[From Silent Spring to neuronal silence : pesticides and neurodegenerative diseases]

Over sixty years ago, Silent Spring, the groundbreaking book by biologist Rachel Carson, raised global awareness of the dangers of uncontrolled pesticide use and contributed to the ban on the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in the USA. Many years later, it is clear that most of the issues raised in this book remain highly relevant. Today, almost our entire environment is contaminated, sometimes permanently, by pesticides. Yet the chronic toxicity of these substances is still poorly understood. In recent years, a growing body of data seems to link environmental exposure to pesticides with the risk of developing chronic neurological disorders, particularly neurodegenerative diseases. This article will attempt to present a clear and concise review of the literature on the subject, focusing on the most studied conditions, namely Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.