Counter, S. AllenBuchanan, Leo H.Ortega, Fernando2022-08-232022-08-232012-01-012013-03-07Counter SA, Buchanan LH, Ortega F. Acoustic stapedius muscle reflex in mercury-exposed Andean children and adults. Acta Otolaryngol. 2012 Jan;132(1):51-63. doi: 10.3109/00016489.2011.617778. Epub 2011 Dec 18. PubMed PMID: 22175530; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3490497. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00016489.2011.617778">Link to article on publisher's site</a>0001-6489 (Linking)10.3109/00016489.2011.617778https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/34623OBJECTIVES: Hg exposure has been associated with hearing impairment and brainstem anomalies. Acoustic stapedius reflex (ASR) thresholds, growth functions, decay/adaptation times, and behavioral auditory thresholds were used to screen Andean children and adults for Hg-induced auditory brainstem and facial nerve impairment. METHODS: Fifty-one participants, which included 22 children (aged 6-17 years) and 29 adults (aged 19-83 years) living in gold mining areas of Ecuador where Hg is widely used in amalgamation, were screened using ASR immittance procedures. RESULTS: Mean blood mercury (HgB) level in the children was 15.6 mug/L (SD, 21.3; median, 7 mug/L; range, 2.0-89 mug/L), and in the adults 8.5 mug/L (SD, 7.1; median, 6 mug/L; range, 2.0-32 mug/L). Mean contralateral ASR thresholds (ASRT) for the screening frequency of 2000 Hz in the children (39 ears) was 92.9 dB HL (SD, 6.1; range, 80-105 dB HL), and in the adults (53 ears) 90.0 dB HL (SD, 6.4; range, 65-105 dB HL). The ASRT in the children increased significantly with HgB level (rho = 0.433; p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The results suggested mercury (Hg)-induced anomalies in the brainstem-mediated acoustic stapedius muscle reflex in children.en-USAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAuditory ThresholdChildEcuadorEnvironmental ExposureEnvironmental IllnessEvoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain StemFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMercuryMiddle Aged*MiningReflex, AcousticYoung AdultEnvironmental Public HealthOtolaryngologyOtorhinolaryngologic DiseasesPediatricsPharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental HealthSpeech Pathology and AudiologyJournal Articlehttps://escholarship.umassmed.edu/healthpolicy_pp/1343863536healthpolicy_pp/134