Environmental and occupational toxic exposures rarely leave a single, unmistakable mark on the brain. Instead, they quietly, cumulatively, and often invisibly alter cognition, emotion, and behavior. Neuropsychology of Toxic Exposure brings clarity to this complex terrain, offering a comprehensive framework for understanding how toxic agents disrupt brain–behavior relationships across the lifespan and how those effects can be assessed, treated, and prevented.

Bridging neurotoxicology, neuroscience, and clinical neuropsychology, this volume translates biological injury into functional meaning. It examines how metals, pesticides, solvents, gases, biological toxins, and extreme exposures affect attention, memory, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. The emphasis is on subtle neurocognitive change, longitudinal assessment, and the integration of neuropsychological data with neuroimaging, biomarkers, and exposure history.

Written for clinicians, researchers, and policy professionals, the book goes beyond mechanisms of injury to address rehabilitation, recovery, forensic evaluation, and public health implications. Case examples illustrate diagnostic challenges and differential considerations, and later chapters explore lifespan vulnerability, environmental justice, and the role of neuropsychology in litigation and policy development.

At its core, Neuropsychology of Toxic Exposure argues that brain health is a shared responsibility—one that requires scientific rigor, clinical precision, and informed policy. By integrating science, practice, and prevention, this book offers essential guidance for protecting cognitive function in an increasingly toxic world.

This book provides in-depth coverage of:
•    Neuropsychological principles for assessing toxic exposure
•    Brain–behavior effects of metals, pesticides, solvents, gases, and biological toxins
•    Acute versus chronic exposure and cumulative neurotoxicity
•    Developmental and lifespan vulnerability, from prenatal exposure to aging
•    Neuroimaging and biomarker integration in exposure assessment
•    Cognitive rehabilitation and recovery following toxic injury
•    Occupational and environmental health considerations
•    Forensic neuropsychology and toxic exposure litigation
•    Environmental justice, prevention, and public policy implications

Neuropsychology of Toxic Exposure is an essential resource for professionals seeking to understand, assess, and respond to the cognitive and emotional consequences of toxic exposure in humans.

Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist specializing in school psychology, child development, and neuropsychology. Licensed in Utah, he is a certified Developmental Disabilities evaluator, a board-certified Pediatric Neuropsychologist, and a Fellow of leading neuropsychology and psychology academies. He has served as an Assistant Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at the University of Utah and has directed a private multidisciplinary team addressing neurological, learning, and behavioral issues since 1980. Dr. Goldstein is on staff at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute and has contributed to the Craniofacial Team and the Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the University of Utah.

Over more than four decades of clinical practice, Dr. Goldstein has maintained continuous licensure and multiple national certifications in school and health service psychology, reflecting a sustained commitment to professional excellence and interdisciplinary care. He has held numerous academic appointments, including Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Affiliate Research Professor at George Mason University, contributing to the training of future clinicians and researchers.

A prolific author, Dr. Goldstein has written or edited more than 70 publications, including 30 textbooks on behavior, ADHD, resilience, and learning disabilities, as well as the Clinician Guide to Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (2024). His scholarly work has significantly shaped contemporary understanding of executive functioning, resilience, and neurodevelopmental disorders, and has made influential contributions to clinical practice and educational interventions. He has also developed a dozen widely used psychological and neuropsychological assessment instruments, including measures of executive functioning, autism spectrum symptoms, and functional impairment.

In addition to his publications, Dr. Goldstein has held major editorial roles, including serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Attention Disorders for nearly two decades. He also serves on multiple editorial boards spanning neuropsychology, ADHD, and learning disabilities. He is an internationally recognized speaker, delivering workshops and keynote presentations across North America, Europe, and Asia on topics such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, resilience, and neuropsychological assessment.