This volume addresses some facets of the adverse actions of chemical agents on the central and peripheral nervous systems in developing and mature states. Some of the effects of these chemicals are short-lasting and rapidly reversible; others, especially those that cause structural damage to the nervous system, may result in permanent damage to the organism. The nervous system has several levels of vulnerability to toxic substances. Some substances perturb ion channels or synaptic mechanisms required for the orderly transfer of electrochemical information within the nervous system. Others disrupt sites required for the maintenance of cellular integrity, and these variably result in degenerative responses of neurons and myelinating cells. Further sites of vulnerability include the delicate neural vasculature and neurohumeral mechanisms responsible for physiological homeostasis. The science of neurotoxicology inevitably is a multidisciplinary endeavor, with contributions from biochemistry, physiology, morphology and behavior, to name a few. The challenge is to apply appropriate techniques to investigate neurotoxic phenomena. The first logical step in this analysis is to determine from the point of view of the nervous system the nature of the exposure. Is the chemical a single or multiple entity; is it metabolized; how does it gain access to neural tissue? Once these factors are understood, changes induced by the exposure can be described at various levels from the biochemical to the behavioral.

Inhalt

Neurotoxic Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Toxic Agents.- The Nervous System as a Target for Toxic Agents.- Towards the Molecular Basis of Toxic Neuropathies.- Biochemical Contributions to Neurotoxicology.- Metabolic Activation of Neurotoxicants.- Membrane Effects of Neurotoxic Chemicals.- Mode of Action of Pyrethroid Insecticides.- Excitotoxins and Animal "Models" of Human Disease.- Retinotoxic Agents and Its Pathogenesis.- Neurotoxic Agents in the Human Environment.- Analysis of Neurotoxic Disease: The Acrylamide Experience.- Neurotoxic Effects of Metals and their Interactions.- Organophosphorus Compounds.- The Delayed Polyneuropathy Caused by Some Organophosphorus Esters.- Central Nervous System Effects of Lead: a Study Model in Neurotoxicology.- Experimental Models and Assessment of Neurotoxic Mechanisms.- Criteria and Strategies for Neurobehavioral Assessment.- The Role of Neurochemistry in Behavioural Teratology and Toxicology.- Receptor Binding Techniques in Neurotoxicology.- The Use of Neurotransmitter Indices and the Deoxyglucose Technique to Assess Neurotoxic Effects.- Recent Electrophysiological Techniques in Experimental Neurotoxicology.