulfur and selenium derivatives."
2.	Succimer (Dimercaptosuccinic Acid)FDA Link 05/01/1990 - "Efficacy of the DMSA-ERCH procedure for inorganic mercury poisoning is likely to be improved as the interval between exposure and treatment is reduced." 05/01/1990 - "DMSA-ERCH appears to be much more effective than BAL and haemodialysis in the treatment of acute inorganic mercury poisoning. "
3.	MercuryIBA 05/01/1998 - "Using regression coefficients obtained at a study conducted at the Faroe Islands, the median cord mercury concentration from the children with Minamata disease is estimated to correspond to about 216 microg/L cord blood and 41 microg/g in maternal hair. " 08/01/1969 - "Electron microscopic studies on experimental Minamata disease--changes caused by long term administration of a small amount of organic mercury compound." 06/01/1969 - "[Pathological studies on organic mercury poisoning--supplement to the histochemical demonstration of mercury in the brain of Minamata patients]." 12/01/1966 - "[Neuropathological studies on organic mercury poisoning with special reference to the staining and distribution of mercury granules]." 10/01/1964 - "(STUDIES ON THE ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUND IN THE FISH AND SHELLFISH FROM MINAMATA BAY AS THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF MINAMATA DISEASE AND THE FORMATION OF THE POISON. "
4.	Mercury CompoundsIBA 09/01/2011 - "The aim of this study is to correct the misunderstanding that the toxicity of organic mercury compounds is unknown at the time of the outbreak of Minamata disease (May 1, 1956). " 01/01/2002 - "In 1958, Minamata Disease was suggested to be organic mercury compounds intoxication. " 02/01/1975 - "[Poisoning by organic mercury compounds-Minamata disease (author's transl)]." 09/01/2011 - "These reports pointed out the toxic effects of organic mercury on the central nervous system, and indicated cleary that the causal substance of Minamata disease must be the organic mercury compounds (methylmercury) from the Chisso plant. "
5.	AcetaldehydeIBA 05/25/1964 - "[STUDIES ON THE COURSE THAT THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF MINAMATA DISEASE WAS FORMED, ESPECIALLY ON THE ORGANOMERCURY COMPOUND EXTRACTED FROM THE ACETALDEHYDE PLANT IN MINAMATA FACTORY AND THE ORGANOMERCURY COMPOUND CONTAINED IN THE SHELLFISH FROM MINAMATA BAY]." 08/01/2001 - "In order to prove or disprove that industrial waste from the Chisso Factory was the culprit in Minamata disease, a total of ten cats were fed food mixed with industrial waste produced in the acetaldehyde-producing plant. " 01/01/2002 - "However, it has been widely believed since the official recognition of Minamata Disease (1956) that, at the moment of outbreak, no reports were available on organic mercury formation from inorganic mercury in acetaldehyde production from acetylene, or on organic mercury intoxication among workers in acetaldehyde production from acetylene. "
6.	AntigensIBA 01/01/1990 - "Observations on patients with Minamata disease and studies in mice and rabbits have demonstrated that MeHg decreases synthesis of antibodies toward pathogenetic and non-pathogenetic antigens. "
7.	AntibodiesIBA 01/01/1990 - "Observations on patients with Minamata disease and studies in mice and rabbits have demonstrated that MeHg decreases synthesis of antibodies toward pathogenetic and non-pathogenetic antigens. "
8.	Industrial Waste (Industrial Wastes)IBA 05/01/2008 - "Minamata disease is methylmercury poisoning from consuming fish and shellfish contaminated by industrial waste. " 07/01/2000 - "Minamata disease is alkylmercury poisoning causing Hunter-Russell syndrome due to ingestion of seafood polluted by industrial waste. " 08/01/2001 - "In order to prove or disprove that industrial waste from the Chisso Factory was the culprit in Minamata disease, a total of ten cats were fed food mixed with industrial waste produced in the acetaldehyde-producing plant. "
9.	Heavy MetalsIBA 06/01/1969 - "[Effect of sulfhydryl compounds on excretion of heavy metals, with special reference to organic mercury poisoning and Wilson's disease]." 01/01/1992 - "Most frequently encountered causes of intractable pain and intractable medical problems, including headache, post-herpetic neuralgia, tinnitus with hearing difficulty, brachial essential hypertension, cephalic hypertension and hypotension, arrhythmia, stroke, osteo-arthritis, Minamata disease, Alzheimer's disease and neuromuscular problems, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and cancer are often found to be due to co-existence of 1) viral or bacterial infection, 2) localized microcirculatory disturbances, 3) localized deposits of heavy metals, such as lead or mercury, in affected areas of the body, 4) with or without additional harmful environmental electro-magnetic or electric fields from household electrical devices in close vicinity, which create microcirculatory disturbances and reduced acetylcholine. "
10.	Unithiol (DMPS)IBA 06/01/2003 - "We describe a patient with severe inorganic mercury poisoning in whom full recovery occurred with the early use of the chelating agent DMPS and CVVHDF. " 06/01/2003 - "We report here the successful use of the chelating agent 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate (DMPS), together with continuous veno-venous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF), in a patient with severe inorganic mercury poisoning. " 05/01/1958 - "[Unithiol therapy of inorganic mercury poisoning]." 06/01/2003 - "We feel that CVVHDF should be considered in patients with inorganic mercury poisoning, particularly those who develop acute renal failure, together with meticulous supportive care and adequate doses of chelation therapy with DMPS."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Activities of Daily Living (ADL) 07/01/2008 - "[Association between Minamata disease status and activities of daily living among inhabitants in previously methylmercury-polluted areas]." 11/01/1993 - "We surveyed 1144 current patients with Minamata disease (MD) aged 40 or over in the Minamata area and the same number of neighbor controls matched with age and sex by questionnaire interview with regard to subjective complaints and activities of daily living (ADL). " 11/01/1993 - "Profile of subjective complaints and activities of daily living among current patients with Minamata disease after 3 decades." 05/01/2007 - "The main purposes of this study are to compare the current statuses and activities of daily living (ADL) scores with the same parameters 15 years ago in fetal-type Minamata disease patients and to identify the communication disorders in these patients. " 05/01/2007 - "[Comparison of current activities of daily living (ADL) scores of fetal-type minamata disease patients with their ADL scores 15 years ago and communication disorders of these patients]."
2.	Chelation Therapy (Therapy, Chelation) 06/01/2011 - "This is a first case of inorganic mercury poisoning showing hyperintense lesions in brain MRI and confirms earlier cases showing transient deterioration during chelation therapy. " 06/01/2003 - "We feel that CVVHDF should be considered in patients with inorganic mercury poisoning, particularly those who develop acute renal failure, together with meticulous supportive care and adequate doses of chelation therapy with DMPS."
3.	Renal Dialysis (Hemodialysis) 01/01/1992 - "Our results suggest that equilibrium dialysis may be a convenient and cost effective method to screen potential chelating agents as complementary to hemodialysis for the treatment of inorganic mercury poisoning." 01/01/1992 - "Two in vitro systems were evaluated as potential screening methods for determining the most effective chelating agents for use in patients with inorganic mercury poisoning undergoing hemodialysis. "
4.	Oral Administration 02/16/1998 - "Widespread neuronal degeneration in rats following oral administration of methylmercury during the postnatal developing phase: a model of fetal-type minamata disease."