Cognitive Impairment

A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports analyzed data from more than 10,000 older adults and found that people living in homes with musty odors, commonly used as a marker of hidden mold contamination, had about a 40 percent higher risk of cognitive impairment. The association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle factors, and housing conditions.5a:{"type":"p","text":"$5b"} 5d:T504,Beyond observational evidence, emerging experimental research suggests biological mechanisms linking fungal exposure to brain health. A separate 2025 study reported that certain environmental fungal toxins can cross the blood-brain barrier, enter the central nervous system, and trigger neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. These processes are known contributors to cognitive decline and are also implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting a plausible pathway by which long-term fungal exposure could elevate neurodegenerative risk.

Autism

Beyond their association with cognitive decline in older adults, mycotoxins have also been observed to affect the nervous system in children. Studies have reported significantly higher levels of ochratoxin A—a potent mycotoxin found in contaminated cereals, coffee, and dried fruits—in the urine and serum of children with autism compared with healthy controls, suggesting a potential association between mycotoxin exposure and abnormal neurodevelopment.5c:{"type":"p","text":"$5d"} 5e:{"type":"p","text":"Ochratoxin A is known

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