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Cognitive Impairment Associated with Exposure to Toxigenic Fungi
Wayne A. Gordon, Ph.D., Eckardt Johanning, M.D.,M.Sc. Lisa Haddad, B.A. Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Eckardt Johanning, M.D., Adjunct Instructor, Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Lisa Haddad, B.A., Research Assistant, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Research performed at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Correspondence: Wayne A Gordon Ph.D., Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

The objective of the study was to examine whether cognitive impairment was associated with exposure to Stachybotrys atra. 20 individuals were examined using a standard neuropsychological battery and a symptom checklist. Results indicate that all individuals seen meet at least 1 of the criteria for a cognitive impairment, with 13 of the 20 (65%) meeting at least 3 of the criteria for cognitive impairment. Preliminary findings suggest that exposure to toxigenic molds are associated with cognitive impairment, specifically deficits in verbal memory, verbal learning, attention/concentration and set shifting. In addition to these cognitive deficits, the sample reported a high number of cognitive, physical and behavioral symptoms. Validation on a larger sample of individuals is indicated.