Application of neurobehavioral tests in a manufacturing automotive parts factory

Abstract

Three neurobehavioral tests and a profile of mood states (POMS) test, which are included in the WHO neurobehavioral core test battery, were applied to 106 workers engaged in manufacturing automotive parts, especially for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a significant difference in the score between a group of sixty-one workers chronically exposed to organic solvents and a group of forty-five workers unexposed. The scores of both pursuit-aiming and digit-symbol substitution tests were lower (P < 0.02 and P < 0.01, respectively, in analysis of covariance) in the group of exposed workers than in the group of unexposed workers. Furthermore, in the group of exposed workers, the pursuit-aiming and digit-symbol substitution scores showed a positive correlation (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) to the fatigue score in the POMS test. On the other hand, the score of the digit span test showed no significant difference between the two groups. No significant correlation was found between the urinary hippuric acid level and the score of each of the three neurobehavioral tests. Therefore, among the exposed workers, the perceptual motor function evaluated in pursuit-aiming and digit-symbol tests seems to be affected. The neurobehavioral tests administered in this study are limited in number and in function, however, the comparison of their scores between the exposed and unexposed workers may suggest the presence of adversive effects of chronic exposure to organic solvents.