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- Title
No cognitive deficits in men formerly exposed to lead.
- Authors
Winker, Robert; Barth, Alfred; Ponocny-Seliger, Elisabeth; Pilger, Alexander; Osterode, Wolf; Rüdiger, Hugo
- Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to investigate long-term cognitive effects resulting from low to moderate lead exposure below current threshold values. Executive functions, attention, visuospatial and visuomotor functioning in workers formerly exposed to lead were investigated. METHODS: 48 men formerly exposed to lead and with a mean current blood level (PbB) of 5.4 μg Pb/100 ml were investigated, together with 48 matched controls (PbB, 4.7 μg Pb/100 ml) out of a pool of 61 males. The two groups were matched for age, years spent in education, verbal intelligence and gram alcohol consumption per week. The following neuropsychological tests were used: modified Wisconsin card sorting test, block design test, visual recognition test, simple reaction time, choice reaction and digit-symbol substitution. Lead exposure was assessed using both current and cumulative measurements. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in cognitive parameters between the two groups. When analyzing dose-response relationships, negative correlations were found between PbB and performance in the block design test, and between PbB and scores in the visual recognition and digit-symbol substitution tests. High cumulative exposure (IBL, >5000; duration of exposure, >5 years) correlated only with wrong reactions in the choice reaction test. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study indicate that cognitive deficits resulting from low-level exposure to lead are reversible. The study was limited to low-level long-term exposure (all PbB values were always below 55 μg Pb/100 ml), and extrapolation of these results to persons heavily exposed to lead is not possible.
- Publication
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 2005, Vol 117, Issue 21/22, p755
- ISSN
0043-5325
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00508-005-0466-0