title: Verbal working memory and solvent exposure: a positron emission tomography study.
abstract: Neuropsychological studies have documented frontal dysfunction in patients with a history of exposure to organic solvents. The deficits typically observed in these patients appear to be related to working memory (WM). This study used [15O] water positron emission tomography (PET) to examine the pattern of neural activation during verbal working memory in patients with a history of exposure to solvents. Six individuals with solvent exposure were compared with 6 age- and education-matched controls. On the 2 WM tasks examined with PET, with equivalent task performance, participants with solvent exposure demonstrated frontal peaks that were atypical for the tasks, whereas the posterior peaks were typical for the tasks. The results support frontal dysfunction and compensatory use within anterior regions of the WM system in patients with solvent exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown 26506, USA. mhaut@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Haut
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whyte
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ducatman
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents