Environmental Health

Table 4 Estimated effects of serum levels of brominated flame retardants on performance in the Continues Performance, Digit-Symbol and Digit Span tests

From: Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

	Continuous Performance (N = 489)						Digit Symbol (N = 340)		Digit Span
	Reaction time (msec)^A		Errors of omission^B		Errors of commission^B		Total latency (sec)^A		Forward^A(N = 511)		Backward^A(N = 499)
	Effect	95% CI	Effect	95% CI	Effect	95% CI	Effect	95% CI	Effect	95% CI	Effect	95% CI
PBDE47	3.45	−4.88 to 11.78	−10%	−29.9 to 15.6%	6.2%	−6.2 to 20.1%	−1.19	−5.57 to 3.2	−0.09	−0.29 to 0.11	−0.07	−0.27 to 0.14
PBDE 99	−5.39	−19.85 to 9.08	−16.3%	−46.4 to 30.8%	12.9%	−8.6 to 39.5%	−1.35	−8.94 to 6.24	0.09	−0.25 to 0.44	0.3	−0.04 to 0.64
PBDE100	7.61	−5.94 to 21.16	−5.8%	−37.2 to 41.4%	−3.2%	−21 to 18.5%	1.98	−5.6 to 9.56	−0.26	−0.57 to 0.06	−0.18	−0.49 to 0.14
PBDE153	5.09	−2.76 to 12.95	−19.3%	−36.4 to 2.3%	−2%	−12.8 to 10.2%	−1.34	−5.46 to 2.77	−0.09	−0.28 to 0.1	−0.08	−0.27 to 0.11
PBDE209	−1.2	−14.49 to 12.1	−17.7%	−45.1 to 23.4%	1.4%	−16.9 to 23.7%	2.08	−4.07 to 8.23	0.06	−0.26 to 0.38	−0.26	−0.57 to 0.05
HBCD	−3.53	−18.72 to 11.67	27.8%	−17.5 to 97.9%	21.8%	−2.5 to 52.2%	−0.44	−6.59 to 5.72	0.13	−0.22 to 0.49	−0.04	−0.39 to 0.31
TBBPA	−2.25	−17.28 to 12.77	−9.3%	−43 to 44.2%	−17.7%	−34.7 to 3.9%	−2.48	−10.36 to 5.41	0.03	−0.32 to 0.37	−0.05	−0.41 to 0.3
SUM PBDE	2.12	−2.9 to 7.13	−6.6%	−19.9 to 8.9%	0.7%	−6.6 to 8.6%	−0.39	−3.04 to 2.26	−0.01	−0.13 to 0.11	−0.04	−0.16 to 0.08

^A A linear model.
^B A negative binomial model (estimated change in%).
For the individual PBDE congeners, HBCD, and TBBPA the effects of levels above the LOQ were estimated. Sum of serum PBDE’s 47, 99, 100, and 153 was logarithmically transformed and the effects of its two-fold increase were estimated.
All models were adjusted for gender, age, type of education (general secondary education versus other), the highest level of education of parents (using three indicator variables), whether or not the parents owned the house, smoking, passive smoking, and blood lipids. Models evaluating the effects on the number of digits reproduced in the Digit Span test were in addition adjusted for the method of test administration (touch screen verses keyboard). Additionally, BMI, physical activity in leisure time at least once a week, computer use, alcohol use at least once a month, fish consumption, the logarithm of blood lead and the logarithm of serum PCB’s 138, 153, and 180 were included in the model based on the stepwise regression procedure with p = 0.15 for entering and p = 0.10 for remaining in the model.

Back to article page

ISSN: 1476-069X

Contact us

General enquiries: journalsubmissions@springernature.com