Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2007 |
Outros Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
Texto Completo: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2007000300018 |
Resumo: | We measured visual performance in achromatic and chromatic spatial tasks of mercury-exposed subjects and compared the results with norms obtained from healthy individuals of similar age. Data were obtained for a group of 28 mercury-exposed subjects, comprising 20 Amazonian gold miners, 2 inhabitants of Amazonian riverside communities, and 6 laboratory technicians, who asked for medical care. Statistical norms were generated by testing healthy control subjects divided into three age groups. The performance of a substantial proportion of the mercury-exposed subjects was below the norms in all of these tasks. Eleven of 20 subjects (55%) performed below the norms in the achromatic contrast sensitivity task. The mercury-exposed subjects also had lower red-green contrast sensitivity deficits at all tested spatial frequencies (9/11 subjects; 81%). Three gold miners and 1 riverine (4/19 subjects, 21%) performed worse than normal subjects making more mistakes in the color arrangement test. Five of 10 subjects tested (50%), comprising 2 gold miners, 2 technicians, and 1 riverine, performed worse than normal in the color discrimination test, having areas of one or more MacAdam ellipse larger than normal subjects and high color discrimination thresholds at least in one color locus. These data indicate that psychophysical assessment can be used to quantify the degree of visual impairment of mercury-exposed subjects. They also suggest that some spatial tests such as the measurement of red-green chromatic contrast are sufficiently sensitive to detect visual dysfunction caused by mercury toxicity. |
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Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercuryMercury exposureMercury toxicityContrast sensitivityColor visionVisual dysfunctionAmazon riverside communitiesWe measured visual performance in achromatic and chromatic spatial tasks of mercury-exposed subjects and compared the results with norms obtained from healthy individuals of similar age. Data were obtained for a group of 28 mercury-exposed subjects, comprising 20 Amazonian gold miners, 2 inhabitants of Amazonian riverside communities, and 6 laboratory technicians, who asked for medical care. Statistical norms were generated by testing healthy control subjects divided into three age groups. The performance of a substantial proportion of the mercury-exposed subjects was below the norms in all of these tasks. Eleven of 20 subjects (55%) performed below the norms in the achromatic contrast sensitivity task. The mercury-exposed subjects also had lower red-green contrast sensitivity deficits at all tested spatial frequencies (9/11 subjects; 81%). Three gold miners and 1 riverine (4/19 subjects, 21%) performed worse than normal subjects making more mistakes in the color arrangement test. Five of 10 subjects tested (50%), comprising 2 gold miners, 2 technicians, and 1 riverine, performed worse than normal in the color discrimination test, having areas of one or more MacAdam ellipse larger than normal subjects and high color discrimination thresholds at least in one color locus. These data indicate that psychophysical assessment can be used to quantify the degree of visual impairment of mercury-exposed subjects. They also suggest that some spatial tests such as the measurement of red-green chromatic contrast are sufficiently sensitive to detect visual dysfunction caused by mercury toxicity.Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica2007-03-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2007000300018Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research v.40 n.3 2007reponame:Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Researchinstname:Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC)instacron:ABDC10.1590/S0100-879X2007000300018info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessRodrigues,A.R.Souza,C.R.B.Braga,A.M.Rodrigues,P.S.S.Silveira,A.T.Damin,E.T.B.Côrtes,M.I.T.Castro,A.J.O.Mello,G.A.Vieira,J.L.F.Pinheiro,M.C.N.Ventura,D.F.Silveira,L.C.L.eng2008-02-12T00:00:00Zoai:scielo:S0100-879X2007000300018Revistahttps://www.bjournal.org/https://old.scielo.br/oai/scielo-oai.phpbjournal@terra.com.br||bjournal@terra.com.br1414-431X0100-879Xopendoar:2008-02-12T00:00Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research - Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
title |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
spellingShingle |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury Rodrigues,A.R. Mercury exposure Mercury toxicity Contrast sensitivity Color vision Visual dysfunction Amazon riverside communities |
title_short |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
title_full |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
title_fullStr |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
title_sort |
Mercury toxicity in the Amazon: contrast sensitivity and color discrimination of subjects exposed to mercury |
author |
Rodrigues,A.R. |
author_facet |
Rodrigues,A.R. Souza,C.R.B. Braga,A.M. Rodrigues,P.S.S. Silveira,A.T. Damin,E.T.B. Côrtes,M.I.T. Castro,A.J.O. Mello,G.A. Vieira,J.L.F. Pinheiro,M.C.N. Ventura,D.F. Silveira,L.C.L. |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Souza,C.R.B. Braga,A.M. Rodrigues,P.S.S. Silveira,A.T. Damin,E.T.B. Côrtes,M.I.T. Castro,A.J.O. Mello,G.A. Vieira,J.L.F. Pinheiro,M.C.N. Ventura,D.F. Silveira,L.C.L. |
author2_role |
author author author author author author author author author author author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Rodrigues,A.R. Souza,C.R.B. Braga,A.M. Rodrigues,P.S.S. Silveira,A.T. Damin,E.T.B. Côrtes,M.I.T. Castro,A.J.O. Mello,G.A. Vieira,J.L.F. Pinheiro,M.C.N. Ventura,D.F. Silveira,L.C.L. |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Mercury exposure Mercury toxicity Contrast sensitivity Color vision Visual dysfunction Amazon riverside communities |
topic |
Mercury exposure Mercury toxicity Contrast sensitivity Color vision Visual dysfunction Amazon riverside communities |
description |
We measured visual performance in achromatic and chromatic spatial tasks of mercury-exposed subjects and compared the results with norms obtained from healthy individuals of similar age. Data were obtained for a group of 28 mercury-exposed subjects, comprising 20 Amazonian gold miners, 2 inhabitants of Amazonian riverside communities, and 6 laboratory technicians, who asked for medical care. Statistical norms were generated by testing healthy control subjects divided into three age groups. The performance of a substantial proportion of the mercury-exposed subjects was below the norms in all of these tasks. Eleven of 20 subjects (55%) performed below the norms in the achromatic contrast sensitivity task. The mercury-exposed subjects also had lower red-green contrast sensitivity deficits at all tested spatial frequencies (9/11 subjects; 81%). Three gold miners and 1 riverine (4/19 subjects, 21%) performed worse than normal subjects making more mistakes in the color arrangement test. Five of 10 subjects tested (50%), comprising 2 gold miners, 2 technicians, and 1 riverine, performed worse than normal in the color discrimination test, having areas of one or more MacAdam ellipse larger than normal subjects and high color discrimination thresholds at least in one color locus. These data indicate that psychophysical assessment can be used to quantify the degree of visual impairment of mercury-exposed subjects. They also suggest that some spatial tests such as the measurement of red-green chromatic contrast are sufficiently sensitive to detect visual dysfunction caused by mercury toxicity. |
publishDate |
2007 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2007-03-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2007000300018 |
url |
http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2007000300018 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
10.1590/S0100-879X2007000300018 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
text/html |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research v.40 n.3 2007 reponame:Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research instname:Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC) instacron:ABDC |
instname_str |
Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC) |
instacron_str |
ABDC |
institution |
ABDC |
reponame_str |
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
collection |
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research - Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica (ABDC) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
bjournal@terra.com.br||bjournal@terra.com.br |
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1754302935635853312 |