John Olney

John W. Olney (born 23 October 1931 in Marathon, Iowa) is an American neurologist and psychopathologist. Since 1977 he is professor of neurology and psychopathology at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a member of many scientific societies including the National Academy of Sciences and support scientific honors.

Work

Olney was known among other things for his research on suspected brain damage by glutamate, aspartame and cysteine. But his publications on the subject of aspartame ( one in the products in the food industry widespread sweeteners ) include 34 different studies. He was involved in more than 80 studies for the investigation of glutamate, which in many responsible. A total of nearly 500 publications are known. Many of his studies were also in the leading scientific journals in the United States and Great Britain (Science, Nature ).

Published in 1996 Olney et al. a study with the (translated) title: rise in brain tumor rates, there is a relationship to aspartame, which caused a sensation in Europe?. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ), however, speaks in 2002 of a safety of aspartame. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment could confirm no association between the costs arising from metabolism of aspartame substances aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol with unwanted effects such as headaches, allergies, neuroendocrine changes, epilepsy or brain tumors in 2003.

Olney's lesions

Olney's lesions are brain damage, caused by nonkompetitiv acting neurotoxic doses of NMDA antagonists (channel blockers), some of which are known as dissociative drugs.

In experiments on rats Olney discovered small cavities or injuries ( lesions) in the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial primary areas of the cortex.

A corresponding human toxic effect is due to the experience reports eg Learning and memory disorders describe close. However, the neuroscientific research involving human remains in this context generally a difficult task.