What are common neurotoxins?

Though neurotoxins are often neurologically destructive, their ability to specifically target neural components is important in the study of nervous systems. Common examples of neurotoxins include lead, ethanol (drinking alcohol), glutamate, nitric oxide, botulinum toxin (e.g. Botox), tetanus toxin, and tetrodotoxin.

What toxins cause brain damage?

Chronic, excessive exposure, and accumulation of neurotoxic agents such as heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), mefloquine (Lariam), and food additives such as monosodium glutamate and aspartame cause neurotoxicity and brain damage.

How does lead a neurotoxin harm the brain?

The direct neurotoxic actions of lead include apoptosis (programmed cell death), excitotoxicity affecting neurotransmitter storage and release and altering neurotransmitter receptors, mitochondria, second messengers, cerebrovascular endothelial cells, and both astroglia and oligodendroglia.

What environmental hazard causes brain damage in children?

Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure lead attacks the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions and even death.

What is the most potent neurotoxin?

TTX, one of the most powerful neurotoxins known, it is about 1200 times more toxic to humans than cyanide and it has no known antidote.

Which is worse neurotoxin or Hemotoxin?

Neurotoxins affect the nervous system, cytotoxins affect cells and hemotoxins effect blood and organs. The way each of these toxins interact with the body is biochemically unique. Neurotoxins are by far the deadliest of the toxins. Since they target and destroy nerves they can cause paralysis, seizures and death.

What would a neurotoxin do?

Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insults that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature nervous tissue. Neurotoxins inhibit neuron control over ion concentrations across the cell membrane, or communication between neurons across a synapse.

What neurotoxin means?

Neurotoxins are synthetic or naturally occurring substances that damage, destroy, or impair the functioning of the central and/or peripheral nervous system.

Is lead a neurotoxin?

Lead, a systemic toxicant affecting virtually every organ system, primarily affects the central nervous system, particularly the developing brain. Consequently, children are at a greater risk than adults of suffering from the neurotoxic effects of lead.

How does lead affect brain development?

Even when exposed to small amounts of lead levels, children may appear inattentive, hyperactive, and irritable. Children with greater lead levels may also have problems with learning and reading, delayed growth, and hearing loss. At high levels, lead can cause permanent brain damage and even death.

Why are kids more susceptible to toxins?

However, certain scientific data indicate that children are more susceptible to toxic exposure than adults because they have proportionally more intake of food contaminants, active developmental processes, multiple exposure pathways and susceptible socio-behavioral activities.

What is the most toxic thing in the world?

1. Botulinum toxin. Scientists differ about the relative toxicities of substances, but they seem to agree that botulinum toxin, produced by anaerobic bacteria, is the most toxic substance known.

What are the most toxic neurotoxins?

Mercury has been identified to be one of the most toxic neurotoxins because it destroys brain tissue. Fluoride (sodium fluoride): This substance is very commonly found in drinking water and conventional toothpaste. Fluoride was utilized to exterminate rats before it was introduced into consumer products.

What are neurotoxins and how do they affect the brain?

Research studies have demonstrated that neurotoxins can shorten the life span of nerve cells. In addition, these substances have been associated with the development of brain disorders, peripheral neuropathy as well as neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s Chorea and Parkinson’s disease.

What is the prognosis of exposure to neurotoxins?

Exposure to neurotoxins can be fatal in some cases, while in others, patients survive but may not completely recover. In other cases, patient do completely recover after receiving treatment.

What are the signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity?

Some of the symptoms of neurotoxicity include: 1 Paralysis or weakness in the limbs. 2 Altered sensation, tingling and numbness in the limbs. 3 Headache. 4 Vision loss. 5 Loss of memory and cognitive function. 6 Uncontrollable obsessive and/or compulsive behavior. 7 Behavioral problems. 8 Sexual dysfunction. 9 Depression. 10 Loss of circulation.