Time may not reduce brain effects of solvent exposure

[riky]

Time may not reduce brain effects of solvent exposure

Exposure to paints, degreasers, adhesives and glues is common in some occupations, and has been linked to problems such as memory loss, reduced cognitive processing speed and difficulty staying focused. “We do know that in the short term, certain chemicals at work â€" solvents â€" are known to affect cognitive health, but there isn’t a lot done that has looked at the long-term impact on cognitive function, particularly after people retire,” said Erika Sabbath, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, who led the study. Generally, this is the same period of life when people begin to experience cognitive decline, she added, so she and her colleagues wanted to see if there were certain patterns of lifetime exposure to solvents that predicted cognitive problems after retirement. “When we looked at those where the exposure happened a long time ago, 30 to 50 years before, we found that the effects of solvents on cognitive function didn’t necessarily fade away,” she said.

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