Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children

OBJETIVE: To study the relationship between blood lead levels and cognitive abilities of children exposed to this metal. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study that included 134 children aged 6 to 8.5 years old from 3 schools with different risks of lead exposure located in El Callao (Peru). Cognitive assessments were made by means of the Graphic Test of Reasoning (GTR) and the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT). Blood lead levels and other laboratory tests were performed. RESULTS: Children with lead > 10 ug/dl presented greater prevalence of low scores in the Graphic Test of Reasoning (18.9% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.049) and in the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT) (39.6% vs. 18.6%, p = 0.01) compared with those with lower lead blood levels. A deficit of 1 category in the Graphic Test of Reasoning was associated with an increase in lead blood level of 16.78 ug/dl (assuming a linear relationship) and from 1 to 5.19 ug/dl (logarithmic model). For each 10 ug/dl of increase in lead levels, the Kohs Block Design Test decreases in 6.24 units (12.91 in males and 0.216 in females) (linear model), and an increase from 1 to 10 ug/dl corresponds to a drop of 16.44 points in the Kohs Block Design Test (31.19 in males and 3.98 in females) (logarithmic model). Considering the Graphic Test of Reasoning subscales, lead levels correlated negatively with the areas of numerical problems (rho = -0.445, p < 0.001), numerical relationships (rho = -0.365, p < 0.001), inferences (rho = -0.281, p = 0.002) and similarities (rho = -0.250, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Lead levels were non-linearly associated with lower cognitive abilities, especially in males, being the numerical reasoning the most affected area.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vega-Dienstmaier,Johann M, Salinas-Piélago,Joel E, Gutiérrez-Campos,María del Rosario, Mandamiento-Ayquipa,Ricardo D, Yara-Hokama,María del Carmen, Ponce-Canchihuamán,Johny, Castro-Morales,Jorge
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria 2006
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462006000100008
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
id oai:scielo:S1516-44462006000100008
record_format ojs
spelling oai:scielo:S1516-444620060001000082006-03-24Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian childrenVega-Dienstmaier,Johann MSalinas-Piélago,Joel EGutiérrez-Campos,María del RosarioMandamiento-Ayquipa,Ricardo DYara-Hokama,María del CarmenPonce-Canchihuamán,JohnyCastro-Morales,Jorge Lead Intelligence Children Toxicology Environment OBJETIVE: To study the relationship between blood lead levels and cognitive abilities of children exposed to this metal. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study that included 134 children aged 6 to 8.5 years old from 3 schools with different risks of lead exposure located in El Callao (Peru). Cognitive assessments were made by means of the Graphic Test of Reasoning (GTR) and the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT). Blood lead levels and other laboratory tests were performed. RESULTS: Children with lead > 10 ug/dl presented greater prevalence of low scores in the Graphic Test of Reasoning (18.9% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.049) and in the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT) (39.6% vs. 18.6%, p = 0.01) compared with those with lower lead blood levels. A deficit of 1 category in the Graphic Test of Reasoning was associated with an increase in lead blood level of 16.78 ug/dl (assuming a linear relationship) and from 1 to 5.19 ug/dl (logarithmic model). For each 10 ug/dl of increase in lead levels, the Kohs Block Design Test decreases in 6.24 units (12.91 in males and 0.216 in females) (linear model), and an increase from 1 to 10 ug/dl corresponds to a drop of 16.44 points in the Kohs Block Design Test (31.19 in males and 3.98 in females) (logarithmic model). Considering the Graphic Test of Reasoning subscales, lead levels correlated negatively with the areas of numerical problems (rho = -0.445, p < 0.001), numerical relationships (rho = -0.365, p < 0.001), inferences (rho = -0.281, p = 0.002) and similarities (rho = -0.250, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Lead levels were non-linearly associated with lower cognitive abilities, especially in males, being the numerical reasoning the most affected area.info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAssociação Brasileira de PsiquiatriaBrazilian Journal of Psychiatry v.28 n.1 20062006-03-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articletext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462006000100008en10.1590/S1516-44462006000100008
institution SCIELO
collection OJS
country Brasil
countrycode BR
component Revista
access En linea
databasecode rev-scielo-br
tag revista
region America del Sur
libraryname SciELO
language English
format Digital
author Vega-Dienstmaier,Johann M
Salinas-Piélago,Joel E
Gutiérrez-Campos,María del Rosario
Mandamiento-Ayquipa,Ricardo D
Yara-Hokama,María del Carmen
Ponce-Canchihuamán,Johny
Castro-Morales,Jorge
spellingShingle Vega-Dienstmaier,Johann M
Salinas-Piélago,Joel E
Gutiérrez-Campos,María del Rosario
Mandamiento-Ayquipa,Ricardo D
Yara-Hokama,María del Carmen
Ponce-Canchihuamán,Johny
Castro-Morales,Jorge
Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
author_facet Vega-Dienstmaier,Johann M
Salinas-Piélago,Joel E
Gutiérrez-Campos,María del Rosario
Mandamiento-Ayquipa,Ricardo D
Yara-Hokama,María del Carmen
Ponce-Canchihuamán,Johny
Castro-Morales,Jorge
author_sort Vega-Dienstmaier,Johann M
title Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
title_short Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
title_full Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
title_fullStr Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
title_full_unstemmed Lead levels and cognitive abilities in Peruvian children
title_sort lead levels and cognitive abilities in peruvian children
description OBJETIVE: To study the relationship between blood lead levels and cognitive abilities of children exposed to this metal. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study that included 134 children aged 6 to 8.5 years old from 3 schools with different risks of lead exposure located in El Callao (Peru). Cognitive assessments were made by means of the Graphic Test of Reasoning (GTR) and the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT). Blood lead levels and other laboratory tests were performed. RESULTS: Children with lead > 10 ug/dl presented greater prevalence of low scores in the Graphic Test of Reasoning (18.9% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.049) and in the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT) (39.6% vs. 18.6%, p = 0.01) compared with those with lower lead blood levels. A deficit of 1 category in the Graphic Test of Reasoning was associated with an increase in lead blood level of 16.78 ug/dl (assuming a linear relationship) and from 1 to 5.19 ug/dl (logarithmic model). For each 10 ug/dl of increase in lead levels, the Kohs Block Design Test decreases in 6.24 units (12.91 in males and 0.216 in females) (linear model), and an increase from 1 to 10 ug/dl corresponds to a drop of 16.44 points in the Kohs Block Design Test (31.19 in males and 3.98 in females) (logarithmic model). Considering the Graphic Test of Reasoning subscales, lead levels correlated negatively with the areas of numerical problems (rho = -0.445, p < 0.001), numerical relationships (rho = -0.365, p < 0.001), inferences (rho = -0.281, p = 0.002) and similarities (rho = -0.250, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Lead levels were non-linearly associated with lower cognitive abilities, especially in males, being the numerical reasoning the most affected area.
publisher Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria
publishDate 2006
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462006000100008
work_keys_str_mv AT vegadienstmaierjohannm leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT salinaspielagojoele leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT gutierrezcamposmariadelrosario leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT mandamientoayquiparicardod leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT yarahokamamariadelcarmen leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT poncecanchihuamanjohny leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
AT castromoralesjorge leadlevelsandcognitiveabilitiesinperuvianchildren
_version_ 1756422590524555264