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A comparison of neuropsychological tests for the assessment of chronic toxic encephalopathy

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Author

  • Kai Österberg
  • Palle Örbaek
  • Björn Karlson
  • Ulf Bergendorf
  • Lena Seger

Summary, in English

BACKGROUND: From the viewpoint of the clinical neuropsychologist, it is not evident if the detection of solvent induced toxic encephalopathy (TE) could be optimized by a modification of the traditional test batteries, adding tests covering new dimensions or monitoring further functional domains. METHODS: To clarify this issue, TE patients were re-examined with (a) the tests traditionally used in screening for TE and (b) some tests hitherto less utilized within neurotoxicology, involving complex attention and frontal lobe functioning. RESULTS: The results do not indicate that tests of the latter category would be more sensitive to TE than the tests traditionally used. Using an optimized core battery, compiled of tests from both categories, the sensitivity and specificity levels reached a maximum of around 0.7 when using as criterion the reproduction of a subnormal test profile (TE type 2B). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of several traditional and a few newer tests is suggested to optimize the detection of TE. Repeated assessments over time are also recommended.

Publishing year

2000

Language

English

Pages

666-680

Publication/Series

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Volume

38

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Topic

  • Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0271-3586