Milioni Ana Luiza V, Nagy Balázs V, Moura Ana Laura A, Zachi Elaine C, Barboni Mirella T S, Ventura Dora F
Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Neurotoxicology. 2017 Mar;59:263-269. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 16.
Mercury vapor is highly toxic to the human body. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of neuropsychological dysfunction in former workers of fluorescent lamps factories that were exposed to mercury vapor (years after cessation of exposure), diagnosed with chronic mercurialism, and to investigate the effects of such exposure on the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) using the non-invasive method of dynamic pupillometry. The exposed group and a control group matched by age and educational level were evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory and with the computerized neuropsychological battery CANTABeclipse - subtests of working memory (Spatial Span), spatial memory (Spatial Recognition Memory), visual memory (Pattern Recognition Memory) and action planning (Stockings of Cambridge). The ANS was assessed by dynamic pupillometry, which provides information on the operation on both the sympathetic and parasympathetic functions. Depression scores were significantly higher among the former workers when compared with the control group. The exposed group also showed significantly worse performance in most of the cognitive functions assessed. In the dynamic pupillometry test, former workers showed significantly lower response than the control group in the sympathetic response parameter (time of 75% of pupillary recovery at 10cd/m luminance). Our study found indications that are suggestive of cognitive deficits and losses in sympathetic autonomic activity among patients occupationally exposed to mercury vapor.
汞蒸气对人体具有高度毒性。本研究旨在调查曾接触汞蒸气（接触停止数年）且被诊断为慢性汞中毒的荧光灯厂前工人中神经心理功能障碍的发生情况，并使用动态瞳孔测量这一非侵入性方法来研究这种接触对自主神经系统（ANS）的影响。通过贝克抑郁量表以及使用计算机化神经心理测试组合CANTABeclipse，对暴露组和按年龄及教育水平匹配的对照组进行评估，测试内容包括工作记忆（空间广度）、空间记忆（空间识别记忆）、视觉记忆（模式识别记忆）和行动规划（剑桥长袜）等子测试。通过动态瞳孔测量评估自主神经系统，该方法可提供有关交感神经和副交感神经功能运作的信息。与对照组相比，前工人的抑郁得分显著更高。在评估的大多数认知功能方面，暴露组的表现也明显更差。在动态瞳孔测量测试中，前工人在交感神经反应参数（在10cd/m²亮度下瞳孔恢复75%的时间）方面的反应明显低于对照组。我们的研究发现，职业性接触汞蒸气的患者存在认知缺陷和交感自主神经活动丧失的迹象。
