title: Effects of sarin on the nervous system of subway workers seven years after the Tokyo subway sarin attack.
abstract: This study was designed to assess the after effects of sarin exposure on the nervous system in victims of the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack, which occurred on 20 March, 1995. We performed a similar study 3 yr after the disaster. This time, we newly enrolled 36 staff of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (Tokyo Eidan subway) to assess the 7 yr after effects on the nervous system, and merged previous data including unpublished data to enhance statistical power. New subjects consisted of 23 male exposed subjects and 13 referent subjects matched for age and working types. Neurobehavioral tests for psychomotor function and memory, stabilometry, and Benton visual retention test were performed. As reported previously, the exposed group performed significantly less well in the psychomotor function test (tapping) than the referent group (117.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 105.6 +/- 1.2 msec). Using merged data, this phenomenon was also observed in a dose-dependent manner and the exposed group performed significantly less well in the backward digit span test (4.47 +/- 1.17 vs. 5.11 +/- 1.65 digits). These results indicate that chronic decline of psychomotor function and memory function still exist 7 yr after the sarin exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. miyaki@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyaki
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asukai
authors.forename: Kimio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Etoh
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000506:poisoning*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011890:Railroads; D012524:Sarin / Q000506:poisoning*; D014041:Tokyo
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D012524:Sarin