Exposure to Agent Orange damages brain tissue in ways similar to Alzheimer's disease

Agent Orange, an herbicide used during the Vietnam War, is a known toxin with wide-ranging health effects. Even though Agent Orange has not been used for decades, there is increasing interest in its effects on the brain health of aging veterans. A new study reveals the mechanisms by which Agent Orange affects the brain and how those processes can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. The research shows that exposures to Agent Orange herbicidal chemicals damage frontal lobe brain tissue of laboratory rats with molecular and biochemical abnormalities that are similar to those found in early-stage Alzheimer's disease.