Event-Related Potentials in Workers with Ongoing Occupational Exposure

Abstract

The cognitive impact of occupational exposure to organic solvents has primarily been studied with neuropsychologic and behavioral measures (Hartman 1995). A small literature has addressed aberrations in event-related potentials (ERPs) in persons with clinical complaints associated with neurotoxic chemical exposure (El Massioui et al 1986; Morrow et al 1992, Morrow et al 1996; Teo and Ferguson 1985; Wasch et al 1989). For these exposed individuals, prolongation of latency of the P300 component of the ERP is the most consistently reported finding. Prolongation of P300 latency also has been associated with acquired brain damage such as dementia (Goodin et al 1978) and posttraumatic amnesia (Onofrj et al 1991). ERP data are presented from painters with ongoing workplace exposures who had not previously presented with occupationally-related impairments.