Neuropsychological Effects of Mercury Exposure in Children and Adolescents of the Amazon Region, Brazil.

Background: Studies with children exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) through fish consumption in the Brazilian Amazon region report that the high levels of hair Hg are associated with significant decreases in intelligence, memory, attention, and visuospatial processing.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between mercury exposure and neuropsychological functions in riverside communities of the Brazilian Amazon.

Method: 263 participants aged 6 to 14 years old were assessed, from resettlement regions, near the Madeira river, Rondônia, Brazil.