砷 (As) 是一种自然存在于环境、食物、水、土壤和空气中的准金属；然而，即使是低剂量的长期接触，也会引起公共卫生问题。长期以来，砷被用作颜料、杀虫剂、木材防腐剂和医疗用途；由于其毒性，其工业用途最近已减少或已停止。由于其广泛的应用和分布，人类砷暴露源广泛，主要是受污染的饮用水。饮用水中存在砷这一事实意味着人类长期接触这种类金属。它已成为一个全球性的健康问题，因为有超过 2 亿人生活在砷水平超过安全范围的地方。许多健康问题都与长期接触砷有关，包括癌症、心血管疾病、胃肠道紊乱和脑功能障碍。由于砷可以穿过血脑屏障 (BBB)，因此大脑是这种类金属可以发挥其长期毒性作用的靶器官。砷神经毒性的许多机制已被描述：氧化应激、炎症、DNA 损伤和线粒体功能障碍；所有这些都可以聚合，从而导致细胞功能受损、细胞死亡，从而产生长期有害影响。在这里，我们提供了砷毒性的最新概述，并整合了砷暴露引起的认知和行为障碍的整体机制，显示了针对其神经毒性的实验策略。

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid naturally present in the environment, in food, water, soil, and air; however, its chronic exposure, even with low doses, represents a public health concern. For a long time, As was used as a pigment, pesticide, wood preservative, and for medical applications; its industrial use has recently decreased or has been discontinued due to its toxicity. Due to its versatile applications and distribution, there is a wide spectrum of human As exposure sources, mainly contaminated drinking water. The fact that As is present in drinking water implies chronic human exposure to this metalloid; it has become a worldwide health problem, since over 200 million people live where As levels exceed safe ranges. Many health problems have been associated with As chronic exposure including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disturbances, and brain dysfunctions. Because As can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the brain represents a target organ where this metalloid can exert its long-term toxic effects. Many mechanisms of As neurotoxicity have been described: oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction; all of them can converge, thus leading to impaired cellular functions, cell death, and in consequence, long-term detrimental effects. Here, we provide a current overview of As toxicity and integrated the global mechanisms involved in cognitive and behavioral impairment induced by As exposure show experimental strategies against its neurotoxicity.