Neuropsychological impairment following inorganic arsenic exposure.
A 50-year-old chemical engineer, routinely screened for occupational arsenic exposure, was admitted with a delirium for which no known etiology was found. Elevated levels of arsenic were found in the urine and hair. The patient received chelation treatment with British anti-Lewisite; substantial amounts of arsenic were excreted and the toxic encephalopathy improved gradually over the 8-month follow-up period. The patient was tested at 6 weeks, 4 months, and 8 months postdelirium with a battery of neuropsychological tasks. The pattern of results showed verbal learning and memory to be severely impaired while tests of general intellectual abilities and language remained unaffected. Follow-up examinations with no subsequent reexposure revealed improvements on specific cognitive tasks. It is unclear whether recovery of cortical functions occurred or if compensatory strategies were developed. It is proposed that a subacute exposure to arsenic may have contributed to the neuropsychological deficits.
D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D003693:Delirium / Q000139:chemically induced; D004112:Dimercaprol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D004112:Dimercaprol; D001151:Arsenic