Lead Neuropathy in Adults and Children

Subclinical neurophysiological effects of lead: A review on peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous system effects in lead workers

“…Araki and Honma [1976] also found signi®cant correlations between BPbs and NCVs as well as reductions in NCVs in workers with asymptomatically increased lead absorption as described above. These observations have in general been con®rmed by subsequent investigations [Landrigan et al, 1976;Feldman et al, 1977;Repko et al, 1978;Buchthal and Behse, 1979;Seppaelainen et al, 1979Seppaelainen et al, , 1983Seppaelainen and Hernberg, 1980;Araki et al, 1980Araki et al, , 1986aAraki et al, , 1993aAshby, 1980;Bordo et al, 1982;Rosen et al, 1983;Singer et al, 1983;Triebig et al, 1984;Chen et al, 1985;Jeyaratnam et al, 1985;Murata et al, 1987a;Murata and Araki, 1991;He et al, 1988;Hirata and Kosaka, 1993;Fujimura et al, 1998], although they have not been made in all published reports [Baloh et al, 1979;Paulev et al, 1979;Spivey et al, 1980;Nielsen et al, 1982;Pasternak et al, 1989;Yeh et al, 1995]. Among the later six studies which have failed to show signi®cant NCV effects of lead, males and females are mixed in the study subjects of the three studies [Nielsen et al, 1982;Pasternak et al, 1989;Yeh et al, 1995].…”

Subclinical Cerebellar Anterior Lobe, Vestibulo-Cerebellar and Spinocerebellar Afferent Effects in Young Female Lead Workers in China: Computerized Posturography with Sway Frequency Analysis and Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials.

“…Subclinical effects of lead on the central and peripheral nervous systems have been widely documented through demonstration of prolongation of latencies in visual, auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials and in eventrelated potentials [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] , of impairment of psychological performance 2,4,5,[14][15][16][17][18] , and of slowing of nerve conduction velocities 1,[4][5][6][7][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] . Some groups of investigators reported that postural balance was adversely affected by lead using a computerized static posturography [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] .…”

Autonomic and central nervous system effects of lead in female glass workers in china

“…The subclinical effects of lead on the peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems (PNS, CNS, and ANS) have been widely documented through demonstration of slowing of peripheral nerve conduction velocities [Seppalainen et al, 1975;Araki and Honma, 1976;Landrigan et al, 1976;Feldman et al, 1977;Triebig et al, 1984;Jeyaratnam et al, 1985;Murata et al, 1987;Sata et al, 19931; abnormalities in visual, auditory, and somatosensory evoked potentials [Holdstein et al, 1986;Araki et al, 1986Araki et al, , 1987Hirata and Kosaka, 19931 and in event-related potentials [Otto et al, 1981;Araki et al, 19921; and depression of electrocardiographic (ECG) R-R interval variability (CV,,) [Teruya et al, 1991;Murata and Araki, 19911. Nevertheless, which of these nervous system functions is the most susceptible to lead exposure remains unclear.…”