This study examined the interrelationships among occupational exposure
to mixtures of organic solvents, neurobehavioral functioning, and
complaints of cacosmia. The latter was defined as nausea, headaches, and
subjective distress in individuals exposed to neutral environmental odors.
The authors administered a battery of cognitive tests to men with and
without a history of solvent exposure and found exposed workers to be
impaired across a wide range of cognitive domains. Multiple regression
analyses of exposed workers demonstrated a highly significant relationship
between a history of cacosmia and performance decrements on measures of
learning and memory.Abstract Teaser