AGEING-LIKE ACQUIRED CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IMPAIRMENT FROM LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ORGANIC SOLVENTS NEUROTOXICITY

Información del proyecto

EURONEST

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: MR4*0220

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Enero 1990

Fecha de finalización 31 Diciembre 1992

Financiado con arreglo a

• Research and development coordination programme (EEC) in the field of medical and health research, 1987-1991

Coste total

Sin datos

Aportación de la UE

Sin datos

Coordinado por

Università degli Studi di Milano
Italy

Objetivo

This preparatory activity regards the feasibility of conducting a large-scale Concerted Action on the effects of protracted, low-dose occupational exposure to mixed organic solvents and to toluene on the higher nervous functions.
A study was made of the effects of protracted, low dose occupational exposure to mixed organic solvents and to toluene on the higher nervous functions. New solvent specific tests (ie a subjective symptoms questionnaire and a computerized neurobehavioural test battery) were developed.

In a number of countries, mainly Austria, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, mixed solvent exposure was deemed a relevant issue while Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom expressed preference for the study of toluene exposure, particularly in view of defining a no observed effect level (NOEL). A number of countries believed that both mixed solvents and toluene exposure are areas of interest.

The achievements of the initial study comprise:
development of a questionnaire specially directed to collect solvent related subjective symptoms;
development of a computerized test battery specially designed to detect solvent related changes in the neurobehavioural functions;
performance of 2 courses held at TNO Medical Biological Laboratories, The Netherlands, on Neurobehavioural Methodology and Environmental and Biological Monitoring (these courses were aimed at having participants agree on adequate common theoretical and practical procedures as to how to perform the study);
performance of common exercises on the administration of the newly developed computerized neurobehavioural battery.

The provisional software of the computerized battery is now ready in its core form and is being distributed to participating groups together with hardware parts needed to operate the programme. The results of the preparatory activity now permit the onset of the full concerted action.
Because of the complexity of conducting a large-scale study involving 17 participating groups from 9 EC and 3 COST countries and the need to utilize sensitive and specific methods to detect early changes in the neurobehavioural functions related to long-term, low-dose occupational exposure to organic solvents, it was decided to promote a preparatory activity on this topic in order to perform the full concerted action.
On these grounds, the preparatory activity focused mainly on the following aspects:
1 to define the feasibility of the study in terms of actual participation of individual countries;
2 to develop the protocols for the final study;
3 to perfect methods sufficiently sensitive to detect solvent-related changes in the neurobehavioural functions;
4 to run common exercises with the application of the protocol agreed upon so as to guarantee a more homogeneous administration and interpretation of results.

This phase has to be considered a necessary step to better and more homogeneously approach the final concerted action the aims of which are as follows:
1 the assessment of the different types of exposure to organic solvents in the participating countries;
2 the assessment of the amount of people occupationally exposed to organic solvents in the participating countries;
3 the undertaking of the scientific investigation of the chronic CNS effects due to occupational exposure to organic solvents, with a particular emphasis on protracted, low dose exposure, the detection of early effects and the definition of NOEL. Mixed solvent and toluene exposure were chosen according to local priorities.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

• ciencias naturales › ciencias biológicas › neurobiología
• ciencias naturales › informática y ciencias de la información › software

Programa(s)

• FP2-MHR 4C - Research and development coordination programme (EEC) in the field of medical and health research, 1987-1991

Tema(s)

• 2.2 - Age-related health problems

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

CON - Coordination of research actions

Coordinador

Università degli Studi di Milano

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: San Barnaba 8 ; 20122 Milano ; Italia
• Coste total: Sin datos