The psychological performance profile in occupational intoxications

Abstract

Research of the last decades has yielded information about behavioral changes in workers exposed to neurotoxic chemicals and in patients with occupational intoxications. However, the existing documentation does not provide a detailed neuropsychological description of the toxic syndrome. A comparison of the performances of patients with intoxications due to lead, carbon disulphide and organic solvents indicated some differences in the three neurobehavioral syndromes. In the lead intoxication the effect was rather general, whereas psychomotor retardation was the most prominent feature in the carbon disulphide intoxication, and cognitive disturbance in the solvent intoxication. On the other hand, a follow-up of organic solvent patients indicated that the syndrome caused by organic solvents is not static, but changes do occur after cessation of the exposure: most often improvement of cognitive functions, with the exception of the memory, and further retardation of psychomotor speed. The behavioral changes and their prognosis show, however, considerable individual variation, due to the variation of the premorbid ability structure and personality, and to variation of the exposure history.