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Quantitative EEG in occupational chronic solvent encephalopathy

Department of Neurology, Jorvi Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Espoo, Finland; Department of Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Work Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland

T Kovala

Department of Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Work Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland

A Holm

Department of Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Work Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland

HK Hyvärinen

Department of Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Work Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland

M Sainio

Department of Occupational Medicine, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Brain and Work Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland

The aim of this study was to characterize the quantitative analyzed EEG (electroencephalogram) findings (qEEG) in chronic solvent encephalopathy (CSE) patients and study whether the qEEG findings associate with the duration and intensity of the solvent exposure. Also, the diagnostic value of qEEG in CSE is discussed. The EEG of 47 male CSE patients was analyzed. The laboratory's own reference EEG values of 24 healthy male subjects formed the laboratory control group. We also used an age-matched control group of 100 male blue-collar workers without occupational solvent exposure. The main finding of our study was that the power of the frontal theta band is increased in the CSE patient group compared with the laboratory control group. This suggests that the frontal cortex may be susceptible to the noxious effects of solvents. However, this difference was not seen in comparison with the matched control group, and thus, the connection with solvent effects remains uncertain. The variables indicating the level of solvent exposure did not associate with the power of the theta activity in the frontal area. Because of the small amount and unspecificity of the observed abnormalities, qEEG cannot be recommended to be used in the clinical diagnostics of solvent encephalopathy.

Key Words: electroencephalography • occupational • organic solvents • toxic encephalopathy

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 27, No. 4, 315-320 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0960327107082231


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