Cognitive impairment associated with toxigenic fungal exposure: a replication and extension of previous findings.
In this study, neuropsychological data and symptom reports from 31 individuals exposed to toxic mold were examined. Most participants were found to have reduced cognitive functioning in multiple domains, with memory and executive functions the most commonly affected areas. Rates of dysfunction were significantly greater than chance on more than half of the tests. Number of cognitive impairments was found to be related to depression, although few neuropsychological test scores were correlated with depression. Results also indicated that symptom report of the mold-exposed participants was not significantly different from that of matched groups of 65 persons with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 26 individuals with moderate TBI. The mold-exposed participants reported significantly more symptoms than 47 people with no disability. This study adds to a growing body of literature (e.g., Baldo, Ahmad, & Ruff, 2002; Gordon, Johanning, & Haddad, 1999) relating exposure to mycotoxins to cognitive dysfunction.
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA. wayne.gordon@msnyuhealth.org
Wayne A
WA
Gordon
Joshua B
JB
Cantor
Eckardt
E
Johanning
Heather J
HJ
Charatz
Teresa A
TA
Ashman
Janis L
JL
Breeze
Lisa
L
Haddad
Steven
S
Abramowitz
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000506:poisoning*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology
D009183:Mycotoxins