MOLLER C, ODKVIST L, LARSBY B, THAM R, LEDIN T, BERGHOLTZ L. Otoneurological findings in workers exposed to styrene. Scand J Work Environ Health 1990;16:189-94. An otoneurological test battery was adm inistered to 18 workers with long-term exposure (6-15 years) to styrene at levels well below the current Swedish limit (110 mg/m'). The results were compared with those of a reference gro up. Disturbances were found in the centr al auditory path ways of seven wor kers. Tests reflecting central pr ocessing of impu lses from different sensory equilib rium organs were abnormal for 16 workers. Th e most relevant tests seemed to be static posturography and the rotatory visual suppression test. In the posturograph y the styrene gro up had a significantl y larger sway area than the reference group. In the visual suppression test , the styrene workers displayed a significantly poorer abilit y to suppress vestibular nystagmus than the reference group. It was concluded that styrene exposur e in industrial environments at moderate or low levels causes central nervous system disturbances which ar e not always diagnosable with psychometric tests but can be apparent in special otoneurological tests.
Nine subjects with long-term (8-30 years) occupational exposure to industrial solvents and a confirmed diagnosis of psycho-organic syndrome (POS) have been studied with audiological and otoneurological test batteries. The results were compared to a matched control group of nine industrial workers not exposed to solvents and to normal data from healthy volunteers. In the clinical examination, the Romberg test identified 5/9 workers as pathologic and concurrently the stabilometry showed significantly larger sway areas in the POS-group. In the audiological test battery, the significantly pathologic tests were discrimination of interrupted speech and evoked cortical responses to frequency glides (CRA-delta-f). The saccade test disclosed abnormal findings in 5/9 workers. In the smooth pursuit test, abnormality was found at some test frequencies using pseudorandomized stimulus. The VOR-suppression test was significantly abnormal at all test frequencies. The test battery used strongly indicates CNS lesions due to industrial solvents.
Three groups of subjects with long-term (5-41 years) occupational exposure to industrial solvents have been evaluated with extensive audiological and vestibular test batteries. Group A comprised 16 subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of psycho-organic syndrome (POS), while group B consisted of 7 subjects with suspected POS. Both groups had been exposed to mixtures of aliphatic and aromatic solvents. Eight subjects with long-term exposure to jet fuel constituted group C. In the audiological test battery, discrimination of interrupted speech and evoked cortical potentials in response to frequency glides were the tests that yielded significantly abnormal results. In the vestibular test battery, considerable pathology was seen in electronystagmography, and in addition, visual suppression test and saccade test indicated CNS disturbance. In general, when a test yielded pathological results, the incidence of pathology was highest in group A and lowest in group C.
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