NEUROBEHAVIORAL TEST-PERFORMANCE AMONG APPRENTICE PAINTERS - BASE-LINE DATA

In the debate on chronic effects of solvent use, it is often difficult to find information on the cerebral health status of subjects before any exposure has occurred The objective of this study was to obtain ba seline data by examination of workers at the beginning of their occupa tional hives. This study compares the performance of 57 apprentice pai nters, mean age 16.6 +/- 1.2 years, with that of 62 apprentices, mean age 16.2 +/- years, drawn from other manual trades involving no signif icant exposure to solvents. Their performances were compared twice ove r a period of 3 years using a series of behavioral tests chosen from a translated version of the Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES). Th ere were no major differences in performance between the apprentices, except for the verbal ability test, which showed lower results for pai nters. This can be explained by factors such as socioeconomic backgrou nd, previous schooling, or mother tongue, and mises the question of wh ether it is appropriate to use such a test to adjust for the influence of premorbid ability in elderly exposed workers. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.