Effects of lead exposure on their brain-stem auditory evoked potential in children
Gao, W.; Li, Z.; Wang, Z.; Wang, N.; Zhao, X.; Chen, Y.; Li, H.
Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi 33(6): 357-359
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0253-9624 PMID: 11864510 Document Number: 498248
To determine if low lead exposure can influence auditory development in children. Children were divided into two groups, i.e., low (< 0.483 micromol/L) and high (>or= 0.483 micromol/L) blood lead levels with atomic spectrophotometry (AAS). Latencies and latent intervals between peak waves of their brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in the two groups were measured and compared. There was positive correlation between blood lead levels and BAEP in wave III at right ear, wave V at both right and left ears and latent intervals between peak waves I to V, with correlation coefficients of 0.2991, 0.2748, 0.3248, 0.2064 and 0.2412, respectively. There was significant difference in latencies of wave III at right ear, wave V at both right and left ears and latent intervals between peak waves I to V at both right and left ears and those between waves of III to V at right ear in the low blood lead group. Latencies and latent intervals between peak waves were longer in the high blood level group (with a mean of 0.78 micromol/L and a range of 0.58 to 1.42 micromol/L) than those in the low one (with a mean of 0.30 micromol/L and a range of 0.17 to 0.45 micromol/L). Elevated blood lead level could cause prolongation of latencies and latent intervals between peak waves of BAEP and slowdown of the nerve conduction velocity, and so auditory development was influenced.