Risk factors for brain health in agricultural work: a systematic review.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burzynska AZ ; Castro C ; Duffy J ; Mendez-Colmenares A ; Stallones L ; Sturm ET ; Thomas ML
• Description:
  Certain exposures related to agricultural work have been associated with neurological disorders. To date, few studies have included brain health measurements to link specific risk factors with possible neural mechanisms. Moreover, a synthesis of agricultural risk factors associated with poorer brain health outcomes is missing. In this systematic review, we identified 106 articles using keywords related to agriculture, occupational exposure, and the brain. We identified seven major risk factors: non-specific factors that are associated with agricultural work itself, toluene, pesticides, heavy metal or dust exposure, work with farm animals, and nicotine exposure from plants. Of these, pesticides are the most highly studied. The majority of qualifying studies were epidemiological studies. Nigral striatal regions were the most well studied brain area impacted. Of the three human neuroimaging studies we found, two focused on functional networks and the third focused on gray matter. We identified two major directions for future studies that will help inform preventative strategies for brain health in vulnerable agricultural workers: (1) the effects of moderators such as type of work, sex, migrant status, race, and age; and (2) more comprehensive brain imaging studies, both observational and experimental, involving several imaging techniques. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Animals Dust Epidemiology Insecticides Metals, Heavy Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Nicotine Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Toluene

  More +
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Agriculture; Brain Health; Risk Factors; Pesticides; Vulnerable Populations Brain Function; Risk Factors; Agricultural Industry; Neurological Disorders; Toluenes; Pesticides; Heavy Metals; Dust Exposure; Animals; Nicotine; Plants; Epidemiology;
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20064856
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Mar; 19(6):3373
• Contact Point Address:
  Michael L. Thomas, Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
• Email:
  michael.l.thomas@colostate.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Toluene (CAS RN 108-88-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Ft. Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030915
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20270914
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:23162b7896a365414e488a9ed24da1a02c7b144271c130d00c00fd3c86f00ad5d5052456935989e69ae546c1bdd829a9975f780b876346da920b580acce90d90
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249256/cdc_249256_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.25 MB ]