A Re-Examination of Neuropsychological Functioning in Persian Gulf War Era Veterans
Abstract
Existing data from our group suggest that Gulf War (GW) veterans score worse on a specific group of neuropsychological tests than GW-era veterans not deployed to the Gulf. These findings raise the possibility of subtle, "subclinical" central nervous system (CNS) damage associated with Gulf deployment. A critical question is whether these findings may be attributable to exposure to neurotoxicants in the Gulf environment. Recently some PGW%1 veterans have reported that their cognitive functioning has been worsening over the time since their return from the Gulf. This report is at odds with the usual course of CNS effects of intoxication, which generally remit or remain static in the absence of exposure. The reports of declining cognition raise the issue of exposure to toxicants that might produce a progressive condition versus the existence of other conditions that might affect cognition in individuals who are experiencing progressive functional declines. The specific aims of the project are: 1) to determine whether objective test measures reveal progressive diminution in cognitive function by comparing test performance observed initially (1995-1998) to performance 4 years (+/- 6 months) later and 2) to identify the factors associated with any cognitive diminution including chemical exposures, stress, or psychiatric disorders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA406193
Entities
People
- Roberta F. White