A Forensic Approach to Behavioral Neurotoxicology

Neurobehavioral Toxicology, Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology

The field of neurobehavioral toxicology is the branch of toxicology dedicated to understanding the adverse effects of chemical and biological agents on the nervous system. Paracelsus, the Swiss German philosopher, physician credited as the founder of toxicology once said, “Poison is in everything, and there is no thing that is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy.” Unfortunately many chemicals intended to improve the quality of our lives also have the potential to cause acute and permanent changes in our behavior. This article reviews these behavioral manifestations in terms of the acute and persistent chemical induced changes in brain function and how behavioral testing is used in conjunction with clinical neurological, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging studies to make the differential diagnosis of toxic encephalopathy, toxic neuropathy and neurotoxicant-induced parkinsonism.