ABSTRACT
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an enigmatic condition in which individuals purport to experience symptoms with exposure to extremely low level inhalation, absorption, or ingestion of various ubiquitous chemicals. This chapter provides information regarding the prevalence of MCS, an empirical review of proposed theories for MCS, a description of neuropsychological findings in MCS, approaches to the neuropsychological assessment of MCS, and to integrate the literature with a case that illuminates some of the challenges with this perplexing syndrome. It discusses the features of MCS and the literature supporting and refuting various theories to explain the syndrome. Numerous court cases also exist in which testimony related to MCS as a medically established condition has been excluded due to a lack of scientific rigor in the supporting materials. Critics of studies demonstrating psychological contributions to MCS identify a series of limitations that include sample bias, sweeping inferences based on little or no data.
