title: Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) study in chronic arsenic poisoning patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the possible neurotoxicity of arsenic to auditory sensory pathways and evaluate roles of BAEPs in the detection of early brain damage resulting from arsenic exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analytic study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty nine females with skin lesions consistent with arsenical dermatoses and 27 controls who met the inclusion criteria were investigatetd by Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEPs). Case findings resulted from a house-to-house survey in village 12, Ronphibun subdistrict and village 5, Saothong subdistrict, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand in 1995.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences between the arsenic-exposed population and the referent group regarding BAEP parameters, BAEP latencies and interpeak latencies were not found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence of the abnormalities of the auditory sensory pathways was not found among female patients with arsenical dermtoses in Ronphibun. The role of BAEPs in the detection of brain damage resulting from arsenic exposure could not be demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Soontorn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Supapong
authors.forename: Jiruth
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sriratanabun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic