Abstract

A cross-sectional study of 118 car painters and controls of 113 workers was performed to investigate the interrelation between self-reported neuropsychiatric symptom and neurobehavioral performance using Scandinavian Questionnaire 16, Zung anxiety, depression scale and Swedish performance evaluation system (simple reaction time, symbol digit, digit span, finger tapping speed). The typical symptoms characteristic of painter's syndrome were not found and no significant association was found between solvent exposure and !total score of neuropsychiatric symptom but neurobehavioral performance of simple reaction time, symbol digit and digit span had association with solvent exposure. No significant associations were found between total score of neurotoxic symptom, anxiety scale, depression scale and the neurobehavioral performance. In factor analysis, the factor of questionnaire 16 measuring function of memory demonstrated no significant association with the factor of neurobehavioral test items measuring short term memory.

• Keywords: Chronic solvent exposure;Neurobehavioral test;Neuropsychiatric symptom