title: Effects of lead on neurophysiological and performance measures: animal and human data.
abstract: This paper reports lead-induced changes in neuropsychological measures and behavioral performance measures in monkeys and children. Monkeys were pre- and postnatally exposed to lead via the diet. Blood lead levels at the time of testing were 9.3, 40.3, and 55.7 micrograms/dL in controls, and animals exposed to 350 ppm or 600 ppm lead acetate, respectively. Flash-evoked and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials were recorded in adult animals. Results indicate latency increases in both measures as well as amplitude decreases in the flash-evoked response. Delayed reaction time and serial choice reaction were determined as measures of behavioral performance in lead-exposed school-age children from two lead smelter areas. In addition, pattern-reversal-evoked potentials and nerve conduction velocity were investigated. Neither nerve conduction velocity nor latency of the pattern-reversal-evoked potential were consistently influenced by lead. Of the behavioral measures, serial choice reaction performance revealed a consistent lead-related deficit, which became more pronounced with increasing task difficulty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychophysiology, Universität Düsseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lilienthal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winneke
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ewert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000523:psychology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007854:Lead