The Impact of Chronic Pesticide Exposure on Neuropsychological Functioning

This study compared neuropsychological test performance of individuals (n = 18) with an occupational history of pesticide exposure to individuals (n = 35) with no such exposure history. Results showed that a history of pesticide-related occupation exposure led to deficits in only Digit Symbol performance. Additionally, the correlation between Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) performance and age was negative and significant in individuals with pesticide-related occupation exposure (r = −.45, p <.04) but not in those without occupational exposure (r =.09, p >.61), suggesting that cognitive ability (as measured by the MMSE) declines faster in the occupational-exposed group as compared to their counterparts without such exposure. This decline was evident despite the fact that groups did not differ significantly in age.