Summary
The object of the present study was to evaluate, with the aid of electrophysiologic techniques, the alterations induced in the auditory nervous system by exposure to toluene in a group of rotogravure workers. From 300 workers who were apparently in good health but were professionally exposed to toluene, we selected a sample of 40 workers of normal hearing ability. They were examined with an adaptation test studied by the brainstem auditory evoked potential technique with 11 and 90 stimulus repetitions a second. The results were compared with those in a group of workers of the same age but not professionally exposed to solvents. Our study demonstrates that exposure to toluene is able to induce a statistically significant alteration in the electric responses with both 11 and 90 stimuli repetitions. This alteration can be explained as a toluene exposure-induced modification, of physiologic stimulus conduction mechanisms, even in the absence of any clinical sign of neuropathy. Furthermore, such a modification could be observed in the electric responses of the entire auditory system, from peripheral receptors to brainstem nuclei.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altmann L, Bottger A, Wiegand H (1990) Neurophysiological and psychophysical measurements reveal effects of acute low-level organic solvent exposure in humans. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 62:493–499
Ameno K, Kirin T, Fuke C, Ameno S, Shinohara T, Ijiri I (1992) Regional brain distribution of toluene in rats and in a human autopsy. Arch Toxicol 66:153–156
Baselt RC, Cravey RH (1989) Disposition of toxic drugs and chemicals in man 3rd edn. Year Book Publisher, Chicago, pp 812–818
Birnbaum ZW (1952) Numerical tabulation of the distribution of Kolmogorov's statistics for finite sample size. J Stat Assoc (September)
Biscaldi GP, Mingardi M, Pollini G, Moglia A, Bossi MC (1981) Acute toluene poisoning. Electron europhysiological and vestibular investigations. Toxicol Eur Res 3:271–273
Chang YC (1990) Patients with n-hexane induced polyneuropathy: a clinical follow up. Br J Ind Med 47:485–489
Chang YC (1991) An electrophysiological follow up of patients with n-hexane polyneuropathy. Br J Ind Med 48:12–17
Chia Kuei Tsao (1954) An extension of Massey's distribution of the maximum deviation between two-sample cumulative step function. Ann Mat Stat (September)
Ellenborn MJ, Bareloux DG (1988) Medical toxicology: diagnosis and treatment of human toxicology. Elsevier, New York, pp 273–300
Foo SC, Jeyaratnam J, Koh D (1990) Chronic neurobehavioural effects of toluene. Br J Ind Med 47:480–484
Grabski DA (1961) Toluene sniffing producing cerebellar degeneration. Am J Psychiatry 118:461–462
Hanninen H, Eskelinen L, Husman K, Nurminen M (1976) Behavioural effect of long term exposure to a mixture of organic solvent. Scand J Work Environ Health 2:240–256
Hanninen H, Anti-Poika M, Savolainen P (1987) Psychological performance, toluene exposure and alcohol consumption in rotogravure printers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 59:475–483
Iuntunen J, Matikainen E, Anti-Poika M (1985) Nervous system effects of long term occupational exposure to toluene. Acta Neurol Scand 72:512–517
Kind MD, Oliver JS, Lush M, Watson JM (1981) Solvent encephalopathy. Br Med J 283:663–665
Malm G, Tunnell UL (1980) Cerebellar dysfunction related to toluene sniffing. Acta Neurol Scand 62:188–190
Metrick SA, Brenner RP (1982) Abnormal brainstem auditory evoked potentials in chronic paint sniffers. Ann Neurol 12:553–556
Miller LH (1956) Tables of percentages points of Kolomogorov statistics. J Am Stat Assoc (March)
Nylen P, Eriksson B, Hagman M, Larsby B, Hoglund G, Tham R, Wennberg A (1991) Auditory and vestibular function in rats after simultaneous exposure to toluene and ethanol. Abstracts of the 3rd INA Meeting. Neurotoxicology 12:796
Orbæk P, Rosen I, Svenson K (1988) Electroneurographic findings in patients with solvent induced central nervous system dysfunction. Br J Ind Med 45:409–414
Pryor G (1984) Factors affecting toluene-induced ototoxicity in rats. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol 6:223–238
Rebert SC, Pryor G (1991) Combined effects of toluene and nhexane on peripheral nerve and brainstem auditory evoked response. Abstracts of the 3rd INA Meeting. Neurotoxicology 12:795
Rosenhamer HJ, Silfverskiolold BP (1980) Slow tremor and delayed brainstem auditory evoked responses in alcoholics. Arch Neurol 37:293–296
Sadocchi S (1981) Manuale di analisi statistica multivariata. F Angeli, Milan
Siegel S (1956) Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. McGraw-Hill New York
Urban P, Lukas E (1990) Visual evoked potentials in rotogravure printers exposed to toluene. Br J Ind Med 47:819–823
Urban P, Lukas E, Zvolska H (1990) General health state of workers from rotogravure. II. Neurological — psychiatric part (in Czech). Prac Lek 42:265–269
Vianelli S (1956) Metodological statistica delle scienze agrarie. vol 2. Edagricole, Bologna
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abbate, C., Giorgianni, C., Munaò, F. et al. Neurotoxicity induced by exposure to toluene. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 64, 389–392 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00517943
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00517943