pica and Cognition-Disorders

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a major public health problem especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Zinc is the co-factor of several enzymes and plays a role in iron metabolism, so zinc deficiency is associated with IDA. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship of symptoms of IDA and zinc deficiency in adult IDA patients. The study included 43 IDA patients and 43 healthy control subjects. All patients were asked to provide a detailed history and were subjected to a physical examination. The hematological parameters evaluated included hemoglobin (Hb); hematocrit (Ht); red blood cell (erythrocyte) count (RBC); and red cell indices mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (МСН), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (МСНС), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Anemia was defined according to the criteria defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Serum zinc levels were measured in the flame unit of atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Symptoms attributed to iron deficiency or depletion, defined as fatigue, cardiopulmonary symptoms, mental manifestations, epithelial manifestations, and neuromuscular symptoms, were also recorded and categorized. Serum zinc levels were lower in anemic patients (103.51 ± 34.64 μ/dL) than in the control subjects (256.92 ± 88.54 μ/dL; <0.001). Patients with zinc level <99 μ/dL had significantly more frequent mental manifestations (p < 0.001), cardiopulmonary symptoms (p = 0.004), restless leg syndrome (p = 0.016), and epithelial manifestations (p < 0.001) than patients with zinc level > 100 μ/dL. When the serum zinc level was compared with pica, no statistically significant correlation was found (p = 0.742). Zinc is a trace element that functions in several processes in the body, and zinc deficiency aggravates IDA symptoms. Measurement of zinc levels and supplementation if necessary should be considered for IDA patients.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Case-Control Studies; Cognition Disorders; Dyspnea; Erythrocyte Indices; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome; Skin Diseases; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Symptom Assessment; Turkey; Young Adult; Zinc

Topics: Aged; Cognition Disorders; Dementia; Diet Fads; Female; Human Coprophagia; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pica

Research findings on the effects of raised lead levels on children's cognitive and behavioural functioning are reviewed. The results are considered separately with respect to clinic-type studies of children with high lead levels, studies of mentally retarded or behaviourally deviant children, chelation studies, smelter studies, and general population studies of dental lead. It is concluded that, although the findings are somewhat contradictory, the evidence suggests that persistently raised blood levels in the range above 40 microgram/100 ml may cause slight cognitive impairment (a reduction of one to five points on average) and less certainly may increase the risk of behavioural difficulties. There are pointers that there may also be psychological risks with lead levels below 40 microgram/100 ml, but the evidence on this point is inconclusive so far. Parallels are drawn with studies of other brain traumata and some suggestions are made with respect to both practical implications and the needs for further research.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Cognition Disorders; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Motor Skills; Pica

To investigate the relation between low-level absorption and neuropsychological function, blind evaluations were under-taken in forty-six symptom-free children aged 3-15 years with blood-lead concentrations of 40-68 mug. per 100 ml. (mean 48 mug. per 100 ml.) and in seventy-eight ethnically and socioeconomically similar controls with levels greater than mug. per 100 ml. (mean 27 mug. per (100 ml). All children lived within 6-6 km. of a large, lead-emitting smelter, and in many cases residence there had been lifelong. Mean age in the lead group was 8-3 years and in the controls 9-3. Testing with Wechsler intelligence scales for schoolchildren and preschool children (W.I.S.C. and W.P.P.S.I.) showed age-adjusted performance I.Q. to be significantly decreased in the group with higher lead levels (mean scores, W.I.S.C. plus W.P.P.S.I., 95 v. 103). Children in all ages in the lead group also had significant slowing in a finger-wrist tapping test. Full-scale I.Q., verbal I.Q., BEHAVIOUR, AND HYPERACTIVITY RATINGS DID NOT DIFFER.

Topics: Absorption; Adolescent; Affective Symptoms; Age Factors; Child; Child, Preschool; Cognition Disorders; Colic; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Hyperkinesis; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Motor Skills; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Examination; Neurologic Manifestations; Perceptual Disorders; Pica; Seizures; Socioeconomic Factors; Texas; Wechsler Scales