Effect of subchronic mercury exposure on electrocorticogram of rats

Mercury is a neurotoxic compound causing irreversible disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system. In some of the previous human and experimental studies mercury also affected some functional neurological parameters such as EEG, and cortical evoked potentials. In the present study, the effect of subchronic (4, 8, and 12 weeks) relatively low-level (0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 mg/kg mercury in form of HgCl2, per os by gavage) treatment on the basic cortical activity was investigated. Certain parameters of electrocorticogram (ECoG) recorded simultaneously from the primary somatosensory, visual and auditory centres were analyzed. The results showed that mercury had a dose- and time-dependent effect on the examined ECoG parameters, and the changes became significant by the end of the experiment of week 12.