ArticleEnvironmental research2014
Organochlorine chemicals and neurodegeneration among elderly subjects in Costa Rica.
Article in Environmental research, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mixture of organic pollutants is associated with cognitive aging.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Trial
- Relationship between endocrine disruptors and neurodegenerative diseases: Systematic review and meta-analysis.iScience · 2025Article
- Endocrine-disrupting pesticide exposure relevant to reproductive health: a case study from Costa Rica.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2025Review
- Interpretable machine learning for cognitive impairment prediction in Parkinson's disease: a multicenter validation study with SHAP analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Effect of pesticides on phosphorylation of tau protein, and its influence on Alzheimer's disease.World journal of clinical cases · 2023Review
- Mixture Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Three Organochlorine Pesticides on Cognitive Function in Mohawk Adults at Akwesasne.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Health Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Latin American and the Caribbean Populations: A Scoping Review.Environmental health perspectives · 2022Article
- Differential Bioaccumulation Patterns of α, β-Hexachlorobenzene and Dicofol in Adipose Tissue from the GraMo Cohort (Southern Spain).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Exposure to organophosphate insecticides, inappropriate personal protective equipment use, and cognitive performance among pesticide applicators.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Glutathione S-transferase activity and genetic polymorphisms associated with exposure to organochloride pesticides in Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico: a preliminary study.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2020Article
- Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline in an older population: a prospective analysis from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2019Article
- Association between Organochlorine Pesticide Levels in Breast Milk and Their Effects on Female Reproduction in a Taiwanese Population.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Article
- Organochlorine pesticides, their toxic effects on living organisms and their fate in the environment.Interdisciplinary toxicology · 2016Review
- Environmental Exposures and Parkinson's Disease.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2016Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWe previously screened 400 elderly Costa Ricans for neurodegenerative disease. Those reporting occupational pesticide exposure (18%) had an increased Parkinson׳s disease (PD) risk (OR 2.57, 95% CI 0.91-7.26), and worse cognition (Mini-Mental States Exam (MMSE) 24.5 versus 25.9 points, p=0.01). We subsequently measured long-lasting organochlorine pesticides (β-HCH, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin) in a sub-sample (n=89). Dieldrin and β-HCH have been linked to PD, and DDE to Alzheimer׳s disease.
methodsWe ran regression models for MMSE and tremor-at-rest to assess associations with pesticides in 89 subjects.
resultsThe percent of β-HCH, DDE, DDT (parent compound for DDE), and dieldrin above their limit of detection (LOD) were 100%, 93%, 75%, and 57%, respectively. Tremor-at-rest was found in 21 subjects, and the mean MMSE was 25. Those who reported occupational pesticide exposure (n=36) had more detectable dieldrin samples (p=0.005), and higher mean levels of dieldrin (p=0.01), than those not reporting exposure. Other pesticides did not differ between those with and without self-reported occupational exposure. There was a positive but non-significant trend of higher risk for tremor-at-rest with higher dieldrin (p=0.10 for linear trend). Neither DDE nor DDT showed a relationship with MMSE. However, after excluding two outliers with the lowest MMSE scores, higher DDT levels showed some modest association with lower MMSE (p=0.09 for linear trend).
conclusionsOur data are limited by small sample size. However, dieldrin was high in our population, has been previously linked to PD, and could be partly responsible for the excess PD risk seen in our population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.