[Changes in the intellectual function in workers exposed to mixtures of organic solvents]

A study was made assessing the intellectual functioning of a group of workers exposed to various solvents (N = 51) in comparison to a non exposed group (N = 49). It was administered the complete WAIS test. The overall intellectual functioning in the exposed group was below that in the non exposed group, as observed in the I.Q. The intellectual Deterioration Index was above the normal limit in the exposed group but not so in the control group. The Intellectual functioning was diminished regarding the previous level in the exposed group and the parameters with more differences between the two groups were: attention, immediate memory, visuomotor coordination and visual constructive ability, with inferior performance in the exposed group. The WAIS test showed to be a useful method for the detection of intellectual disturbances in subjects exposed to solvents at work.