Subjective and objective behavioural alterations in carbon disulphide workers

A sample of 120 workers out of the entire population of a viscose factory was submitted to psychological investigation by means of fluid intelligence and ability measures and personality indicators. The 120 workers were divided into four CS ₂ risk classes and a control group. The results are briefly illustrated in terms of their power to discriminate among the classes examined and also of their validity as indicators of CS ₂ progressive damaging action. Special attention is given to the correlation between subjective symptoms and psychological performance, to the observed variations in central activation mechanisms as revealed by concentration, accuracy and rapidity measures. The data are discussed in terms of fluid intelligence performances and decision processes impairments and assumptions are made on the cortical and subcortical areas involved.