title: Electroencephalogram, cognitive state, psychological disorders, clinical symptom, and oxidative stress in horticulture farmers exposed to organophosphate pesticides.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to study the toxicity of organophosphate (OP) pesticides in exposed farmers for electroencephalography, cognitive state, psychological disorders, clinical symptom, oxidative stress, acetylcholinesterase, and DNA damage. A comparative cross-sectional analysis was carried out in 40 horticulture farmers who were exposed to OPs in comparison to a control group containing 40 healthy subjects with the same age and sex and education level. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase, DNA damage, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total thiol molecules, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were measured in the blood of subjects. Clinical examination and complete blood test were undertaken in order to record any abnormal sign or symptoms. Cognitive function, psychological symptoms, and psychological distress were examined and recorded. Comparing with controls, the farmers showed higher blood levels of SOD and LPO while their TAC decreased. Farmers showed clinical symptoms such as eczema, breathing muscle weakness, nausea, and saliva secretion. Regarding cognitive function, the orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, and language were not significantly different in farmers and controls. Among examinations for psychological distress, only labeled somatization was significantly higher in farmers. The present findings indicate that oxidative stress and inhibition of AChE can be seen in chronically OP-exposed people but incidence of neuropsychological disorders seems a complex multivariate phenomenon that might be seen in long-term high-dose exposure situations. Use of supplementary antioxidants would be useful in the treatment of farmers.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bayrami
authors.forename: Touraj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Malekirad
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashayeri
authors.forename: Fardin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Faraji
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000506:poisoning; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011581:Psychological Tests
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007306:Insecticides