Traumatic brain injury, paraquat exposure, and their relationship to Parkinson disease.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) increased risk of Parkinson disease (PD) in many but not all epidemiologic studies, giving rise to speculations about modifying factors. A recent animal study suggested that the combination of TBI with subthreshold paraquat exposure increases dopaminergic neurodegeneration. The objective of our study was to investigate PD risk due to both TBI and paraquat exposure in humans.

Methods

From 2001 to 2011, we enrolled 357 incident idiopathic PD cases and 754 population controls in central California. Study participants were asked to report all head injuries with loss of consciousness for >5 minutes. Paraquat exposure was assessed via a validated geographic information system (GIS) based on records of pesticide applications to agricultural c

SUBMITTER: Lee PC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3511918 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature