Occupational solvent exposure and brain function: an fMRI study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Carpenter DM ; Eaves EL ; Fiedler NL ; Ganeshalingam N ; Lange G ; Ng J ; Qian H ; Tang CY ; Weisel C ; Carpenter DM ; Eaves EL ; Fiedler NL ; Ganeshalingam N ; Lange G ; Ng J ; Qian H ; Tang CY ; Weisel C
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: Deficits in cognitive function have been demonstrated among workers chronically exposed to solvents, but the neural basis for these deficits has not been shown. OBJECTIVES: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare pathophysiological changes in brain function between solvent-exposed and control workers. METHODS: Painters, drywall tapers, and carpenters were recruited from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 9 in New York City and District Council 21 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and from the Carpenters Union in New Jersey. Twenty-seven solvent-exposed and 27 control subjects of similar age, education, and occupational status completed the N-Back working memory test during fMRI. After controlling for confounders (age; lifetime marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol use; blood lead; symptoms of depression; verbal intelligence), voxelwise group analysis and regional activation levels were compared and then correlated with an index of lifetime solvent exposure. RESULTS: Solvent-exposed workers' performance on the N-Back was significantly worse than that of controls. Activation of the anterior cingulate, prefrontal, and parietal cortices--areas serving working memory function and attention--was also significantly lower for solvent-exposed workers relative to controls. After controlling for confounders, we observed a negative correlation between lifetime solvent exposure and activation in these same regions among the solvent-exposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of the few to document neural structures affected by exposure to solvents. Our findings provide a biological mechanism for the neurobehavioral deficits in working memory and attention that have previously been reported by other groups studying the effects of chronic exposure to solvents. These imaging markers, which are consistent with the neurobehavioral measures in our subject population, are consistent with altered brain pathology caused by prolonged exposure to solvent mixtures during construction work. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Construction Industry Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Men Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Solvents Women

  More +
• Keywords:
  Age-groups Author Keywords: Brain Function Brain-function Construction-workers Environmental-exposure Environmental-hazards Exposure-levels Exposure-limits FMRI Humans Mental-health Neurotoxic-effects Psychological-effects Psychological-factors Risk-factors Solvent-vapors Solvent Exposure

  More +
• ISSN:
  0091-6765
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  119
• Issue:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039749
• Citation:
  Environ Health Perspect 2011 Jul; 119(7):908-913
• Contact Point Address:
  C.Y. Tang, Department of Radiology and Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1234, New York, NY 10029
• Email:
  Cheuk.Tang@mssm.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Performing Organization:
  University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20040901
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health Perspectives
• End Date:
  20090531
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a4a949cf2df42a803890947b2aca4147237b8433df8364eee6bb40dc2166f7e33824221d67c388cb1cf941aeeaa92bae20bad58a9b2b472a42df2a901231240f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192868/cdc_192868_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.85 MB ]