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Title: The Effect of Lead Exposure on Autism Development.

Authors: Goel, Aanya; Aschner, Michael

Published In Int J Mol Sci, (2021 Feb 06)

Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remains one of the most detrimental neurodevelopmental conditions in society today. Common symptoms include diminished social and communication ability. Investigations on autism etiology remain largely ambiguous. Previous studies have highlighted exposure to lead (Pb) may play a role in ASD. In addition, lead has been shown to be one of the most prevalent metal exposures associated with neurological deficits. A semi-systematic review was conducted using public databases in order to evaluate the extent of lead's role in the etiology of autism. This review examines the relationship between autistic comorbid symptoms-such as deterioration in intelligence scores, memory, language ability, and social interaction-and lead exposure. Specifically, the mechanisms of action of lead exposure, including changes within the cholinergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic systems, are discussed. The goal of this review is to help illustrate the connections between lead's mechanistic interference and the possible furthering of the comorbidities of ASD. Considerations of the current data and trends suggest a potential strong role for lead in ASD.

PubMed ID: 33561959 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Autistic Disorder/chemically induced*; Autistic Disorder/etiology; Autistic Disorder/pathology*; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects*; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Intelligence/drug effects; Language Development; Lead Poisoning, Nervous System/pathology*; Lead/toxicity*; Memory/drug effects; Social Interaction/drug effects

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