Sarin Tied to Gulf War Syndrome

By: fedweek

A study led by Roberta F. White of the Boston University School of Public Health has found evidence that a low-level exposure to sarin nerve gas could be the cause of the Gulf War Syndrome. As many as 100,000 or more American troops in the Persian Gulf war of 1991 could have incurred lasting brain deficits because of the exposure.. Doctor White’s study is the first to use Defense Department data along with magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of troops who were in the exposure zone. Her preliminary results, scheduled for publication in the June issue of NeuroToxicology, disclosed apparent changes in the brain’s connective tissue that were greater as the amount of exposure had increased. The study was financed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention