OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to evaluate association between computerized neurobehavioral performance and blood lead concentration in Korean elementary school students. METHODS The subjects were 1,077 elementary school students of Seoul, Busan, Daegu and Gwangju. Blood lead concentration was measured and computerized neurobehavioral performance tests were performed. RESULTS Blood lead concentration of the subjects was in the range of 0.20 and 7.39 microg/dl. The geometric mean of the subjects' blood lead concentration was 1.41 microg/dl. As blood lead concentration increased, reaction time to the symbol digit tended to increase significantly and linearly. As a result of LOWESS(locally weighted scatterplot smoothing), increasing reaction time to the symbol digit was observed. CONCLUSIONS As blood lead concentration under the CDC (center for disease control and prevention) reference value increased, reaction time to the symbol digit tended to increase. But, as the number of subjects over 3 microg/dl is small, it is difficult to make a definite conclusion. If confounding variables are controlled properly in a follow-up study, we can obtain a more definite conclusion.
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The association between lead concentration in the blood and neurobehavioral performance of children Dae-Seon Kim, Seungchul Ahn, Seungdo Yu, Eun-Hee Lee Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences.2012; 4(2): 87. CrossRef
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OBJECTIVE: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess changes in computerized neurobehavioral performance across multiple test sessions for developing a valid performance level and reducing test time. METHODS The study was conducted on 118 male car painters exposed to low-dose, mixed organic solvents. The study controls were 113 unexposed reference workers matched for age and educational year from different sections of the same factory. Each worker completed a medical and occupational exam and questionnaire. Three tests of the Swedish Performance Evaluation System (5 minutes of Simple Reaction Time, 9 sessions of Symbol Digit, and 4 sessions of Finger Tapping Speed) were administered to each group. RESULTS The mean age, mean duration of employment, and mean years of education were 33 years, 6.7 years, and 12 years in both groups, respectively. The mean reaction times of the Simple Reaction Time increased with the lapse of time. The known group difference between the exposed and control groups was larger for the first minute than for the successive 3 minutes. Both groups showed improved performance across the first to the seventh sessions on Symbol Digit. Following the seventh session, the performance levels of Symbol Digit had worsened. The t statistic of the two groups was the largest when the two mean reaction times were calculated from the sessions of the fifth to the seventh. In the dominant and non-dominant hands, the number of taps increased and decreased, respectively, across the sessions on Finger Tapping Speed. The known group difference was the largest when comparing the performances from the first to the second sessions. CONCLUSIONS For valid interpretation and timesaving in computerized neurobehavioral tests, the following is recommended: one practice and one test session for Simple Reaction Time, four practice and three test sessions for Symbol Digit, and one practice and two test sessions for Finger Tapping Speed.
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Effects of computer familiarity and computer type on the performance of Korean computerized neurobehavioral test Nak Joon Baek, Gun Il Park, Young Seok Byun, Man Joong Jeon, Joon Sakong Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2016;[Epub] CrossRef