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Revue de neuropsychologie

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The contribution of cognitive neuroscience towards studying the impact of environmental contaminants on brain function development Volume 4, issue 3, Juillet-Août-Septembre 2012

Authors
Centre de recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine. 3175, chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3T 1C5, École de psychologie, université Laval, pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Canada, G1V 0A6, Axe de recherche santé des populations et environnementale, centre de recherche du centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), 2875 boul. Laurier, Bureau 600, Québec (Québec), Canada, G1V 2M2., Département de médecine sociale et préventive, faculté de médecine, 2180 chemin Sainte-Foy, université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada, G1K 7P4, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 2751 E. Jefferson, Suite 460, Detroit, Michigan, MI 48207, United States, Département de psychologie, université du Québec à Montréal, 320 Sainte-Catherine Est pavillon JA. De Sève, local DS5775, Montréal, Québec, Canada. H2X 1L7, Département de psychoéducation, université de Montréal, C.P.6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3J7

Human studies on the neurotoxicity associated with chronic exposure to environmental contaminants have targeted cognitive functions such as IQ and memory. Cognitive neurosciences offer additional tools for understanding brain dysfunction that were used to study the effects of in utero and postnatal exposure on the development of brain function in a cohort of Inuit children in Northern Quebec in Canada. Blood levels of exposure were measured at birth and at the time of evaluation. Associations between contaminants and brain functions were estimated from multiple regression analyzes. Behavioral and cognitive deficits have been observed at preschool and school age. Using psychophysical and electrophysiological methods, we also demonstrated deficits in visual information processing and visuospatial attention. These findings emphasize the importance of considering multiple levels of information processing in the evaluation of developmental neurotoxicity.