Cognitive performance and cerebrohemodynamics associated with the Persian Gulf Syndrome

Abstract

The Persian Gulf Syndrome generally manifests as a set of nonspecific complaints with emphasis on central nervous system impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine if cognitive performance and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCABFV) were altered in symptomatic Gulf War veterans (sGWVs) and asymptomatic Gulf War veterans (aGWVs) by exposure to low levels of acetone. MCABFV was assessed in male aGWVs (n = 8) and sGWVs (n = 8) during cognitive challenges while breathing 1) clean air, 2) a clean air placebo, and 3) a mixture of air and 40 parts per million (ppm) acetone. Pulmonary function was also evaluated. Pulmonary function tests showed no statistical differences between aGWVs and sGWVs while breathing clean air or 40 ppm acetone in air. Cognitive performance was similar during the clean air, placebo, and acetone test conditions for sGWVs and aGWVs. Data pooled across test conditions for each group indicated a statistically significant (P < 0.05) poorer performance primarily in memory and executive function tasks by sGWVs. sGWVs had a 34.2% higher baseline MCABFV than aGWVs (P < 0.05). Increases in MCABFV for aGWVs (averaged over all cognitive tasks for each test condition) ranged between 7.8% and 8.8%, and were not statistically significant. Increases for sGWVs ranged between 0.3% and 4.8%, averaged over all cognitive tasks for each test condition. No significant differences were noted between the clean air and placebo test conditions but both were significantly different to the acetone condition. Differences in MCABFV increases for each of the test conditions between aGWVs and sGWVs were also statistically significant. sGWV did not appear to demonstrate pulmonary dysfunction following exposure to acetone. They did, however, appear to have generally lower cognitive function as compared to aGWVs. sGWVs appeared to have a significant degree of autoregulatory disruption in cerebral perfusion, resulting in reduced cognitive reserve capacity and potentially impaired ability to handle complex cognitive tasks.

Translational potential of long-term decreases in mitochondrial lipids in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness

“…Cognitive deficits are among the most common complaints in veterans with GWI with affected veterans performing poorly on neuropsychological tests in tasks relating to executive functioning and memory compared to controls (Sullivan et al, 2003;Anger et al, 1999;Sillanpaa et al, 1997;Binder et al, 1999;Bunegin et al, 2001;Lange et al, 2001;Storzbach et al, 2000). Using a GWI mouse model, we demonstrate that cognitive deficits are present at 16-months post-exposure in mice exposed to GW agents at an early age.…”

Impaired response inhibition in ill Gulf War veterans

“…The lack of effective inhibition as demonstrated in both behavioral performance and in electrophysiological responses may be able to account for multiple other symptomatic complaints. For example, a lack of effective inhibition can represent a plausible etiology for the deficits in executive function [3,8,14,15,58,59], attention [8,[59][60][61][62], and abstraction/problem solving [60,63]. Because it can account for such a wide array of symptoms, impairment in inhibition is compatible with the variety of complaints reported by GW veterans, although they may not specifically report 'a lack of inhibition.'…”

Recent research on Gulf War illness and other health problems in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War: Effects of toxicant exposures during deployment

“…Several investigations published prior to 2009 concluded that visuospatial and motor skills were poorer and greater dysphoria was evident in deployed veterans with GWI compared to healthy GW veterans ( Anger et al, 1999 ; Axelrod & Milner, 1997 ; Binder et al, 1999 ; Bunegin, Mitzel, Miller, Gelineau, & Tolstykh, 2001 ; Lange, Van Niekerk, & Meyer, 2001 ; Storzbach et al, 2000 ; Storzbach, Rohlman, Anger, Binder, & Campbell, 2001 ; Sullivan et al, 2003 ). A subgroup of GW veterans who were markedly slower on psychomotor tasks was identified in one study, suggesting that there may be subgroups within the GWI population who are markedly impaired ( Anger et al, 1999 ; Storzbach et al, 2001 ).…”