Certain household chemicals could pose a threat to brain health, research suggests

Two classes of household chemicals have been found to impair the development of glial cells located in the central nervous system.

The researchers, who are based in the Tesar Lab at Case Western University in Ohio, US, say these effects could have relevance in the context of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, but that additional studies are needed to evaluate the effects of these compounds in more detail.

The researchers set out to investigate the environmental hazards that might disrupt the development and function of a type of myelinating glial cells called oligodendrocytes. Oligodendrocytes generate myelin to facilitate efficient neuronal transmission and provide support to neurons.