Brain, Vol. 126, No. 1, 5-19,
January 2003
© 2003 Guarantors of Brain
doi: 10.1093/brain/awg014
Review Article |
Lead neurotoxicity in children: basic mechanisms and clinical correlates
1 Center for Trace Element Studies and Environmental Neurotoxicology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY and 2 Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Correspondence to: Theodore I. Lidsky, Center for Trace Element Studies and Environmental Neurotoxicology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA E-mail: tlidsky{at}monmouth.com
Lead has been recognized as a poison for millennia and has been the focus of public health regulation in much of the developed world for the better part of the past century. The nature of regulation has evolved in response to increasing information provided by vigorous scientific investigation of lead’s effects. In recognition of the particular sensitivity of the developing brain to lead’s pernicious effects, much of this legislation has been addressed to the prevention of childhood lead poisoning. The present review discusses the current state of knowledge concerning the effects of lead on the cognitive development of children. Addressed are the reasons for the child’s exquisite sensitivity, the behavioural effects of lead, how these effects are best measured, and the long-term outlook for the poisoned child. Of particular importance are the accumulating data suggesting that there are toxicological effects with behavioural concomitants at exceedingly low levels of exposure. In addition, there is also evidence that certain genetic and environmental factors can increase the detrimental effects of lead on neural development, thereby rendering certain children more vulnerable to lead neurotoxicity. The public health implications of these findings are discussed.
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