IMR Press / JIN / Volume 22 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2206137
Open Access Review
Mold and Mycotoxin Exposure and Brain Disorders
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1 Torbat Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences, 9571786917 Torbat Jam, Iran
2 Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 1419733141 Tehran, Iran
3 Environmental Sciences at Certified Site Safety of New York, LLC, and International Institute of Environmental and Medical Studies, White Plains, NY 10603, USA
*Correspondence: Ehsanifar@gmail.com (Mojtaba Ehsanifar)
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2023, 22(6), 137; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2206137
Submitted: 9 May 2023 | Revised: 7 June 2023 | Accepted: 10 June 2023 | Published: 17 October 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Gene-environment interaction is an emerging hypothesis to explain the increased incidence of neurological disorders. In this context, the health and clinical effects of exposure to air pollutants have received increasing attention. One of these pollutants is the growth of fungi and molds in the form of multicellular filaments, known as hyphae. Fungi and molds not only grow in outdoor environments, but they also thrive indoors with excessive moisture, producing mycotoxins. Mold enters the body through the nose via the olfactory neurons, which directly communicate with the brain. Mycotoxins induce toxicological effects similar to those associated with brain disorders such as oxidative stress and inflammation. One mold species can produce several different mycotoxins, and one mycotoxin can be produced by several different molds. Even a small amount of mold growth in the air conditioners and their ducts or the panels inside the buildings and even the cars cause the occupants to be chronically exposed to and constantly inhaling spores and mycotoxins, which causes illness. In this review, we focused on mold and mycotoxin exposure and brain disorders.

Keywords
molds
outdoor/indoor environments
mycotoxins
brain disorders
cognitive impairment
Funding
Dr. Ehsanifar Research Lab
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