ABSTRACT
Moderate-to-high doses of chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNA) can be fatal; however, exposure to lower doses can generate long-lasting deleterious effects on physical and psychological health among survivors. CWNAs are highly toxic organophosphorus (OP) compounds that are chemically related to some insecticides. Several excellent references provide discussion of the history, chemistry, physiochemical properties, pharmacology, and toxicology of CWNAs, the pertinent details of which are briefly summarized. Toxicologists often differentiate chemical exposure levels based on the dose and the duration of exposure. Genovese and colleagues examined potential long-term behavioral effects in nonhuman primates and rodents following acute exposure to several CWNAs. Animal studies exploring the behavioral sequelae of OP pesticide exposure are important for supporting the human exposure literature. Supporting literature using animals clearly demonstrates that doses of CWNAs high enough to cause severe symptoms such as seizures induce long-term neurological and behavioral sequelae.
