Effects of Pesticides on the Peripheral and Central Nervous System in Tobacco Farmers in Malaysia: Studies on Peripheral Nerve Conduction, Brain-Evoked Potentials and Computerized Posturography

Kaoru KIMURA; Kazuhito YOKOYAMA; Hajime SATO; Rusli Bin NORDIN; Lin NAING; Satoshi KIMURA; Shingo OKABE; Takashi MAENO; Yasuki KOBAYASHI; Fumihiko KITAMURA; Shunichi ARAKI

doi:10.2486/indhealth.43.285

Original Articles

Effects of Pesticides on the Peripheral and Central Nervous System in Tobacco Farmers in Malaysia:

Studies on Peripheral Nerve Conduction, Brain-Evoked Potentials and Computerized Posturography

Kaoru KIMURA, Kazuhito YOKOYAMA, Hajime SATO, Rusli Bin NORDIN, Lin NAING, Satoshi KIMURA, Shingo OKABE, Takashi MAENO, Yasuki KOBAYASHI, Fumihiko KITAMURA, Shunichi ARAKI

Author information

Kaoru KIMURA
Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Kazuhito YOKOYAMA
Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Mie University
Hajime SATO
Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Rusli Bin NORDIN
Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Lin NAING
Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Satoshi KIMURA
Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital
Shingo OKABE
Department of Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Takashi MAENO
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Yasuki KOBAYASHI
Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Fumihiko KITAMURA
National Institute of Industrial Health
Shunichi ARAKI
National Institute of Industrial Health

Keywords: Tobacco farmers, Pesticide, Blood cholinesterase, Nerve conduction velocities, Computerized static posturography, Brain-evoked potentials

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2005 Volume 43 Issue 2 Pages 285-294

DOI https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.43.285

Details

Abstract

We examined the effects of pesticides on the central and peripheral nervous system in the setting of a tobacco farm at a developing country. Maximal motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities (MCV and SCV, respectively) in the median, sural and tibial nerves, postural sway, and brain-evoked potentials (auditory event-related and visual-evoked potentials) were measured in 80 male tobacco farmers and age- and sex-matched 40 controls in Kelantan, Malaysia. Median SCV (finger-wrist) in farmers using Delsen (mancozeb, dithiocarbamate fungicide), who showed significant decrease of serum cholinesterase activities, were significantly lower compared with the controls. Sural SCV in farmers using Fastac (α-cypermethrin, pyrethroid insecticide) and median MCV (elbowwrist) in farmers using Tamex (butralin, dinitroaniline herbicide) were significantly slowed compared with their respective controls. In Delsen (mancozeb, dithiocarbamate) users, the power of postural sway of 0-1 Hz was significantly larger than that in the controls both in the anterior-posterior direction with eyes open and in the right-left direction with eyes closed. The former type of sway was also significantly increased in Tamaron (methamidophos, organophosphorus insecticide) users. In conclusion, nerve conduction velocities and postural sway seem to be sensitive indicators of the effects of pesticides on the central and peripheral nervous system.

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