Assessment of Neurophysiologic and Neurobehavioral Effects of Environmental Pollutants in 5- and 6-Year-Old Children

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 73; no. 1-2; pp. 125 - 131
• Main Authors: Altmann, L., Sveinsson, K., Krämer, U., Winneke, G., Wiegand, H.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01-01-1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Behavior - drug effects; Child Development - drug effects; Child, Preschool; Environmental Pollutants - poisoning; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Evoked Potentials, Visual - drug effects; Female; General aspects; Germany; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropsychological Tests; Toxicology; Europe; Germany; Human; Preschool age; Evaluation; Nervous system diseases; Toxicity; Neuropsychological test; Epidemiology; Heavy metal; Pollutant; Lead; Environment; Behavior; Child
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1006/enrs.1997.3697

To investigate the effects of environmental pollutants on neuronal functions in residents of different areas in Germany, a mobile laboratory was developed. The equipment permits the assessment of neurophysiologic as well as neurobehavioral parameters in epidemiologic studies. In two sets of field experiments in 1991 and 1994, more than 700 children, 5 and 6 years old, were tested in three different towns in East and West Germany. Visual functions were measured neurophysiologically by visually evoked potentials, using pattern reversal stimulation. By means of psychophysical methods, the contrast sensitivity was tested and the visual acuity assessed. Finger tapping, simple reaction time, vigilance, pattern comparison, pattern memory, and memory of geometric figures were measured using the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES1 and NES2). In a preliminary analysis, the outcomes of the tests were related to the children's blood lead levels. The experiences with the field studies showed that all tests could be successfully performed even in pre-school-age children. The mobile laboratory has proven to be a useful tool for the detection of neurotoxic effects of environmental pollutants in larger populations, providing the opportunity for flexible operation at different locations.