5 September 2008 — A new study links chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) to inability to form brain synapses. A new Canadian-US study found that BPA, the controversial chemical found in plastic bottles made of polycarbonate, may prevent the brain from building vital connections between neurons. This effect is in addition to imbalances to the reproductive system that this chemical is suspected of causing.
This study is the first to demonstrate an adverse effect of BPA on the brain in a nonhuman primate model and further amplifies concerns about the widespread use of BPA in medical equipment, and in food preparation and storage. Bisphenol A prevents the synaptogenic response to estradiol in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of ovariectomized nonhuman primates.