title: Cognitive control dysfunction in workers exposed to manganese-containing welding fume.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic exposure to manganese (Mn) is a health concern in occupations such as welding because of well-established motor effects due to basal ganglia dysfunction. We hypothesized that cognitive control (the ability to monitor, manipulate, and regulate ongoing cognitive demands) would also be affected by chronic Mn exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the relationship between Mn exposure and cognitive control performance in 95 workers with varying intensity and duration (median 15.5 years) of exposure to welding fume. We performed linear regression to assess the association between exposure to Mn-containing welding fume and cognitive control tasks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall performance was inversely related to intensity of welding exposure (P = 0.009) and was driven by the Two-Back and Letter Number Sequencing tests that assess working memory (both P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure to Mn-containing welding fume may be associated with poorer working memory performance, and workers may benefit from practices that reduce exposure intensity. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:181-188, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Lozi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Susan Searles
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.|Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.|Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hershey
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birke
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Checkoway
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Criswell
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.|School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa.
authors.forename: Brad A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Racette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014896:Welding; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D008345:Manganese
keywords: caudate nucleus; cognitive control; manganese; welding