Comparison of neuropsychological test scores between men and women with prior exposure to organic solvents.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether men and women with a history of similar exposure to organic solvents demonstrate differences in neuropsychological performance. An equal number of men and women were compared on a battery of neuropsychological tests. Men and women were matched on age, education, and past history of exposure (i.e., length of exposure, recency of exposure, and history of peak exposure). With the exception of 1 test, there were no differences between men and women on any of the cognitive tests. There were also no differences in self-reported psychological symptoms. There was, however, a different pattern of correlations between test scores and exposure for the men and women: In women, exposure was associated with tests of attention and processing speed, whereas in men, exposure was associated with verbal memory. After controlling for age and education, the findings were diminished for men but remained significant for women. Overall, the results show no differences in neuropsychological test scores between men and women when matched on exposure variables but raise the possibility of differences in the pattern of cognitive deficits associated with solvent exposure between men and women.