A Pilot Study to Examine Psychological and Neuropsychological Outcomes and a Novel Detoxification Program for Gulf War Illness

Abstract

Introduction: Exposures to environmental toxins have been associated with severe health problems for approximately one-quarter of the nearly 700,000 U.S. soldiers who served in the Gulf War between the years 1990 and 1991. Gulf War illness still affects about 30% of Gulf War veterans (GWV), causing reduced psychological wellness and neuropsychological function.

Method and materials: This pilot study used a randomized wait-list control design to explore the feasibility and efficacy of a novel detoxification method for GWV exposed to toxicants such as pesticides, nerve gases, and pyridostigmine bromide. Our study included 32 GWV (67% male), with a mean age of 51 (range: 43-70, SD = 6.97), who participated in a 4- to 5-week treatment that was hypothesized to reduce the reported psychological and neuropsychological symptoms. Psychological measures used included tests given for the evaluation of neurocognitive function, including motor function for a dominant hand with the grooved pegboard test; verbal and visual immediate and delayed memory with the Wechsler Memory Scale III abbreviated subtests; executive function domains of attention, speed, and mental flexibility with trail making test parts A and B and Stroop color and word test. Psychological status was measured using the nine subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised.

Results: Primary outcomes included between-group differences in self-reported psychological measures and a neuropsychological battery at 7-day and 3-month assessments. Baseline comparison revealed improvements in 16 of 19 psychological and neuropsychological measures at 7-day assessment and that 13 remained stable at 3-month assessment.

Conclusions: We conclude that the detoxification procedure provided improvement in psychological and cognitive function for GWV and that future study is warranted.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01672710.