Objective: Migrant tobacco farmworkers experience regular occupational exposure to pesticides and nicotine. The present study was designed to determine whether there are differences in brain anatomy between Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers.
Methods: Magnetic resonance brain images were compared between farmworkers and non-farmworkers. In addition, blood cholinesterase activity and urinary cotinine levels were also used to identify associations with pesticide and nicotine exposure.
Results: Farmworkers had greater gray matter signal in putamen and cerebellum, and lower gray matter signal in frontal and temporal lobes. Urinary cotinine was associated with the observed differences in brain anatomy, but blood cholinesterase activity was not.
Conclusions: Nicotine exposure was associated with neuroanatomical differences between Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers. Future studies are needed to differentiate iron deposition from brain atrophy and to further assess the potential role of nicotine and pesticide exposure.
Department of Radiology (Drs Laurienti, Burdette, and Mr Lyday), Department of Biostatistical Sciences (Ms Talton and Dr Chen), Department of Epidemiology and Prevention (Dr Quandt), Department of Neurology (Dr Walker), Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research (Dr Howard), and Department of Family and Community Medicine (Mr Summers and Dr Arcury), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Department of Physiological Sciences (Dr Pope), Center for Veterinary Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
Address correspondence to: Paul J. Laurienti, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 72157 (plaurien@wakehealth.edu).
This project was funded by NEIHS (grant nos. ES008739 and ES008739–16S1). The sponsor had no involvement in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Authors Laurienti, Burdette, Talton, Pope, Summers, Walker, Quandt, Lyday, Chen, Howard, and Arcury have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest.
The JOEM editorial board and planners have no financial interest related to this research.
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