Aluminum exposure and cognitive performance: A meta-analysis.
Aluminum exposure
Cognitive functioning
Meta-analysis
Occupational health
Journal
The Science of the total environment
ISSN: 1879-1026
Titre abrégé: Sci Total Environ
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0330500
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Jan 2024
01 Jan 2024
Historique:
received:
31
08
2023
revised:
27
09
2023
accepted:
27
09
2023
medline:
15
11
2023
pubmed:
1
10
2023
entrez:
30
9
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Aluminum is increasingly used in various industrial processes due to its beneficial properties. Occupational exposure to aluminum, however, has been linked to several adverse health effects. The impact of occupational aluminum exposure on worker's cognitive performance and its contribution in developing neurodegenerative diseases is highly discussed with competing results. We conducted a literature search via online databases until June 2023. Applicable studies fulfilling inclusion criteria investigating the effects of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive functions were gathered. Results were aggregated using random effects meta-analysis and the effect size g. We further explored types of publication biases, moderating variables and exposure-effect relationships using meta-regressions. The final sample consisted of 18 studies with 87 effect sizes for seven cognitive functions. We found significant worse performances in workers occupationally exposed to aluminum regarding processing speed, working memory, attention, and reaction time after exclusion of outliers. Additionally, we found increased blood plasma aluminum significantly predicting decreased cognitive performance in exposed workers. Our results show decreased performance levels in processing speed, working memory, attention and reaction time in workers occupationally exposed to aluminum compared to controls. Furthermore, we found that aluminum in blood plasma was the only biomarker as significant predictor of cognitive performance. We discuss recommendations for further research in relation to occupational health and safety. Finally, we extend the discourse between occupational aluminum exposure and development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Aluminum is increasingly used in various industrial processes due to its beneficial properties. Occupational exposure to aluminum, however, has been linked to several adverse health effects. The impact of occupational aluminum exposure on worker's cognitive performance and its contribution in developing neurodegenerative diseases is highly discussed with competing results.
METHOD
METHODS
We conducted a literature search via online databases until June 2023. Applicable studies fulfilling inclusion criteria investigating the effects of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive functions were gathered. Results were aggregated using random effects meta-analysis and the effect size g. We further explored types of publication biases, moderating variables and exposure-effect relationships using meta-regressions.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The final sample consisted of 18 studies with 87 effect sizes for seven cognitive functions. We found significant worse performances in workers occupationally exposed to aluminum regarding processing speed, working memory, attention, and reaction time after exclusion of outliers. Additionally, we found increased blood plasma aluminum significantly predicting decreased cognitive performance in exposed workers.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Our results show decreased performance levels in processing speed, working memory, attention and reaction time in workers occupationally exposed to aluminum compared to controls. Furthermore, we found that aluminum in blood plasma was the only biomarker as significant predictor of cognitive performance. We discuss recommendations for further research in relation to occupational health and safety. Finally, we extend the discourse between occupational aluminum exposure and development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37777128
pii: S0048-9697(23)06080-1
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167453
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Aluminum
CPD4NFA903
Types de publication
Meta-Analysis
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
167453Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.