Methodological Problems in the Neuropsychological Assessment of Effects of Exposure to Welding Fumes and Manganese |
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| Authors: | Paul R Lees-Haley M Frank Greiffenstein Glenn J Larrabee Edward L Manning |
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| Institution: | 1. Independent Practice , Huntsville, AL, USA;2. Psychological Systems, Inc. , Royal Oak, MI, USA;3. Independent Practice , Sarasota, FL, USA;4. Department of Neurology , Jackson, MS, USA |
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| Abstract: | Recently, Kaiser (2003) Kaiser, J. 2003. Manganese: A high-octane dispute. Science, 300: 926–928. Google Scholar] raised concerns over the increase in brain damage claims reportedly due to exposure to welding fumes. In the present article, we discuss methodological problems in conducting neuropsychological research on the effects of welding exposure, using a recent paper by Bowler et al. (2003) Bowler, R. M., Gysens, S., Diamond, E., Booty, A., Hartney, C. and Roels, H. A. 2003. Neuropsychological sequelae of exposure to welding fumes in a group of
occupationally exposed men. International Journal of Hygiene & Environmental Health, 206: 517–529. Crossref], PubMed], Web of Science ®] , Google Scholar] as an example to illustrate problems common in the neurotoxicity literature. Our analysis highlights difficulties in conducting such quasi-experimental investigations, including subject selection bias, litigation effects on symptom report and neuropsychological test performance, response bias, and scientifically inadequate casual reasoning. |
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