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Cognitive control dysfunction in workers exposed to manganese‐containing welding fume
Author(s) -
AlLozi Amal,
Nielsen Susan Searles,
Hershey Tamara,
Birke Angela,
Checkoway Harvey,
Criswell Susan R.,
Racette Brad A.
Publication year - 2017
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/ajim.22675
Subject(s) - medicine , welding , cognition , working memory , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , occupational exposure , intensity (physics) , environmental health , psychiatry , metallurgy , materials science , physics , quantum mechanics
Background Chronic exposure to manganese (Mn) is a health concern in occupations such as welding because of well‐established motor effects due to basal ganglia dysfunction. We hypothesized that cognitive control (the ability to monitor, manipulate, and regulate ongoing cognitive demands) would also be affected by chronic Mn exposure. Methods We examined the relationship between Mn exposure and cognitive control performance in 95 workers with varying intensity and duration (median 15.5 years) of exposure to welding fume. We performed linear regression to assess the association between exposure to Mn‐containing welding fume and cognitive control tasks. Results Overall performance was inversely related to intensity of welding exposure ( P = 0.009) and was driven by the Two‐Back and Letter Number Sequencing tests that assess working memory (both P = 0.02). Conclusions Occupational exposure to Mn‐containing welding fume may be associated with poorer working memory performance, and workers may benefit from practices that reduce exposure intensity. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:181–188, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.