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Biomedical subjects

R Gilioli

Publications and source records attributed to R Gilioli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

An international questionnaire to explore neurotoxic symptoms.

EURONEST (European Neurotoxic Solvents Toxicity) is a concerted action within the European Communities to use standardized methods available in all countries. The product of this effort is a new symptom questionnaire, EUROQUEST (European Questionnaire). The original version was developed in English. To obtain transcultural reliability, the translation of questionnaires into other languages must be validated. We adopted a procedure with translation, back translation, and agreement between translators. Ten other European countries also followed the same translation procedure for EUROQUEST.

Hazardous Substances↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence of abnormal neurobehavioral scores in populations exposed to different industrial chemicals.

The aim of the study is to establish the prevalence of neurobehavioral scores of occupationally exposed subjects below the 10th percentile rank of normalized curves obtained on a referent population. The Milan Automated Neurobehavioral System (MANS) was administered to 400 drivers from public and private firms; their data were distributed on the basis of age and years of school attendance and were normalized by determining percentile rank equivalence. The exposed population is made up of 20 lead- and zinc-exposed subjects, 18 welders exposed to aluminum for less than 1 year, 150 exposed to different metals in the ferromanganese production, 73 lithographic operators exposed to gasoline and petroleum, 197 exposed to solvents mixtures in the paint manufacture, and 23 dropouts of the same firm. The percentages of scores below 10th percentile rank were calculated in the different exposure groups and in the different age-school attendance ranges. The prevalence of results below the 10th percentile rank was found to be related to the intensity of the exposures and to the low levels of school attendance. In the 20-29 and the 30-39 age ranges, there was a prevalence of POMS scale scores below 10th percentile rank, in the 50-59 age range, the percentages were high for the Digit Symbol, the mean value of Simple Reaction Time, Serial Digit Learning, and Benton Visual Recognition.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

EURONEST: a concerted action of the European community for the study of organic solvents neurotoxicity.

EURONEST, a concerted action of the European Community with the participation of most EC and some COST countries, is a project aimed at studying the epidemiological impact of CNS effects from protracted exposure to industrial chemicals in the participating countries. After a review of current knowledge, the paper examines the structure and detailed aims, i.e., the qualitative and quantitative study of exposure to neurotoxic chemicals, the performance of an investigation to contribute to the controversial issue of organic solvents CNS toxicity, the definition of the solvent-induced psychoorganic syndrome as well as its epidemiological relevance, and the influence of exposure on the quality of life, in particular on aging. The primary target population consists of workers with long-term exposure to toluene in the printing industry to establish CNS effects and no-effect level; depending on local priorities mixed solvents exposure can also be investigated. The study design is an ambidirectional cohort and sample size requirements are given. The approach as to the methods is not to choose at once among the available neurobehavioral batteries, but to produce a register of the 20-25 tests more commonly used in the different participating laboratories, in order to examine their validity, sensitivity, and reliability. From this exercise, a new more flexible battery is expected to be more effectively applicable under different conditions. Criteria for clinical diagnosis of the solvent-induced psychoorganic syndrome are given in order to be utilized in the investigation of the prevalence rates of these disorders included in the concerted action's program.

Chemistry, Organic↗
PubMed1993

Carbon disulfide and the central nervous system: a 15-year neurobehavioral surveillance of an exposed population.

Carbon disulfide-induced neurobehavioral effects are well known and do not need further evidence. Carbon disulfide vasculopathy and the syndromic complex resulting in depression, loss of memory and concentration, and behavior disturbances have been widely demonstrated. Less known is the evolution of the symptomatology when the environmental conditions are consistently improved, that is, the reversibility or the progression of the dysfunctions observed. This paper reports on a neurobehavioral follow-up in a viscose rayon factory carried out, in intervals, from 1974 to 1990. Several successive improvements were implemented in the plant through the years, until finally, the most radical changes were made at the end of the Seventies and these resulted in exposure levels far below the current Threshold Limit Values. A total of 493 subjects were examined and some of them were reexamined up to six times. The last examination was completed in September, 1990. In this paper, studies by our group over the 15 years of monitoring are discussed. The results show that the general mental state, as measured by neurobehavioral methods, reflects past and current exposure. This point was explored by dividing the subjects into six groups on the basis of their length of exposure and year of examination and by comparing their performances. The results show that even exposure to levels of carbon disulfide not exceeding 8 mg/m3 may induce absentmindedness and difficulties in perceptive abilities.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Deontological behavior of the physician and the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses].

This paper discusses juridical and deontological problems that doctors has to deal with when a validly opposed refusal of a blood transfusion by a Jehovah's Witness endangers his own life. Decided that there is not any duty of a therapeutical intervention on the grounds of art. 328 and 359 of the italian penal code, it is critically examined the soundness of the systematically suggested recourse to the art. 54 of the italian penal code that offend against the inviolable rights of the human person as recognized and guaranteed by the Constitution of the italian Republic. The refusal of a blood transfusion by Jehovah's Witnesses it is part of the right to self-determination towards therapy and of that of freely professing one's own religious faith.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed1990

[Duties and responsibilities of hospital services in reference to autotransfusion practice as provided by the May 4, 1990 law No. 107].

The Authors report the aims of the law 4/5/90 n. 107, as regards to the "diffusion" of autotransfusion practices, pointing out the responsibilities of hospital services named by the law. These services are immunohematology and transfusion services, sanitary directions, surgery divisions and anesthesiology services, with reference to articles 5,6 and 16. Finally, they point the forensic medical problems concerning the possibility of an homologous use of predeposited blood.

Blood Banks↗
PubMed1981

Effects of ganglioside therapy on experimental CS2 neuropathy.

Both in animals and in man the inhalation of CS2 vapor induces a chronic polyneuropathy with primary lesions in the axons of peripheral nerves. Since it was reported in several studies that the administration of gangliosides improves nerve regeneration and the functional recovery of nerves damaged by section as well as cryodegeneration, a study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of bovine-brain gangliosides administration on the experimental CS2 neuropathy in the rat. One hundred and fifty male rats were intoxicated with CS2 by a discontinuous inhalation exposure to 700 ppm for 12 weeks until a clear neuropathy developed. Thereafter the animals were subdivided at random into five groups and treated in different ways: 10 mg/kg BW gangliosides, 0.5 mg/kg gangliosides, 0.5 mg/kg vitamin B1, and 1 mg/kg vitamin B6, physiological solution, and controls without any treatment. The recovery from neuropathy was controlled for 18 weeks of treatment and assessed periodically by means of clinical, electromyographic, and morphological examination. The results of morphological studies showed more pronounced regeneration activity in the rats treated with the high dose of gangliosides than in all others, while no differences among the groups could be observed as far as clinical and neurophysiological parameters are concerned. The mechanism supporting this ganglioside-induced effect has so far not been ascertained, and further studies on this subject are in progress.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

A clinical, neurophysiological and behavioral study of female workers exposed to 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

Twenty-two female subjects working in a factory in which 1,1,1-trichloroethane was the only solvent used were investigated by means of clinical, neurophysiological and psychometric methods so that the neurotoxicity of the solvent could be evaluated. On the basis of the ambient air concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane ranging from 110 to 990 ppm, the workers were divided into three risk groups and compared with a reference group. No significant difference was observed between the exposed and unexposed females with respect to clinical features, maximal motor conduction velocity, conduction velocity of slow fibers, and psychometric data. The most frequent complaints of the workers were of the "neurotic" type with a slightly higher, but not significant, difference in the exposed group. The results obtained favor the absence of a manifest neurotoxic effect of 1,1,1-trichloroethane under the specific work conditions of the investigation; generally unfavorable work conditions seem to have played a prominent role in the genesis of the neurotic complaints. The importance of a global methodological approach in the study of work-related risks, particularly in neurological and psychological surveys, is stressed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Experiences with the Milan Automated Neurobehavioral System (MANS) in occupational neurotoxic exposure.

It is known that in neurobehavioral toxicology, the data obtained by means of psychological testing can acquire sense only when testing conditions and procedures, among others, are kept under rigorous control. This demand, together with the diffusion of multicentered studies aimed at finding mutual agreement on the parameters to be measured and the interpretation criteria to be adopted, has determined our decision to convert six out of the seven tests of the WHO-NCTB into a computer-aided system (MANS). The choice of one of the two systems depends on the characteristics of the testing situation and on the different requirements of clinical, epidemiological and experimental studies. The validation of MANS, as to its reliability and sensitivity, is ongoing but some data have already been collected which show a high correlation of the computer-administered test results with the paper and pencil form as well as a good degree of discriminating power in different testing situations. The experience, made in the past three years, seems to show that the goal of having a simple, easy to handle and reliable instrument to be used and, if necessary easily adapted to a variety of situations and cultures, has been met. Further work is to be carried out to confirm its validity in the early detection of neurobehavioral impairments due to neurotoxic agents.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗