Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε4 gene variant is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease, but is not entirely predictive. Emerging evidence suggests environmental factors contribute to disease etiology, with epidemiological studies associating pesticide exposure with lower cognitive scores. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide used extensively in the US until 1972, persists in trace amounts due to its long half-life, bioaccumulation, and existing dumpsites.

Relationship of Blood and Urinary Manganese Levels with Cognitive Function in Elderly Individuals in the United States by Race/Ethnicity, NHANES 2011-2014.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential metal with a biphasic relationship with health outcomes. High-level exposure to Mn is associated with manganism, but few data explore the effects of chronic, lower-level Mn on cognitive function in adults. We sought to determine the relationship between blood/urinary manganese levels and cognitive function in elderly individuals using 2011-2014 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).