title: Chronic low-level mercury exposure and neuropsychological functioning.
abstract: To measure the effects of chronic low-level exposure to inorganic mercury, the neuropsychological performances of 13 female dental auxiliary workers with elevated head mercury levels (as measured by an X-ray fluorescence technique) were compared with 13 workers with no measurable mercury levels. Workers with elevated mercury levels scored significantly less well on the Recurrent Figures, and SCL-90-R, but not on the WAIS, Rey's AVL, PASAT, BGT, Grooved Pegboard, and Finger Tapping tests. Chronic subtoxic levels of inorganic mercury appear to produce mild changes in short-term nonverbal recall and heightened distress generally, and particularly in categories of obsessive compulsion, anxiety and psychoticism, without alterations in general intellectual functioning, attention, verbal recall, and motor skills.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury