Intrauterine Exposure to Methylmercury and Neurocognitive Functions: Minamata Disease

A large-scale food poisoning caused by methylmercury was identified in Minamata, Japan, in the 1950s. The severe intrauterine exposure cases are well known, although the possible impact of low-to-moderate methylmercury exposure in utero are rarely investigated. We examined neurocognitive functions a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of environmental & occupational health 2015-09, Vol.70 (5), p.297-302
Main Authors: Yorifuji, Takashi, Kato, Tsuguhiko, Kado, Yoko, Tokinobu, Akiko, Yamakawa, Michiyo, Tsuda, Toshihide, Sanada, Satoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cognition - drug effects
environmental pollution
Female
food contamination
Humans
Intelligence - drug effects
Japan
Male
Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System - etiology
methylmercury compounds
Methylmercury Compounds - toxicity
Middle Aged
Minamata disease
Nervous System Diseases - chemically induced
neurocognitive evaluations
Pregnancy
prenatal exposure delayed effects
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - etiology
Reaction Time - drug effects
Wechsler Scales
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Summary:A large-scale food poisoning caused by methylmercury was identified in Minamata, Japan, in the 1950s. The severe intrauterine exposure cases are well known, although the possible impact of low-to-moderate methylmercury exposure in utero are rarely investigated. We examined neurocognitive functions among 22 participants in Minamata, mainly using an intelligence quotient test (Wechsler Adults Intelligent Scale III), in 2012/2013. The participants tended to score low on the Index score of processing speed (PS) relative to full-scale IQ, and discrepancies between PS and other scores within each participant were observed. The lower score on PS was due to deficits in digit symbol-coding and symbol search and was associated with methylmercury concentration in umbilical cords. The residents who experienced low-to-moderate methylmercury exposure including prenatal one in Minamata manifested deficits in their cognitive functions, processing speed in particular.
ISSN:1933-8244
2154-4700
DOI:10.1080/19338244.2014.904268