The effect of low-level prenatal methylmercury exposure on visual recognition memory in infant crab-eating macaques.

Infant crab-eating macaques exposed in utero to maternal subclinical levels of methylmercury (MeHg) and their nonexposed controls were administered an adaptation of a standardized test of visual recognition memory. Exposed animals showed recognition deficits in that they directed significantly less visual attention to novel stimuli than did controls. These results parallel those obtained by other investigators with high-risk and teratogen-exposed human infants.