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High Content Screening in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: January 6, 2012
A screening programme on chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy among Dutch painters
Ton Spee1, Evelien van Valen, Cor van Duivenbooden
1Arbouw, 3840 AE Harderwijk, The Netherlands. spee@arbouw.nl
Neurotoxicology
|June 6, 2012
Summary
A new screening procedure effectively identifies chronic solvent induced encephalopathy (CSE) in painters. Integrated prevention, including exposure reduction and early screening, significantly controls CSE cases.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Neuroscience
- Toxicology
Background:
- Long-term organic solvent exposure poses a risk for chronic solvent induced encephalopathy (CSE) in painters.
- A three-stage screening procedure was developed for early detection of neurobehavioural changes.
- This included the Neurosymptom Screening Checklist 60 (NSC-60), neurobehavioural testing (NES2), and expert evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the NSC-60 questionnaire's utility in screening painters for CSE.
- To track the incidence of CSE cases in relation to prevention efforts.
Main Methods:
- A health surveillance program invited over 40,000 painters for periodical occupational health examinations (PHE).
- Participants completed the NSC-60 questionnaire; positive responders underwent further assessment.
- Results were compared to 'care as usual' (CAU) referrals.
Main Results:
- 4% of participants scored positive on the NSC-60, leading to 27 CSE diagnoses via screening.
- CAU identified 75 CSE cases during the same period.
- CSE diagnoses significantly decreased after 2002, coinciding with a ban on solvent-based paints and enhanced screening.
Conclusions:
- The implemented screening procedure is effective for identifying CSE in painters within PHE programs.
- Integrated prevention strategies, combining exposure reduction with early health effect screening, are crucial for CSE control.
