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Bestseller
BestsellerE-book
Author Demeneix, Barbara, author.

Title Losing our minds : how environmental pollution impairs human intelligence and mental health / Barbara Demeneix.

Publication Info. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, USA, [2014]
©2014

Item Status

Description 1 online resource.
Physical Medium polychrome
Description text file
Series Oxford series in behavioral neuroendocrinology
Oxford series in behavioral neuroendocrinology.
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary "The global prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders is accelerating. Numbers of children affected by an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States have reached 1 in 88 -- 1 in 56 among boys -- and even more children have developed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). The burden of these disorders to individuals and society overall is enormous; ASD alone costs the United States a staggering $130 billion, with ADHD costs reaching similar heights. Genetic causes of these neurodevelopmental disorders cannot account for such radically increased rates of incidence. The causes must also implicate environmental chemicals, many of which have been shown to disrupt normal thyroid function. In this book, Barbara Demeneix makes the case that thyroid hormone signaling bridges the environment and gene programs needed for brain development--and that environmental chemicals that disrupt normal thyroid function pose significant risks to the inherited intelligence and mental health of future generations. The first chapter provides an historical overview of documented cases in which environmental pollution has caused IQ loss across populations. The following chapters explain the physiology of thyroid hormone action, the importance of iodine and selenium for thyroid hormone signaling and brain development, and why thyroid hormone is such a sensitive target for environmental pollution. The final chapters discuss the role of gene-environment interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders and address what can and must be done by individuals, associations, and decision-makers to staunch these epidemics"-- Provided by publisher.
"The exponential increases in neurodevelopmental disorders implicate environmental factors as well as genetic causes. Flame-retardants, pesticides, plasticizers, and other every-day products contain chemicals shown to affect thyroid hormone signaling, which, if disrupted, can result in significant impairment in IQ. Across entire populations, such effects spell large-scale social and economic consequences. Barbara Demeneix suggests what can and must be done to halt and reverse this disturbing trend"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents Cover; Losing Our Minds; Series; Copyright; Contents; Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; 1 Chemical Pollution and IQ Loss in Children: Learning From the Past; 2 Thyroid Hormone, Iodine, Selenium, and Mercury; 3 Thyroid Hormone and Brain Development: Bridging Environment to Gene Expression; 4 Thyroid Hormone Signaling as a Target of Multiple Pollutants; 5 Examples of Chemical Pollution Targeting Thyroid Hormone Action; 6 Mixtures and Low Doses: The Complexity of Risk Assessment.
7 Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Congenital Hypothyroidism: The Case for Gene × Environment Interactions8 What Can Be Done by Individuals, Associations, and Governments: Time to End the Pied Piper Scenario; Index.
Local Note eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America
Subject Mental illness -- Environmental aspects.
Mental illness -- Environmental aspects.
Mental illness.
Mental health -- Environmental aspects.
Mental health -- Environmental aspects.
Mental health.
Mental illness -- Case studies.
Genre/Form Case studies.
Electronic books.
Case studies.
Other Form: Print version: Demeneix, Barbara. Losing our minds 9780199917518 (DLC) 2014013286 (OCoLC)878224699
ISBN 9780199917525 (electronic book)
0199917523 (electronic book)
9780199917518
0199917515