Biomedical subjects

B Bazylewicz-Walczak

Publications and source records attributed to B Bazylewicz-Walczak.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

[Ability to work--new approach to evaluation methods].

In Poland, the assessment of work ability has thus far been almost entirely objective, which means that it was based on the evaluation of the individual's health state. That is why a subjective method of work ability assessment with work ability index (WAI), developed by the Occupational Health Institute in Helsinki, was used in our present study. This method allows to indicate other possible factors which modify work ability. The study covered 189 men employed in five metallurgical plants, located in the region of Lódź. In the study population, WAI and work load on the basis of the expenditure of energy were measured, the health condition was evaluated, and information on life styles and non-occupational responsibilities was gathered. It was found that WAI values were inversely proportional to age and work load. They were also modified by individual characteristics, such as life style, body mass, and activities at leisure. It was found that the correlation between the general index of work ability and the objective health indicators was low with the concomitant considerably higher correlation with the values of the components which reflect subjective work abilities. In view of the results obtained, WAI can be recommended as a tool for assessing work ability. Due to this method it is possible to present conclusively all elements of individual characteristics and to identify at the same time links with working conditions.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Lessons learned--15 years of the WHO-NCTB: a review.

Based on expert recommendations, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) in 1983 to detect neurotoxicity in world-wide populations. The NCTB consists of 7 neurobehavioral tests (Digit Symbol, Digit Span, Benton visual memory test/recognition form, Santa Ana dexterity test, Simple Reaction Time, Pursuit Aiming II, and Profile of Mood States). Research with the NCTB provides the context for the results of a mini-symposium held in 1999 to discuss the lessons learned about using the NCTB in working populations. Speakers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America reviewed data from 94 studies using the NCTB, including 63 from China, 13 from Korea, 11 from Poland, three from South Africa, three from the USA, and one from Ecuador. Although a consensus was not sought in the symposium, the key lessons learned that emerged from the various presentations, were: * The NCTB is effective in testing adults with 12 or more years of formal education, but can not reliably test persons with less than 9 years of education. * People from cultures very different from those in Europe and North America (eg, aboriginal and African cultures) may not be tested effectively by the NCTB, although others such as at least some Asian populations, can be. To address this problem, the construct validity of the NCTB should be established in a wide range of countries. * The POMS measures of emotion proved to be very sensitive to neurotoxic exposures in several countries, but the POMS was the NCTB test most affected by cultural differences. The Digit Symbol or the Milan modification of that test was also highly sensitive to neurotoxic exposures. * Examiner drift following training to administer the NCTB is a significant problem in technically trained Examiners. Pursuit Aiming II is very difficult to score reliably.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Behavioral effects of occupational exposure to organophosphorous pesticides in female greenhouse planting workers.

51 women employed in gardening enterprises were studied. Of these, 26 performed planting jobs in greenhouses and were occupationally exposed to several organophosphates. The comparison group consisted of 25 women not exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. The groups were similar in terms of age, education, place of habitation, and intake of stimulants and drugs. Exposure determinations were performed during the period when pesticides were intensively used in the greenhouses (March-June). Exposure measurements included air pollution, contamination of skin and clothes, and work timing. The level of total exposure in the planting worker group was low. Psychological examinations were conducted twice: before and after the spraying season, and the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery recommended by the WHO was administered to all subjects. The results of the psychological tests did not reveal effects of exposure after a single spraying season. Analysis of the results, however, indicated differences between the exposed and control groups on both occasions. The exposed female workers were characterized by longer reaction times and reduced motor steadiness compared to the unexposed workers. In addition, increased tension, greater depression and fatigue, more frequent symptoms of CNS disturbances were observed in the exposed women compared to the controls.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Neuropsychologic effects of occupational exposure to manganese].

A broad use of manganese and its compounds in industry generates adverse health effects in workers exposed. When setting environmental exposure criteria, changes in the central nervous system are considered as a critical health effect. The author describes these changes and reviews the latest reports on empirical studies employing psychological methods in detecting preclinical neurotoxic effects of manganese. Results of neuropsychological studies carried out in different countries and in different occupational groups exposed to rather low manganese concentrations evidence the range of changes in the function of the nervous system.

Environmental Exposure↗

PubMed1993

Adaptation of the WHO NCTB for use in Poland for detection of effects of exposure to neurotoxic agents.

The purpose of the project was an assessment of psychometric characteristics of the WHO Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) (in traditional version) and the Hanninen Subjective Symptom Questionnaire adapted for Poland. The subjects were 119 greenhouse workers, 65 of them were exposed to organophosphorous pesticides and 54 were nonexposed ones. To assess the reliability, all tests from NCTB were administered twice with a 4-month interval. The results obtained in the first examination were used to determine the effects of gender, age, and education on tests performance. To determine the underlying factor structure of the test battery, the factor analysis was performed on 45 variables. The test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.33 to 0.91. The lowest correlations were found for the Aiming Test--sum of errors (r = 0.33) and the Benton Test (r = 0.34). Gender appeared to be the most modifying factor of test performance. The factor analysis yielded 11 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 (78.4% of variance explained).

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[Neurobehavioral effects of chronic occupational exposure to mixtures of solvents used in furniture varnishing. Part I--Psychological examination].

The study aimed at detecting psychological effects of chronic occupational exposure to the mixtures of solvents used in furniture varnishing. 36 exposed workers and 34 controls selected so as to account for age, education level and the nature work were examined. The following tests were used in the examinations: the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery, Orebro Symptom Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale. A slow-down of perceptive and motor activities, which intensified with the duration of exposure, was the only observed adverse effect of the exposure. The workers employed for periods longer than 15 years more often reported symptoms of psychic function disturbances and deterioration of their health condition.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

[Psychological evaluation of the effects of chronic occupational exposure of paint shop workers to the mixture of organic solvents].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychological effects of chronic occupational exposure to the mixture of organic solvents containing xylene, toluene, n-butanol, butyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and cyclohexanone defined by MAC values. Thirty-four paint shop workers and 34 controls, matched according to sex, age, education and the type of work performed, were examined. The Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) was used in the study. In the exposed workers, a longer simple reaction time was observed, as well as reduced manual skills and impaired precision of the hand movements.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

The psychological effects of chronic exposure to white spirit in rubber industry workers.

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of chronic occupational exposure to white spirit on the efficiency of workers' intellectual and psychomotor functions. The exposed group consisted of 226 rubber industry workers while the control group comprised 102 hosiery plant workers. The analysis of results was aimed at the determination of exposure effects depending on the duration of exposure and age of persons examined. It has been revealed that chronic exposure to white spirit, at a concentration close to the hygienic standard, induces the deterioration of some intellectual and psychomotor functions in the exposed persons, depending on the duration of exposure and age of the exposed subjects. Among the variables presented in the study, several individual functions including: perception and reproduction of visual material; projection of spatial relationships; concentration; time of simple and choice reaction; speed and coordination of hand movements were found the most effective in contrasting the exposed group from the control.

Female↗

PubMed1986

[Mental evaluation after chronic exposure to tetrachloroethylene].

With the aim of determining the effects of chronic occupational exposure to Per upon the selected intellectual and psychomotor functions two groups of workers have been examined. The proper group was that of chemical laundry workers exposed to Per (concentrations within TLVs and above). The control group was composed of knitting plant workers nonexposed to chemical substances. The findings point to significant differences between the test groups, consisting in an extension of the time of response to homogeneous and complex light stimuli (psychomotor function) and in a decrease in the ability to see and reflect the visual material (intellectual function) in the Per-exposed group.

Adult↗