Endocrine disrupting chemicals are a newly defined category of environmenta
l contaminants that may affect animal and human populations by interfering
with normal hormone action. There is substantial concern that these agents
could have a range of subtle and long-lasting effects. Because of the sensi
tivity of the developing central nervous system to low levels of endogenous
gonadal hormones during development, the central nervous system may be a t
arget for the action of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Curr Opin Neurol 12
:745-751. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.