Corbo Daniele, Gasparotti Roberto, Renzetti Stefano
Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
Neuroradiology Unit, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
Brain Sci. 2025 Jun 25;15(7):679. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15070679.
Environmental and occupational exposure to toxic metals poses a significant risk to neurological health, particularly affecting motor-related brain structures. Essential metals like manganese, copper, and iron become neurotoxic when homeostasis is disrupted, while non-essential metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium are inherently toxic, even at low exposure levels. We aimed to investigate the state of the art on neuroimaging evidence of the effects of exposure to toxic metals on motor related brain structures and functions.
PRISMA guidelines were followed. We included studies that reported neuroimaging studies exploring the link between metal exposure and neural changes in motor areas.
We identified 518 papers, but only 20 articles were included. Our findings indicate that manganese is the most extensively studied metal in relation to the motor system using neuroimaging, but studies have also investigated the effects of other metals, including lead, mercury, and copper. Across these studies, the brain regions most consistently affected by metal exposure include the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, frontal cortex, and cerebellum. Some studies exhibit structural or functional reductions in these areas that correlate with increased levels of metal exposure, suggesting a dose-dependent neurotoxic effect.
This review synthesizes current neuroimaging evidence on metal-induced neurotoxicity, emphasizing its impact on motor function and highlighting critical gaps to guide future research and public health strategies.
环境和职业性接触有毒金属对神经系统健康构成重大风险，尤其会影响与运动相关的脑结构。当体内平衡被破坏时，锰、铜和铁等必需金属会产生神经毒性，而铅、汞和镉等非必需金属即使在低暴露水平下也具有固有毒性。我们旨在研究有关有毒金属暴露对与运动相关的脑结构和功能影响的神经影像学证据的现状。
遵循PRISMA指南。我们纳入了报告探索金属暴露与运动区域神经变化之间联系的神经影像学研究。
我们识别出518篇论文，但仅纳入了20篇文章。我们的研究结果表明，就使用神经影像学研究运动系统而言，锰是研究最广泛的金属，但研究也调查了其他金属的影响，包括铅、汞和铜。在这些研究中，受金属暴露影响最一致的脑区包括苍白球、尾状核、额叶皮质和小脑。一些研究显示这些区域的结构或功能减退与金属暴露水平升高相关，表明存在剂量依赖性神经毒性作用。
本综述综合了当前关于金属诱导神经毒性的神经影像学证据，强调其对运动功能的影响，并突出关键差距以指导未来研究和公共卫生策略。
