Chemical Brain Injury * by Kaye H. Kilburn, MD, is a deeply disturbing book. It was recommended by Professor Nicholas Ashford of Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the November 1999 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Conference, reported in NOHA NEWS, Winter 2000. The book covers the work of many years. 

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. . . we all become impaired by the ubiquitous toxic chemical exposures that float through the air and contaminate our water, our food, and the earth.

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Dr. Kilburn has done numerous statistical studies of variously exposed people, many of whom took part in legal action. He had large samples and lots of statistical measurements of brain function. His tests were not only the usual psychological ones but also included exceedingly precise and objective tests of balance, reaction times, vision field tests, and hearing. He chose control groups without particular exposures and got many statistically significant observed differences, meaning that there was a low probability of the differences appearing by chance. Often in his studies the observed test differences between the exposed and the unexposed were so great and the variability within each group was so small that the probability of the test differences appearing by chance was exceedingly low.

Interestingly, many of the "control" groups were significantly impaired compared to four groups that seemed least exposed. Scary! We begin to realize that we all become impaired by the ubiquitous toxic chemical exposures that float through the air and contaminate our water, our food, and the earth.

Dr. Kilburn has often been an "expert witness." His credentials are impeccable and could not be challenged in court. In many of the legal cases where he found significant differences, the exposed people got settlements from the huge corporations. However, these results do NOT satisfy Dr. Kilburn because he really wants the public to know of the practically ubiquitous brain damage that we are suffering. Often the injury appears just like accelerated aging. Most certainly, we don’t need a senile population to face up to all our problems.

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His tests were not only the usual psychological ones but also included exceedingly precise and objective tests of balance, reaction times, vision field tests, and hearing.

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Dr. Kilburn has great quotes in his concluding chapters. For example:

"The use of pesticides in and about the home absolutely must stop. People must make peace with their insect coinhabitants of the earth and realize that the insects have natural predators. . . . A corollary is to demand organic produce from the grocer."

*Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York 1998

Article from NOHA NEWS, Vol. XXV, No. 2, Spring 2000, page 5.