Telephone: 802-779-6210
Email: marcia@neurotoxicants.com 
  Neurotoxicants.com, website of Dr. Marcia Ratner, expert, neurotoxicologist consulting in neurotoxicology, neurotoxins, neurotoxicants, and neurodegenerative disease
  • Home
  • About Dr. Marcia Ratner
  • Services
  • Neurotoxicology and Neurodegenerative Disease: Could there be an interaction?
  • Neurodegenerative Disease versus Neurotoxic Disease: What's in a name?
  • Neurotoxicants and Parkinson's Disease
  • Genetics of Neurodegenerative Disease and Neurotoxicant Exposure
  • Neurodegenerative Disease and Neurotoxicology In the News
  • Neurotoxicology and Neurodegenerative Disease Video Blogs and News
  • Neurotoxicant Exposure Symptoms Survey
  • Other Resources
  • Downloadable Documents
  • Mission Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Comments and Suggestions

Neurotoxicity and Neurodegenerative Disease: Could there be an interaction?




Neurotoxicology is a field of study within the field of toxicology concerned specifically with the interactions between exogenous substances and the nervous system.

Neurotoxicants are synthetic chemicals with the inherent ability to damage the nervous system.

Neurodegenerative diseases are neurological disorders that progress relentlessly resulting in permanent damage to the nervous system.

Interactions are defined as effects which are not observed when two events occur in isolation.  The results of these interactions can be additive or synergistic.  Interactions can occur between neurodegenerative diseases and the effects of neurotoxicants that share mechanism of action in common.

A long standing thesis in modern medicine and toxicology, which extends as far back as the days of Paracelsus, is that "the dosage differentiates a therapeutic from a poison".  The reasoning behind this bit of conventional scientific wisdom is that there is no chemical which is not a poison.  The list of side effects of modern medications is a well-recognized example of this scientific observation.


Adverse effects of chemicals and drugs occur when these compounds act via mechanisms shared in common with those implicated in a disease process; this is why you must let your doctor know if you have a preexisting medical condition that can be exacerbated by a drug before you start taking a new medication. With respect to neurodegenerative diseases, these interactions include but are not limited to: increasing protein aggregation; enhancing neuroinflammation; and/or increasing oxidative stress (Heinemann et al., 2016; Gunnarsson and Bodin, 2019; Harischandra et al., 2019; Chiang et al., 2019
).  

When exposure to neurotoxicants and neurodegenerative disease occurs in the same individual, additive or synergistic interactions can hasten the subclinical course of the disease resulting in a younger age at onset of overt symptoms which can interfere with activities of daily living.  

Dr. Marcia Ratner, has devoted her entire career to understanding and investigating these interactions.  Her years of education, post-doctoral training and board certifications demonstrate her professional commitment to expertise in these areas.  Her publication record reflects upon her research aimed at identifying chemicals that can unmask latent neurodegenerative disease and/or hasten disease onset as well as her ongoing efforts to identify novel therapeutics aimed at forestalling disease onset and slowing disease progression. She has carefully documented and summarized the peer-reviewed scientific and medical literature on these interactions on the various pages of the Neurotoxicants.com website. This information is presented in an easy to follow well-referenced format for the informational and educational purposes of lay persons as well as medical professionals who seek a trustworthy source of information on these topics.


Last update: January 2, 2023.​

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

Picture
Neurotoxicants.com is strictly an information and news website about the associations between chemical exposure and neurological disease. The information provided on this site is meant to complement and not replace any advice or information from your healthcare professional. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.  While every care has been exercised in compiling and publishing the data contained in these pages, Neurotoxicants.com accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions to of the information provided on this website. Neurotoxicants.com cannot be held liable for typographical errors, layout error or misinformation contained herein.  Copyright © 2015-2022, Dr. Marcia H. Ratner, DABT, Proprietor and Principal Consultant, D.B.A. Neurotoxicants.com is registered with Dun and Bradstreet.  All Rights Reserved. Privately funded; Neurotoxicants.com does not accept or host paid advertising.  Neurotoxicants.com does not accept payment from any external influences which could affect the objectivity of the editorial content of this website.

Updated January 2, 2023
Proudly powered by Weebly