Odor identification ability and self-reported upper respiratory symptoms in workers at the post-9/11 World Trade Center site

Altman, Kenneth W.; Desai, Shaun C.; Moline, Jacqueline; Hoz, Rafael E. de la; Herbert, Robin; Gannon, Patrick J.; Doty, Richard L.

doi:10.1007/s00420-010-0556-9

Cited by 27 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(50 reference statements)

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“…Olfactory function can be impaired by smoking, sinus disease and inhalation of irritants 29 30 38. We found no increase in smoking prevalence among veterans with impaired olfaction or differences in the history or presence of sinus disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…We found no increase in smoking prevalence among veterans with impaired olfaction or differences in the history or presence of sinus disease. Exposure to pollutants and smoke, which may be present in a combat environment, produces ∼12% decrease in olfaction test scores,38 which would not explain our findings. PTSD does not compromise olfaction,39 and we found that olfactory impairment did not correlate with PTSD severity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

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A case–control study examining whether neurological deficits and PTSD in combat veterans are related to episodes of mild TBI

et al. 2012

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BackgroundMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common injury among military personnel serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The impact of repeated episodes of combat mTBI is unknown.ObjectiveTo evaluate relationships among mTBI, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and neurological deficits (NDs) in US veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan.MethodsThis was a case–control study. From 2091 veterans screened for traumatic brain injury, the authors studied 126 who sustained mTBI with one or more episodes of loss of consciousness (LOC) in combat. Comparison groups: 21 combat veterans who had definite or possible episodes of mTBI without LOC and 21 veterans who sustained mTBI with LOC as civilians.ResultsAmong combat veterans with mTBI, 52% had NDs, 66% had PTSD and 50% had PTSD and an ND. Impaired olfaction was the most common ND, found in 65 veterans. The prevalence of an ND or PTSD correlated with the number of mTBI exposures with LOC. The prevalence of an ND or PTSD was >90% for more than five episodes of LOC. Severity of PTSD and impairment of olfaction increased with number of LOC episodes. The prevalence of an ND for the 34 combat veterans with one episode of LOC (4/34=11.8%) was similar to that of the 21 veterans of similar age and educational background who sustained civilian mTBI with one episode of LOC (2/21=9.5%, p-NS).ConclusionsImpaired olfaction was the most frequently recognised ND. Repeated episodes of combat mTBI were associated with increased likelihood of PTSD and an ND. Combat setting may not increase the likelihood of an ND. Two possible connections between mTBI and PTSD are (1) that circumstances leading to combat mTBI likely involve severe psychological trauma and (2) that altered cerebral functioning following mTBI may increase the likelihood that a traumatic event results in PTSD.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

A case–control study examining whether neurological deficits and PTSD in combat veterans are related to episodes of mild TBI

et al. 2012

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“…The effects of air pollutants are thus at a high level of interest for scientific, governmental, and public communities. An increasing number of people are exposed to a complex mixture of inhalable NPs and toxic chemicals occupationally or as a result of man made and natural disasters, such as war, fires, and volcanic eruptions [210, 211]. Air pollution is increasingly recognized as an important and modifiable determinant of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in urban communities [3, 16].…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Adverse Effects of Air Pollution on the Nervous System

Genç

Zadeoğluları

Fuss

et al. 2012

Journal of Toxicology

508

334

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Exposure to ambient air pollution is a serious and common public health concern associated with growing morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the last decades, the adverse effects of air pollution on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems have been well established in a series of major epidemiological and observational studies. In the recent past, air pollution has also been associated with diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been demonstrated that various components of air pollution, such as nanosized particles, can easily translocate to the CNS where they can activate innate immune responses. Furthermore, systemic inflammation arising from the pulmonary or cardiovascular system can affect CNS health. Despite intense studies on the health effects of ambient air pollution, the underlying molecular mechanisms of susceptibility and disease remain largely elusive. However, emerging evidence suggests that air pollution-induced neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, microglial activation, cerebrovascular dysfunction, and alterations in the blood-brain barrier contribute to CNS pathology. A better understanding of the mediators and mechanisms will enable the development of new strategies to protect individuals at risk and to reduce detrimental effects of air pollution on the nervous system and mental health.

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“…Firefighters, paramedics and police officers may be exposed to a range of different dusts and fumes in disaster situations. An impressive example is provided by Altman et al and Dalton [24, 163]: following the terror attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, many responders and local residents exhibited impairment of olfactory function, in addition to the symptoms of other conditions. Workers are also exposed in day-to-day operations in sewage works and landfills to a range of irritants and agents corrosive to the mucous membrane which may lead to impairment of the sense of smell [164].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfactory dysfunction revisited: a reappraisal of work-related olfactory dysfunction caused by chemicals

Werner

Nies

2018

J Occup Med Toxicol

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Occupational exposure to numerous individual chemicals has been associated with olfactory dysfunction, mainly in individual case descriptions. Comprehensive epidemiological investigations into the olfactotoxic effect of working substances show that the human sense of smell may be impaired by exposure to metal compounds involving cadmium, chromium and nickel, and to formaldehyde. This conclusion is supported by the results of animal experiments. The level of evidence for a relationship between olfactory dysfunction and workplace exposure to other substances is relatively weak.

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Odor identification ability and self-reported upper respiratory symptoms in workers at the post-9/11 World Trade Center site

Abstract: Exposure to WTC air pollution was associated with a decrement in the ability to identify odors, implying that such exposure had a greater influence on smell function than previously realized.

Cited by 27 publications

References 39 publications

A case–control study examining whether neurological deficits and PTSD in combat veterans are related to episodes of mild TBI

A case–control study examining whether neurological deficits and PTSD in combat veterans are related to episodes of mild TBI

The Adverse Effects of Air Pollution on the Nervous System

Olfactory dysfunction revisited: a reappraisal of work-related olfactory dysfunction caused by chemicals

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