The neurobehavioral impact of manganese: results and challenges obtained by a meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Results from a meta-analysis of aggregated data provoked a new analysis using individual data on the neuropsychological performance of occupationally exposed workers. Data from eight studies examining 579 exposed and 433 reference participants were included, 28 performance variables analyzed. The performance scores were adjusted for well-known individual-level covariates; the influence of possible, but unknown study-level covariates was attenuated by means of a z-normalization.

Neurobehavioral performance in human volunteers during inhalation exposure to the unpleasant local irritant cyclohexylamine.

Chemosensory active volatile organic compounds occur in the breathing air at many workplaces and it has been assumed that they are potent to impair workers' cognitive performance; however, the nature of this relationship is not understood. In the current study we investigated whether the combination of strong chemosensory potency and unpleasant odor valence is a sufficient predictor for the appearance of neurobehavioral impairment. Human volunteers were exposed to three workplace-relevant concentrations of the malodorant cyclohexylamine: 0.

Statistical means to enhance the comparability of data within a pooled analysis of individual data in neurobehavioral toxicology.

Meta-analyses of individual participant data (IPD) provide important contributions to toxicological risk assessments. However, comparability of individual data cannot be taken for granted when information from different studies has to be summarized. By means of statistical standardization approaches the comparability of data might be increased.

Acute effects of exposure to vapours of standard and dearomatized white spirits in humans. 2. Irritation and inflammation.

Low aromatic and dearomatized white spirits (deWS) are often considered less hazardous to health than 'standard' or aromatic white sprit (stdWS, 15-20% aromatics). However, data on health effects of deWS in humans are sparse and controlled exposure studies are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare deWS and stdWS with respect to irritation and inflammation.

Acute effects of exposure to hexanal vapors in humans.

Objective: n-Hexanal is a major component in emissions from stored wood pellets. The production and use of wood pellets has increased dramatically. Our aim was to evaluate acute health effects of n-hexanal vapors.

Acute effects of exposure to vapours of acetic acid in humans.

Acetic acid is used in plastics, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Despite a widespread use, information of possible health effects is sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate acute irritation during controlled exposure to vapours of acetic acid.

Low-level styrene exposure and color vision in Swedish styrene workers.

Styrene exposure and color vision for 108 workers (21-65 years) was studied at Swedish reinforced plastic plants. Acute exposure was measured at work. Data on past exposures and personal background data were collected by questionnaire.

The nervous system effects of occupational exposure on workers in a South African manganese smelter.

Five hundred and nine production workers at a manganese (Mn) smelting works comprising eight production facilities and 67 external controls were studied cross-sectionally for Mn related neuroehavioural effects. Exposure measures from personal sampling included Mn in inhalable dust as cumulative exposure indices (CEI) and average intensity (INT). Biological exposure and biological effect measures included blood (MnB), urine (MnU) manganese and serum prolactin.

Color vision and occupational chemical exposures. II. Visual functions in non-exposed subjects.

This paper presents data on visual functions (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and several tests of color vision), in a group of 199 non-exposed healthy subjects with an even distribution over the age range 18-65 years, and sex. Although subjects with obvious congenital color vision deficiencies were removed from the analyses (four males), females were superior to males on several of the color vision tests applied. Age influenced visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, while color discrimination was less affected.

Color vision and occupational chemical exposures: I. An overview of tests and effects.

The paper presents a summary of the literature published until December 2000 on effects from some industrial chemical exposures on color perception, as well as short descriptions of the tests applied. Several different tests have been used to study acquired alterations of color vision. These changes are frequently found in the blue-yellow axis.

EUROQUEST--a questionnaire for solvent related symptoms: factor structure, item analysis and predictive validity.

The study evaluates the factor structure and predictive validity of the symptom questionnaire EUROQUEST (EQ) that had been developed with the goal of simplifying the evaluation of health effects associated with long-term solvent exposure. The EQ was added to the normal evaluation procedures for 118 male patients with suspected solvent-induced toxic encephalopathy (TE) referred to seven Swedish clinics of occupational medicine during an 18-month period. EQ was also completed by 239 males from a random sample of 400 Swedish males aged 25-64 years selected from the general population and a sample of 559 occupationally active male spray painters aged 25-64 years.