RESEARCH
 |
|
| AUTHORS | Hua MS. Huang CC. Yang YJ. |
| INSTITUTION | Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. |
| TITLE | Chronic elemental mercury intoxication: neuropsychological follow-up case study. |
| SOURCE | Brain Injury. 10(5):377-84, 1996 May. |
| COUNTRY OF PUBLICATION | England |
| ABSTRACT | In initial and follow-up investigations of neuropsycholoical function in a patient with elemental mercury intoxication, his scores were compared with those of a group of normal control subjects matched for sex, age and education. Each subject received a comprehensive neuropsychological examination including a personality inventory. On the initial examination the results indicated that the patient had a significant depression of performance intellectual functioning, impairments of attention, non-verbal short-term memory and visual judgement of angles and directions, anxiety, desire to be alone, lack of interest and sensitivity to physical problems. such an impairment picture is compatible with the previous observations of individuals with chronic exposure to elemental, organic and inorganic mercury. The follow-up study was undertaken about 1.5 years later. The results show that the patient's cognitive and personality functions were fully recovered. Our findings thus suggest a reversibility of impaired neuropsychological function in persons with elemental mercury poisoning if a prompt removal from the toxin environment is accomplished, together with proper medical treatment. |
| PUBLICATION TYPE | Journal Article |
| LANGUAGE | English |
|
|