Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kraft, AD; Aschner, M; Cory-Slechta, DA; Bilbo, SD; Caudle, WM; Makris, SL
Published in: Neurotoxicology and teratology
May 2016

Silent neurotoxicity, a term introduced approximately 25years ago, is defined as a persistent change to the nervous system that does not manifest as overt evidence of toxicity (i.e. it remains clinically unapparent) unless unmasked by experimental or natural processes. Silent neurotoxicants can be challenging for risk assessors, as the multifactorial experiments needed to reveal their effects are seldom conducted, and they are not addressed by current study design guidelines. This topic was the focus of a symposium addressing the interpretation and use of silent neurotoxicity data in human health risk assessments of environmental toxicants at the annual meeting of the Developmental Neurotoxicology Society (previously the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society) on June 30th, 2014. Several factors important to the design and interpretation of studies assessing the potential for silent neurotoxicity were discussed by the panelists and audience members. Silent neurotoxicity was demonstrated to be highly specific to the characteristics of the animals being examined, the unmasking agent tested, and the behavioral endpoint(s) evaluated. Overall, the experimental examples presented highlighted a need to consider common adverse outcomes and common biological targets for chemical and non-chemical stressors, particularly when the exposure and stressors are known to co-occur. Risk assessors could improve the evaluation of silent neurotoxicants in assessments through specific steps from researchers, including experiments to reveal the molecular targets and mechanisms that may result in specific types of silent neurotoxicity, and experiments with complex challenges reminiscent of the human situation.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Neurotoxicology and teratology

DOI

EISSN

1872-9738

ISSN

0892-0362

Publication Date

May 2016

Volume

55

Start / End Page

38 / 44

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Risk Assessment
  • Nervous System
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Female
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Disease Models, Animal
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Kraft, A. D., Aschner, M., Cory-Slechta, D. A., Bilbo, S. D., Caudle, W. M., & Makris, S. L. (2016). Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 55, 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2016.03.005
Kraft, Andrew D., Michael Aschner, Deborah A. Cory-Slechta, Staci D. Bilbo, W Michael Caudle, and Susan L. Makris. “Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants.Neurotoxicology and Teratology 55 (May 2016): 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2016.03.005.
Kraft AD, Aschner M, Cory-Slechta DA, Bilbo SD, Caudle WM, Makris SL. Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants. Neurotoxicology and teratology. 2016 May;55:38–44.
Kraft, Andrew D., et al. “Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants.Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 55, May 2016, pp. 38–44. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2016.03.005.
Kraft AD, Aschner M, Cory-Slechta DA, Bilbo SD, Caudle WM, Makris SL. Unmasking silent neurotoxicity following developmental exposure to environmental toxicants. Neurotoxicology and teratology. 2016 May;55:38–44.
Journal cover image

Published In

Neurotoxicology and teratology

DOI

EISSN

1872-9738

ISSN

0892-0362

Publication Date

May 2016

Volume

55

Start / End Page

38 / 44

Related Subject Headings

  • Toxicology
  • Risk Assessment
  • Nervous System
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Female
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Disease Models, Animal