Alzheimer Disease and Environmental Exposure to Neurotoxic Factors: A Controversy
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2014, Vol 4, Issue 34
Abstract
Background: Common neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease are a major public health issue because of their high prevalence and etiopathogenic complexity. Ageing, combined with a genetic predisposition and modifiable risk factors including cardiovascular factors, has been shown to be the main risk factor of Alzheimer and related diseases. The international scientific community suspects that physicochemical environmental factors may be involved. The lack of consensus justifies a general review of current knowledge on the role of environmental neurotoxic factors in the occurrence of some neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer disease. Methodology: A literature search was conducted on PubMed using the keywords dementia, dementia syndrome, Alzheimer disease, Alzheimer type dementia, exposure, neurotoxicity aluminium, mercury, pesticide. After reading all of the abstracts and ruling out irrelevant articles, only relevant articles in English or French were selected. We read more than 600 abstracts and based on these we selected and read 352 articles, 176 for each of the two authors. Finally, our bibliography includes 78 articles. Results: The neurotoxicity data from animal experiments are old, and in the professional environment there is no evidence regarding the gradient of environmental toxicity. Synergistic, multiple-factor neurotoxicity is complex and difficult to document epidemiologically as it is due to a cumulative toxic continuum rather than a dose/effect relationship. Within this recognized multi-causal model of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer disease, chronic exposure to neurotoxic products has a real pathogenic effect on the central nervous system though certain aspects of this effect are not entirely proven. Conclusion: The lack of overall agreement about precautions for heavy metals does not mean that latent and prolonged exposure to these products is safe, especially with regard to the potential risk of worsening neurodegenerative diseases.
Authors and Affiliations
Hélène Sordet-Guépet, Patrick Manckoundia
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP348784
- DOI 10.9734/BJMMR/2014/10762
- Views 67
- Downloads 0
Common Musculoskeletal Injuries in Athletes and Its Relation with Body Mass Index (BMI) in Jeddah Society
Aims: To study the types of sports injuries in different age groups and its prevalence in the Saudi society, especially in the city of Jeddah, thus comparing them with the BMI of the different age groups. Study Design:...
Treatment for Gynaecomastia in Men. Experience with the Inferior Periareolar Incision in a Single Third Level Medical Facility
Background: Gynaecomastia is defined as an enlargement of the mammary gland in men. Objective: To evaluate Aesthetic Results of Subdermal Mastectomy by means of Inferior Periareolar Incision. Materials and Methods: Des...
Effects of Tetracycline Son Soil Enzyme Activities in an Alluvial Soil
Aims: To study the effect of various doses of tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) on the enzymatic (DHA, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and catalase) activity in sewage am...
Social Skills Training Encourages a Patient with Social Anxiety Disorder to Undertake Challenging Behavioral Experiments
Introductions: Cognitive models of social anxiety disorder (SAD), such as that developed by Clark & Wells, conceptualize the attention to, and misinterpretation of, internal information as a key maintaining factor. Socia...
Analysis of Bone-implant Interfacial Stress during Disocclusion in Complete Implant-supported Prosthesis: A Finite Element Study
Aim: Little is known about the biomechanical behavior of disocclusion patterns in implant-supported prostheses. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyze the stresses generated at bone-implant interface during di...