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MERCURY IN THE HUMAN BRAIN
Author(s) -
Olszewski Walter A.,
Pillay K. K. Sivasankara,
Glomski Chester A.,
Brody Harold
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1974.tb02803.x
Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , pons , cerebellum , white matter , occipital lobe , frontal lobe , cerebral cortex , mercury poisoning , anatomy , chemistry , physiology , medicine , pathology , environmental chemistry , biology , toxicity , neuroscience , radiology , computer science , programming language , magnetic resonance imaging
A recently developed technique of neutron activation analysis permitted a sensitive analysis of mercury in over 160 samples of fresh brain tissue from 17 randomly selected autopsies. There was a preferential deposition of mercury in various anatomical loci. Many of these loci are those clinically or histologically affected in poisoning by methyl mercury. The greatest concentration of the metal was generally present in the cerebellum with a mean of 0.28 μMg/g (parts per million). Forty per cent of the cerebellums had concentrations greater than 0.2 ppm. The visual cortex, pons and geniculate bodies contained levels averaging 0.17 to 0.20 ppm. The lowest levels were found in the frontal lobe white matter (mean 0.07 ppm). Two brains from patients with no exceptional exposure to environmental mercury had unusually elevated levels of 1 to 2 ppm in many regions.