title: Neurobehavioral performance in preschool children from agricultural and non-agricultural communities in Oregon and North Carolina.
abstract: Organophosphate (OP) pesticides produce acute toxic effects but little is known about low-level chronic exposures. Latino children of agricultural workers have a high risk of exposure to pesticides because of the close proximity of their homes to fields where pesticides are applied and from take-home exposure. Neurobehavioral performance of preschool children from agricultural (AG) communities was compared to performance of those from non-agricultural (Non-AG) communities in Oregon and North Carolina. Seventy-eight children aged 48-71 months completed a battery of neurobehavioral tests two times, approximately 1 month apart. Multiple regression revealed that the AG children performed poorer on measures of response speed (Finger Tapping) and latency (Match-to-Sample) compared to the Non-AG children. These results demonstrate modest differences in AG children compared to Non-AG children that are consistent with functional effects seen in adults exposed to low concentrations of OP pesticides. Just as was the case following early research on adults poisoned by pesticides, this study points to the need for additional investigations to test the hypothesis that low-concentration OP exposures affect acquisition of test performance, response speed and latency in children of agricultural workers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA. rohlmand@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Diane S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rohlman
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lasarev
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rothlein
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Travers
authors.forename: Alys
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamulinas
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Early
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: Jacki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCauley
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000383:Agriculture; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population