Forty-eight persons (age 44, SD 9 years) exposed to paint solvents and 40 nonexposed referents (age 45, SD 9 years) were examined. The duration of exposure was 4 to 30 (mean 20) years and the life-time exposure level was estimated to have been 10 to 330 (mean 60%) of the hygienic standard. The methods used were a neurological examination, electroencephalography, brainstem auditory-evoked potentials, electronystagmography, and posturography. Life-time exposure was estimated on the basis of a detailed occupational history and environmental measurements made at the work places over several years. The average weekly alcohol consumption was established in a detailed interview. Due to the small number of subjects examined, the study was inconclusive. The findings classified as abnormal were slightly more common in the exposed than in the referents, and in the persons who used alcohol than in the non-users. The differences were not statistically significant, and no exposure-response relationships were found.

Twenty one monozygotic twins exposed to organic solvents were compared with their non-exposed cotwins by performance in psychological tests. A further 28 monozygotic twin pairs were examined as a reference group. The study used 11 tests, 10 of which had shown an effect in previous studies on the results of exposure to solvents. Paired comparisons of the test scores showed the exposed twins to have lower performance in associative learning, digit span, and block design. These results agree with two previous studies that used a similar set of tests. Contrary to some other studies, psychomotor speed was not affected, but the results indicated a marginal effect on the control of hand movements. Further comparison of subgroups with a low and a high exposure showed the prevalence of subtle neuropsychological dysfunction to be greater among the more exposed twins.

No abstract

A postal survey was conducted among 200 Finnish occupational physicians and nurses on their ethical values and problems. Both groups considered 'expertise' and 'confidentiality' as the most important core values of occupational health services (OHS) corresponding with newly published national ethical guidelines for occupational physicians and nurses in Finland. Nearly all respondents had encountered ethically problematic situations in their work, but ethical problems with gene testing in the near future were not considered likely to occur. Only 41% of the nurses and 36% of the physicians had received some training in the ethics of OHS, and 76% of all respondents never used available ethical guidelines. According to the results, even if ethics play a vital role in OHS, the ability to critically evaluate one's own performance seems quite limited. This creates a need for further training and more practicable national guidelines.

-Poika, MD1SEPPALAINEN AM, ANTTI-POIKA M. Time course of electrophysiological findings for patients with solvent poisoning: A descriptive study. Scand j work environ health 9 (1983) 15-24. The time course of electroencephalographic (EEG) and electroneuromyographic (ENMG) findings was studied among 87 patients (40 men and 47 women) with a diagnosis of chronic solvent intoxication after occupational exposure. Neurophysiological studies were initially performed around the time of diagnosis, and all the patients were reexamined three to nine years later. No control group was available for the follow-up. Upon diagnosis 67 % of the patients had an abnormal EEG, the majority with diffuse slow-wave abnormalities. The reexamination showed improvement in the EEGs of 47 Q, but the percentage of patients with paroxysmal abnormalities had increased from the initial 6 to 17. The percentage of patients with neuropathic findings was 62 for the first and 74 for the second ENMG. Upon reexamination fibrillations were seen in 46 70 (in 38 % in the initial examination), and some loss of motor units was found for 61 70 (for 54 70 in the initial examination). Mild improvement in the neuropathic findings was noted for 60 %, but the neuropathic findings of 25 % showed slight deterioration during the follow-up period. The EEG findings showed a time course resembling that described after external head injuries. The ENMG findings resembled those described in hexacarbon-induced or carbon disulfide-induced neuropathy. Controlled studies are recommended to examine the observed slight associations between electrophysiological findings and the type of chemical exposure.