TY - JOUR
T1 - Guam ALS/parkinsonism-dementia
T2 - A long-latency neurotoxic disorder caused by 'slow toxin(s)' in food?
AU - Spencer, P. S.
PY - 1987
Y1 - 1987
N2 - Parkinsonism (P) with progressive dementia (D) of the Alzheimer type is recognized as a clinical variant of a form of amyotrophic lageral sclerosis (ALS) that has occurred in high incidence among the Chamorro people of the islands of Guam and Rota in the Marianas chain of Micronesia. The declining annual incidence, upward shifting of the age of onset, narrowing of the sex ratio, and occurrence of the disease among non-Chamorros, point to a disappearing environmental causation peculiar to the traditional culture of these islands. Evidence is presented in support of the proposal that heavy use of certain toxic plants, notably cycads, a traditional source of food and medicine for the Chamorro people, plays an important etiological role. Clinical and epidemiological approaches are offered to test for a relationship between ALS/P-D and long-latency plant toxicity.
AB - Parkinsonism (P) with progressive dementia (D) of the Alzheimer type is recognized as a clinical variant of a form of amyotrophic lageral sclerosis (ALS) that has occurred in high incidence among the Chamorro people of the islands of Guam and Rota in the Marianas chain of Micronesia. The declining annual incidence, upward shifting of the age of onset, narrowing of the sex ratio, and occurrence of the disease among non-Chamorros, point to a disappearing environmental causation peculiar to the traditional culture of these islands. Evidence is presented in support of the proposal that heavy use of certain toxic plants, notably cycads, a traditional source of food and medicine for the Chamorro people, plays an important etiological role. Clinical and epidemiological approaches are offered to test for a relationship between ALS/P-D and long-latency plant toxicity.
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U2 - 10.1017/s0317167100037732
DO - 10.1017/s0317167100037732
M3 - Review article
C2 - 3315142
AN - SCOPUS:0023253372
SN - 0317-1671
VL - 14
SP - 347
EP - 357
JO - Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences
JF - Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences
IS - 3 SUPPL.
ER -