Neurodegenerative Diseases in Northeast North Carolina: A Literature Informed Framework

Neurodegenerative disease is a comprehensive term for classifying several disorders that affect neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Examples include Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and Alzheimer’s disease. Neurodegenerative diseases are noteworthy because of their profound effect on quality of life (e.g., memory loss, muscle atrophy, impaired balance, paralysis) and mortality. Although multiple environmental risk factors contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, this presentation will provide a literature informed framework for understanding the relationship between lead exposure and a “hotspot” of neurodegenerative diseases in Northeast North Carolina. Evidence will demonstrate that lead found in multiple sources (e.g., aging housing stock and military occupations) could provide an explanation for higher than typical rates of these disorders in this region. Given that lead exposure can go undetected for years, tracking environmental risk factors are crucial for keeping communities healthier as they age.