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Biomedical subjects

S Lehrl

Publications and source records attributed to S Lehrl.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Neurotoxicity of solvent mixtures in spray painters. II. Neurologic, psychiatric, psychological, and neuroradiologic findings.

A multidisciplinary cross-sectional study was performed to examine the chronic neurotoxicity of organic solvents. Participating in the study were 105 persons employed as spray painters and having long-term solvent exposure (10-44 years) and a control group consisting of 58 construction workers, electricians, and plumbers without occupational contact to solvents. Samples were matched for age, preexposure intelligence level, occupation, and socioeconomic status. After controlling for potentially non occupational confounding factors (neuropsychiatric diseases, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, alcohol intake) 83 spray painters and 42 controls were entered finally into the study. The evaluation included work history, self-rating questionnaire, neurologic investigation, psychiatric analysis using the Present State Examination (PSE), psychological testing, and computerized axial tomography (CAT) of the brain. Physical and neurologic examinations demonstrated no case of overt disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system. An important result of the psychiatric analysis was that the syndromes "special features of depression" and "loss of interest and concentration" occurred significantly more frequently among spray painters than among controls. Further analyses demonstrated an association with chronic exposure over 30 years and repeated acute neurotoxic effects during solvent exposures. Neither psychological nor performance tests demonstrated any statistically significant differences in the performance sets after adjustment according to premorbid intelligence level; this finding supports the presumption of only a low grade of mental dysfunction. Correlation analyses indicated a relationship between subjective health complaints and long-term solvent exposure; however, the effect of age cannot be completely ruled out.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Clinical and neurobehavioural study of the acute and chronic neurotoxicity of styrene.

A cross sectional field study of workers exposed to styrene was performed to evaluate possible acute and chronic neurotoxic effects. A total of 36 workers of four companies handling polyester resin materials for one to 16 years (median: 7 years) and two control groups were each examined on a Monday. The control group 1 (formed to compare acute effects) consisted of 20 men from two companies with no exposure to neurotoxic chemicals. To compare chronic effects, a second control group was formed by "one to one matching" with respect to age, socioeconomic status, and pre-exposure intelligence level. Ambient air monitoring using active sampling (short time) and passive samplers (long time) showed styrene in air concentrations as follows: range 3-251 ppm (median: 18 ppm) and concentrations 140-600 ppm during lamination of the inside of boats. For biological monitoring the results were as follows (postshift samples: range/median): styrene in blood: 5-482 micrograms/dl (39 micrograms/dl), mandelic acid urine: 0.01-3.64 g/l (0.21 g/l), and phenylglyoxylic acid urine: 0.01-0.87 g/l (0.19 g/l). The clinical examination found no signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or encephalopathy. The principal work related health complaints were acute, reversible irritation of the eyes that occurred after exposure to styrene concentrations of 200 ppm or more. The neurobehavioural tests showed no significant differences in acute effects (p greater than 0.05) between the two groups or between preshift and postshift testing. Nor were there any significant differences in the relevant neurobehavioural variables between the styrene workers and the controls. It is concluded that occupational exposure to styrene concentrations in air up to 100 ppm causes no adverse acute or chronic effects on the central nervous system.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Testing with the computer--the Diamed System].

The Diamed System has been developed to reduce the time-consuming testing routines involved in psychopathometric studies of disease course in the field of medicine. Test administration was to be relieved of those activities, in particular in repeat testing, examiners experienced as weary, unpleasant, repetitive, and uncreative. An important aim had been to permit data collection by as independent a dialogue as possible between the patient and the micro-computer, and extremely simple operations and instructions were considered of great importance. The opportunity has, however, also been utilized to implement promising performance testing procedures for measuring basic parameters of mental capability. Beside mental-amnestic capacity, the procedures cover subjective complaints because these, too, frequently are relevant in measuring the course of psychic disorders. The procedures incorporated in the Diamed System permit reliability verifications as to whether self-assessment and independent computerized testing might not be asking too much of the patients intellectually. Most of the procedures will be used for studying disease course in acute Organic Psychosyndromes and in all disorders that are associated with changes in mood and/or with subjective complaints. Diagnostic assistance moreover is offered for determining the presence of acute Organic Psychosyndromes. Under the name of "brain jogging", an economical programme is introduced for mental training, aimed at maintaining and improving basic central information processing capacities. Its effect on intelligence and memory has been demonstrated on in-patient populations, both with and without brain-organic disorders. Notably in the case of acute Organic Psychosyndromes, it has turned out to be an effective supplement to drug treatment.

Arousal↗
PubMed1988

Cross-sectional epidemiological study on neurotoxicity of solvents in paints and lacquers.

In a multi-disciplinary retrospective study we examined 105 house painters employed for at least ten years (median 27 years, range 10-36 years). Fifty-three workers from various professions (non-painters), who were matched with regard to age, occupational training and socio-economic status served as the control group. In both groups no cases of a clinically manifest polyneuropathy or encephalopathy were found. The neurophysiological examinations (EEG and NCV-measurement) showed no differences in painters and controls that would indicate adverse effects of organic solvents. There were no cases with neuroradiological findings of a diffuse cerebral atrophy. Furthermore the evaluation of certain brain structures (ventricular diameter, cella media index) of the CAT films did not reveal any significant differences. In the neurobehavioral tests significant differences in the results were only found in the subtests "change of personality" and "short term memory capacity" in a subgroup of painters with repeated prenarcotic symptoms at the workplace. Ambient air monitoring measurements at 30 representative workplaces showed that the concentrations of the main components of the solvent-mixtures were well below the MAK-values. The results of the "Erlangen Painter Study" does not confirm former epidemiologic findings from other countries, mainly Denmark. However, there are some aspects, such as minor solvent exposure in German house painters, insufficient diagnostic and etiological procedures as well as misclassifications which may explain the different experiences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[The course of functional psychoses (author's transl)].

Functional psychoses correspond to a universal reduction of mental and intellectual function which, fundamentally reversible and unspecific, appear as sequelae of disturbances of cerebral function. They are the most common psychoses in medical practice and in hospitals. With the Syndrome Short Test and Functional Psychosis Scale B we now have a mutually equilibrated test system for the measurement of the whole range of severity of functional psychoses. With these two psychopathometric methods a relatively differentiated investigation of cross section and course can be performed, for example in arriving at a diagnosis, checking medical measures, monitoring the effect of drugs and in the prognosis of a disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Psychopathometric double blind study with nicergoline versus placebo in geriatric patients with slight transit syndromes].

A double-blind study was carried out on 56 geronto-psychiatric in-patients who suffered from cerebral metabolic and nutritional disturbances to prove the effectiveness of 10-methoxy-1,6-dimethyl-ergoline-8 beta-methanol-(5-bromonicotinate (nicergoline, Sermion). After a washout-phase of eight days the patients in the verum group received 3 x 1 dragée at 10 mg for a period of 12 weeks. For methodical reasons only patients with slight transit syndromes and, of these, only the first four weeks of examination were included in the present analysis. Thus 8 verum and 9 placebo patients remain whose findings during the trial are recorded in three procedures of capacity and two procedures of self-assessment (syndrome short test, repeating figures and letters, reading letters; scale for general somatic discomfort, scale for vegetative functional disturbances). In the measuring procedures there is a tendency towards improvement under the treatment with nicergline compared with placebo during the first three weeks. But the present results are not sufficient to come to a clear decision on the effectiveness of nicergoline in patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

[Who needs more psychosocial oriented rehabilitation -- women after breast cancer or women after genital cancer? -- A sociopsychological study of 308 women (author's transl)].

A standardised questionnaire and personality test were used to study whether women after breast cancer treatment, or women treated for genital cancer need psychosocial counselling more frequently. The interview was given to 308 women during the author's tumor after-care consultations. 1. Repercussion on their marital lives were reported three times more often by women treated for genital cancer than by women after mastectomy (p less than 0.01). There was not significant difference with regard to their family status. 2. As epidemiologically expected -- mastectomy patients had born less children than women treated for genital cancer (p less than 0.05). 3. A reduced self-confidence was reported more often by patients treated for breast cancer than by the other patient group (p less than 0.01). 4. No decrease in working performance was observed by 50% of the women treated for genital cancers as against one third of the masectomy patients. 5. Work resumption was reported more often to be strenuous for masectomy patients than for women treated for genital cancer (p less than 0.05). 6. Woman after mastectomy experiences 50% less sexual repercussions than genital cancer patients (p less than 0.05).

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1978

[Investigation of the suitability of efficiency tests in evaluating endogenous depression (author's transl)].

Self-evaluation procedures are usually used to assess the severity of endogenous depression. In this respect, efficiency tests have hitherto been scarcely considered. A literary survey and our own empirical investigations suggest that self-evaluation procedures should mainly be used in mild and moderate endogenous depressions, and that these procedures give false results in severe and very severe depressions. Efficiency procedures seem not to differentiate well between 'normality' and 'mild depression,' but they become more reliable and valid for depressions of increasing severity. Self-evaluation and efficiency procedures should therefore not be substituted for each other; they should complement each other.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

[Drug-related increase of intelligence level. Considerations and a double-blind-study with flunarizin (sibelium) (author's transl)].

Fluid and crystallized intelligence are two second-order factors that are differentiated within the intelligence model by R.B.Cattell. Fluid intelligence is considered to be a biological capacity relatively independent of environmental influences. Crystallized intelligence, however, is connected to accultured skills and knowledge. The capacity of fluid intelligence decreases by non-optimal states of general activation, functional psychosis (physically founded reversible psychosis) or defect-syndromes (physically founded irreversible psychosis). Fluid intelligence can increase by drugs only, if the functional psychosis is diminished or if the state of activation is optimized. There is no drug-effect on crystallized intelligence but an indirect influence via fluid intelligence. The hypothesis of the drug-related increase of fluid intelligence as a correlate to the diminuition accompanying the functional psychosis should be confirmed by a clinical experiment. Therefore two samples of 20 patients each with a functional psychosis following cerebral blood-flow disturbances received flunarizine (Sibelium) and placebo respectively during a double-blind study lasting 12 weeks. Under the activ substance to be applied for amelioration of peripheral and central blood-flow the measured values of fluid intelligence increased six weeks after starting therapy, while there were no changes under placebo. In the end of the investigation the measured intellectual capacity had increased by 50 per cent under flunarizine.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

[Psychopathological and psychopathometric findings in patients with dental prosthesis intolerance].

It is discussed whether psychological factors can be accounted responsible for the intolerance to the wearing of prostheses which can not be explained on dental grounds. Psychopathological, psychometric and psychopathometric investigations brought the following results: 1. Patients with complaints differ significantly from a control group in the variables changeable according to situation: "general somatic discomforts", disturbances of vegetative functions, and "depressive moods". This points to a constitutional predisposition to vegetative irritability and lowered threshold to frustration. 2. Less intelligent persons are less able and prepared to incorporate and accept the prosthesis. 3. Among the personality variables differences in the attributes "uncontrollability and social responsiveness" show up in sample tests. The subjects consider themselves more esteemed, popular and acknowledged. 4. In the majority of subjects the making of the tooth replacement coincided with stressful events.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1978

[Two psychosis-specific test systems (author's transl)].

Psychopathological procedures for assessment of severity of mental disorders will often be applied in follow-up studies of drugs. Their application can be performed relatively economically because the nosological and syndromal allocation of patients has usually been accomplished before the measurement of severity. In order to facilitate and establish economy, empirically testable conceptions on the relationship between the severity of the psychic disorder in question and the results of measurement are to be favoured. In addition they help avoiding systematic misjudgements as they sometimes occur in application of self-assessment scales in functional psychoses (physically induced reversible psychosis) or endogenous depression. According to this rule two economic psychopathometric testing systems have been developed for endogenous depression and functional psychosis. Both are introduced briefly.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

[Performance of medical students on the short syndrome-test. On the recognition of functional psychoses in young highly intelligent adults].

Erzigkeit's accelerated syndrome test is used to determine the severity of functional psychoses. This test, by which the proficiency level of a subject may be ascertained, should be evaluated in dependence upon the subject's age and general level of intelligence. To correct for these quantities, the accelerated syndrome test includes combined standards for four age and three IQ levels (12 tables of standards). The quality of correction should be empirically verified here. A sample of sixty-three medical students (this sample was characterized by a very high degree of homogeneity in that the students were of the same age and also had the same IQ's) were used to show that the standardization of age and IQ in the accelerated syndrome test allows functional psychoses to be far more readily recognized than when no consideration is given to these variables. Classification by degrees of disorder should also be much more convincing than without the use of differential standardization.

Adult↗