Objective:

To assess neuropsychological performance among workers at a paint factory in Mexico City.

Materials and methods:

During 2004 and 2005 we assessed the neuropsychological performance of 208 workers who were exposed to organic solvents at a paint factory, mainly toluene and xylene. We categorized workers into low and high exposure groups using a cumulative index for toluene, based on times spent in different tasks. We evaluated cognitive and motor functions with 13 neuropsychological tests.

Results:

We found lower attention, longer time to complete the test β=5.5 (R2=12.3%), and a lower score in the motor-cognitive test β=-15.7 (R2=19.5%) in the high exposure group through multiple linear regression model analysis, with adjustment for age and education.

Conclusion:

Our results are similar to the ones reported in the literature, but the effects are less severe, probably due to lower exposure to organic solvents.