Motor inhibition and learning impairments in school-aged children following exposure to organophosphate pesticides in infancy.
Despite the critical role of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in cortical function and development, no long-term studies have been conducted in humans on the long-term sequelae of the disruption of the cholinergic system in early childhood. We report a neuropsychological assessment of healthy school-aged children, who had been hospitalized in infancy following exposure to organophosphate pesticides, compared with children exposed to other toxins such as kerosene, and age- and sex-matched non-exposed children. Although overall, the children seem to have overcome the acute one-time exposure incident, and they all attend regular schools, a finer assessment of specific cognitive abilities indicates they are impaired compared with the matched controls. Specifically, the children who had been exposed to organophosphate pesticides had a deficit in inhibitory motor control. Children with pesticide or kerosene poisoning had a retrieval deficit on the acquisition phase of a verbal learning task.
Kofman
Ora
O
Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel. kofman@bgu.ac.il
Berger
Andrea
A
Massarwa
Ali
A
Friedman
Alon
A
Jaffar
Abed Abu
AA
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007648:Kerosene / Q000633:toxicity; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D010575:Pesticides / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000506:poisoning*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment
D007648:Kerosene; D010755:Organophosphates; D010575:Pesticides