title: Evaluation of central auditory processing in adolescents exposed to metallic mercury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  central auditory processing and exposure to metallic mercury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the performance on tests of central auditory processing in adolescents exposed to metallic mercury.
  
  
  METHODS
  participants were 52 adolescents, of both genders, who presented hearing thresholds within normal limits. The study group (SG) was composed by 21 adolescents who worked on the burning of gold-mercury amalgams, on the re-burning of gold in stores that sell this metal or who lived next to gold mines or gold shops. The control group (CG) was composed by 31 adolescents who had no history of exposure to mercury. Investigation procedures included the application of a clinical, occupational and mercury exposure history questionnaire, basic audiometric assessment as well as central auditory processing tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical significant differences in the auditory processing tests of non-verbal sound sequence memory test (p = 0,001), frequency pattern test (p = 0,000), duration pattern test (p = 0,000) and SSW test in Portuguese (p = 0,006) were observed between SG and CG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  adolescents exposed to metallic mercury presented a lower performance on most of the auditory processing tests when compared to those who had no history of exposure to mercury. The main deficit found in the study was related to difficulty in distinguishing successive brief sounds.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudos de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lenadutra@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Marilene Danieli Simões
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Marcia Cavadas
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Volney de Magalhães
authors.initials: Vde M
authors.lastname: Câmara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000633:toxicity*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006046:Gold; D008628:Mercury