Using Systematic Evidence Mapping to Explore Lead Exposure and Antisocial Behavior Outcomes in Toxicology Studies
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Lead remains an important environmental toxicant worldwide, with many ongoing remediation and cleanup activities. Because of the public health implications of Pb exposures, many human and animal studies have been conducted to assess the potential for Pb exposures to result in adverse health effects. Lead is known to be toxic, impacting neurological development even at low exposure levels, with emerging research specifically exploring lead’s impact on aggression and antisocial behavior. We used systematic review methods to explore the potential associations between lead exposure and antisocial behavior.
Systematic review methods were used to identify and evaluate available human epidemiology and mammalian toxicology evidence that would inform the relationship between lead exposure and antisocial behavior. A Population, Exposures, Comparators, and Outcomes (PECO) statement was used to facilitate subsequent screening and tagging to organize literature into a systematic evidence map of Pb effects on aggression and antisocial behavior. For each PECO relevant study, study design details and health effects examined were summarized in excel literature inventories. Prioritized studies also underwent study evaluation and abridged extraction of health endpoint data. This presentation will focus on the animal toxicology results.
A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases yielded 2,530 unique records. We used natural language processing and machine learning methods to prioritize 1361 studies for title and abstract screening, and 510 studies were identified as meeting the PECO criteria at title-abstract screening. After full text screening, 122 studies were included. Refined PECO criteria were applied to further scope the review, resulting in 36 animal toxicology studies that underwent study evaluation and subsequent evidence analysis. Studies were organized by health effect category, exposure condition, and species. Relevant study details (e.g., Pb form measured/administered, endpoints assessed, exposure duration, species) were extracted into literature inventories to assess database characteristics, potential trends, and issues that would benefit from further research. The evidence mapping illustrated significant diversity in exposure contexts and endpoints examined across the database.