Neuropsychological Functioning in Gulf War Veterans Exposed to Pesticides and Pyridostigmine Bromide
Abstract
Gulf War (GW) veterans continue to complain of short-term memory and mood problems many years following their return from the Persian Gulf. Suspected causes for these health complaints continue to be investigated and include additive and/or synergystic effects of the varying combinations of exposures to pesticides, pyridostigmine bromide (PB), low-level nerve agents, and psychological trauma. Many pesticides are neurotoxicants as are PB and nerve agents. Two subsets of these chemicals, organophosphates (OP) and carbamates, are known to produce chronic neurological symptoms at sufficient exposure levels. It is the goal of this study to further evaluate the role of pesticides in the development of symptoms reported by GW veterans. This will be accomplished by performing neuropsychological assessments with a group of military pesticide applicators. It is hypothesized that pesticide applicators with high exposures will perform significantly worse on cognitive and neurological measures than a group of GW military personnel with very little pesticide exposure. It is also hypothesized that multiple chemical exposures (PB, pesticides) will prove to be synergistic and/or additive in terms of decreased cognitive and neurological functioning and increased physical symptoms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443001
Entities
People
- Maxine H Krengel
Organizations
- Boston University