Aim of the special session The typical adverse neurological effect of long-term occupational solvent exposure is called chronic solvent encephalopathy, characterised by persistent neurocognitive symptoms, often leading to early retirement. Surprisingly, under detection of CSE occurs even in targeted health screens by occupational health services. The non-specific cognitive findings are challenging to interpret for clinicians and thus the improvement of protocols for the neuropsychological assessment are necessary. Not all exposed develop neurological dysfunction, does epigenetics reveal why neurobehavioural disorders develop. And finally, the question is addressed, does occupational solvent exposure increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease, such as Parkinson disease.

Heidi Furu¹, Prof. Christoph van Thriel², Lode Godderis³, Brad Racette⁴

¹Doctagon Oy and Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland

²Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, TU Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

³Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven and IDEWE, External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work, Belgium

⁴Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA, and University of the Witwatersrand School of Public Health, Johannesburg, South Africa