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Long‐term use of organophosphates and neuropsychological performance
Author(s) -
Fiedler Nancy,
Kipen Howard,
KellyMcNeil Kathie,
Fenske Richard
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199711)32:5<487::aid-ajim8>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - neuropsychology , medicine , neuropsychological test , organophosphate , mood , covariate , memory span , audiology , psychiatry , working memory , cognition , pesticide , statistics , mathematics , agronomy , biology
This study evaluated neuropsychological effects due to chronic organophosphate use among farmers with no history of acute poisoning. Fifty‐seven male tree fruit farmers (exposed) were compared with 42 age‐matched male cranberry/blueberry growers and hardware store owners (unexposed). Univariate analyses of covariance (reading test as covariate) comparing exposed and unexposed subjects revealed significantly slower reaction time. No other significant differences were noted on tests of concentration, visuomotor skills, memory, expressive language, or mood. Based on an exposure metric derived from detailed exposure histories, farmers were divided into high exposure (n = 40) and low exposure (n = 59) groups, and their neuropsychological performance was compared. Analysis of covariance with age and reading test score as covariates revealed that the high exposure group had significantly slower reaction time, dominant hand. Long‐term use of organophosphates without evidence of an acute poisoning episode appears to produce, at most, subtle changes in neuropsychological performance. Am. J. Ind. Med. 32:487–496, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.