Mercury can affect previously healthy individuals who ingest the muscles of sea- and fresh water fish that harbor toxic amounts of mercury, and others exposed to toxic dust and fumes at work sites tainted by old paint.
Autism is a prototypic pervasive childhood developmental disorder. It is usually apparent by age 3 year and characterized by the triad: limited or absent verbal communication, social interaction or responsiveness, and restricted, stereotypic, or ritualized patterns of interests and behavior. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broader term that encompasses several less severe disorders.
The view of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has changed drastically over the past decade. Originally considered a pure motor neuron disorder (MND), ALS is now viewed as a heterogeneous disorder with regard to site of onset, rate of progression, etiologic cause and pathogenesis. Survival in ALS has significantly improved due to multidisciplinary care, in large part, with earlier recognition and treatment.
Mold exposures can be neurotoxic and immunogenic leading to a variety of consequences to the body, in particular the nervous system. The route of mold exposure occurs through one of several ways: through ingestion, inhalation or direct contact with mycotoxins.
The relationship between microbial infection and development of arthritis has been recognized for several decades in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA). The latter is significantly higher in Caucasian individuals with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B27 gene.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prototypical chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by plaques of inflammation, demyelination, and gliosis disseminated in time (DIT) and space (DIS). The signs and symptoms depend on the location of the lesions within the brain and spinal cord.