Evaluation of Tremor in Aluminum Production Workers

Evaluation of Tremor in Aluminum Production Workers

A cross-sectional study of 63 current and former aluminum potroom workers and 37 comparison workers was conducted to evaluate for evidence of neurological dysfunction, including tremor from long-term exposures to aluminum using sensitive quantitative measures of arm/hand and leg tremor. Signs of upp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurotoxicology and teratology Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 447 - 453
Main Authors: Dick, Robert B, Krieg, Edward F, Sim, Malcolm A, Bernard, Bruce P, Taylor, Bobby T
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-11-1997
Elsevier Science
Subjects:
Aluminum
Aluminum exposure
Aluminum production
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Humans
Medical sciences
Metallurgy
Metals and various inorganic compounds
Neurotoxicity
Occupational Exposure - adverse effects
Occupational Exposure - prevention & control
Toxicology
Tremor
Tremor - chemically induced
Australia
Oceania
Aluminum production
Neurotoxicity
Tremor
Aluminum exposure
Human
Nervous system diseases
Toxicity
Cross sectional study
Metallurgical industry
Light metal
Aluminium
Neurological disorder
Occupational exposure
Occupational medicine
Involuntary movement
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Summary:A cross-sectional study of 63 current and former aluminum potroom workers and 37 comparison workers was conducted to evaluate for evidence of neurological dysfunction, including tremor from long-term exposures to aluminum using sensitive quantitative measures of arm/hand and leg tremor. Signs of upper extremity tremor were also evaluated by neurological examination and compared with the quantitative measures of arm/hand tremor. Both arm/hand and leg tremor were measured using fatiguing test conditions, but no statistically significant differences due to exposure to aluminum were present between the potroom workers and the comparison workers. The neurological examination also showed no statistically significant differences between the groups on the evaluation of signs of tremor. These results do not support the findings of Best-Pettersen et al., who reported evidence of increased tremor in aluminum workers using the static steadiness test in the Halstead-Reitan battery. Differences between the studies that may have contributed to the contrasting results are discussed. In addition, techniques are presented for using microcomputer-controlled devices to evaluate tremor in both the visible (1–6 Hz) and nonvisible (7–18 Hz) frequencies of the tremor spectrum. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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ISSN:0892-0362
1872-9738
DOI:10.1016/S0892-0362(97)00061-5