Neurologic
& Mental Health

Exposure-Oriented Connection

Uncovering Powerful Insights

Many neurologic and mental health patients don’t fit neatly into a single diagnosis. Brain fog, anxiety, headaches, behavioral shifts, and fatigue frequently co-occur — and conventional workups can come back unremarkable.[11,12] When symptoms fluctuate with environment, diet, or occupational exposures, environmental toxicant burden may be a missing piece of the clinical picture.[4,6,10]

The TOXDetect Profile is a urinary assessment of exposure to environmental toxicants. It measures 27 metabolites to provide insight into exposure to common chemicals including phthalates, bisphenols, volatile organic compounds, parabens, pesticides, glyphosate, and other environmental toxicants.

Explore the TOXDetect Profile

When to Consider TOXDetect Profile

What the TOXDetect Profile Measures

Related Conditions

How the TOXDetect Profile Supports Clinical Reasoning

How to Order the TOXDetect Profile

References

When Might Providers Consider the TOXDetect Profile

Neurologic & Mental Health – Exposure-Oriented Connection1

Brain fog, poor concentration, or memory lapsesespecially if fluctuating or linked to certain environments or exposures [11,12]

Tremor, coordination issues, or paresthesiaswhen occupational or household exposure is plausible [6,9,13]

Anxiety, low mood, irritability, or behavioral dysregulationwith or without a clear psychiatric driver [2,3,11]

Multisystem symptom clustersfatigue + cognition + mood — with no clear unifying diagnosis [10,11,12]

Headaches, light/odor sensitivity, or dizzinessworsened by fumes, renovations, or pest treatments [4,5,7]

Neurodevelopmental concernsattention, behavior, or learning — in children with known or suspected exposure history [1,2,7,8,14,15]

Analyte ClassEveryday Exposure SourcesNeurologic Relevance
Phthalates & BisphenolsPlastics, food packaging, personal care products [1,2,3]Neurodevelopment, mood, behavior [1,2,3]
ParabensPersonal care products, processed foods, medications [14,15,16]Neurodevelopment, cognition, behavior [14,15,16]
VOCs/SolventsCleaning products, renovation materials, traffic fumes [4,5]Cognition, headache, sensory symptoms [4,5]
Organophosphate & Pyrethroid PesticidesLawn care, agriculture, pest control [6,7,8]Cognition, neurodevelopment, motor function [6,7,8]
AcrylamideProcessed/high-heat foods [9]Motor and peripheral neurologic function [9]
PerchlorateDrinking water, some produce [10]Thyroid disruption – mood and cognition [10]

ConditionClinical Encapsulation
Neurodevelopmental Conditions (ADHD, autism, learning)Phthalates, bisphenols, parabens, and pesticides have been associated with attention, behavior, and learning outcomes in multiple cohort studies, making exposure assessment a relevant layer in neurodevelopmental workups. [1,2,7,8,11,12,14,15]
Cognitive Dysfunction (brain fog, executive function, memory)VOC/solvent exposure, organophosphates, acrylamide, and parabens have been linked to impaired cognition and executive function through mechanisms including cholinergic disruption, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. [4,5,6,9,12,14]
Depression / AnxietyBisphenols, phthalates, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been associated with internalizing symptoms and mood dysregulation, particularly through altered neurotransmission, hormonal signaling, and stress-response biology. [2,3,4,11]
Parkinson’s Disease / Parkinsonian PatternsOxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cholinergic pathway disruption from organophosphate and broader pesticide exposures have been discussed as contributors within an exposure-aware neurodegenerative clinical picture. [6,13]
Alzheimer’s Disease / Dementia-Related PatternsOrganophosphate exposure literature raises concern for neurodegeneration through oxidative stress and changes in nerves signaling related to memory and attention, supporting toxicant exposure assessment as a contextual consideration in cognitive decline workups. [6,13]
Fatigue / Neuroimmune OverlapFatigue is frequently reported within broader neurobehavioral and solvent-related symptom clusters, and perchlorate-related thyroid disruption may contribute to cognitive and mood-associated fatigue through downstream hormonal effects. [4,5,10]

Adds exposure context

When the standard workup is incomplete or inconclusive [11,12]

Supports hypothesis generation

About environmental contributors to symptom burden [4,6,11]

Identifies chemical classes

Linked to neurodevelopment, mood, cognition, and neurologic function in the scientific literature [1,2,6,9,14]

Guides clinical reasoning

Especially when symptoms cluster, fluctuate, or have a plausible environmental trigger [4,5,11,12]

How to Order

Neurologic & Mental Health – Exposure-Oriented Connection1

To order the TOXDetect Profile, register for a portal account. Specimen collection kits and requisition forms are available through your account portal. For clinical support or interpretation questions, contact our clinical education team.

Order the TOXDetect Profile

Explore Other Neurologic &
Mental Health Testing
Lenses:

Exposure-Oriented
Connection
Metabolic
Connection
Gut-Brain
Connection
Food-Related
Connection
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This webpage is intended for licensed healthcare professionals and is for informational and educational purposes only. TOXDetect Profile results are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All clinical interpretation should be made by a qualified healthcare provider in the context of the individual patient. Statements regarding associations between toxicant exposure and health conditions are based on published literature and do not constitute diagnostic claims. Not a substitute for clinical judgment.

References

  1. Radke EG, et al. Phthalate exposure and neurodevelopment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Int. 2020;137:105408.
  2. Ejaredar M, et al. Bisphenol A exposure and children’s behavior: A systematic review. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2017;27(2):175-183.
  3. Mustieles V, et al. Bisphenol A: Human exposure and neurobehavior. Neurotoxicology. 2015;49:174-184.
  4. Dick FD. Solvent neurotoxicity. Occup Environ Med. 2006;63(3):221-226.
  5. Werder EJ, et al. Environmental styrene exposure and neurologic symptoms. Environ Int. 2018;121(Pt 1):480-490.
  6. Sarailoo M, et al. Cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases due to organophosphorus insecticides. Neurotox Res. 2022;40(6):1913-1941.
  7. Pitzer EM, et al. Effects of pyrethroids on brain development and behavior. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2021;87:106983.
  8. Andersen HR, et al. Pyrethroids and developmental neurotoxicity. Environ Res. 2022;214(Pt 2):113935.
  9. Zhao M, et al. Mechanism of acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity. Front Nutr. 2022;9:859189.
  10. Leung AM, et al. Environmental perchlorate exposure: Potential adverse thyroid effects. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2014;21(5):372-376.
  11. James AA, O’Shaughnessy KL. Environmental chemical exposures and mental health outcomes in children. Front Toxicol. 2023;5:1290119.
  12. Bennett DH, et al. Environmental exposures to pesticides, phthalates, phenols and trace elements. Environ Int. 2022;161(Pt A):107075.
  13. Sánchez-Santed F, et al. Organophosphate pesticide exposure and neurodegeneration. Cortex. 2016;74:417-426.
  14. González-Palacios S, et al. Paraben exposure and cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children. Sci Total Environ. 2025. PMID: 40966804.
  15. Tsai YA, et al. Propylparaben exposure and attention performance in children: TBPS II birth cohort study. [Birth cohort, n=446]. PMID: 38749119.
  16. Dodson RE, et al. Endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products. Environ Health Perspect. 2012. PMC4426043.

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