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CARR; GDDDSDN & LEE. P E.
DISEASE PROFILE
PSYCHOLOGICAL AMD BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES
I. DEFINITION
A. Diet ionary
The terms psychological and behavioral disturbances refer,
respectively, to various mental disorders (e.g., depression, or hypochondria),
and changes in conduct of an individual (e.g., fatigue, irritability, or lack
of concentration) that may be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors.
B. Synptoms
The clinical hallmarks include: fatigue or lethargy, depression,
loss of appetite, memory loss, loss of concentration, irritability,
hypochondria, sleep disturbances, loss of libido, alcohol intolerance, apathy-,
and dulled emotional response.
C. Durt ion
Duration is highly variable depending on the type of symptom, its
cause, and treatment.
D. Treatment
Drug treatment includes the use of tranquilizers and mood elevating
drugs. Other treatments include psychiatric therapy, psychological therapy and
dietary regimes.
E. Diagnostic Criteria
Because of the many different types of psychological and
behaviorial disturbances, diagnostic criteria and protocol are variable.
Medical history questionnaires are generally given along with clinical
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Ca r r ,G o d d s o n & Le e .P C. Psychological and Behavioral Disturbances Page 2 examinations to identify any organic causes. Patients may also be referred to
specialists such as psychiatrists or psychologists for more specialized
difagnostic testing (e.g., Weehsler test, a general intelligence and coordination test involving both verbal and performance skills; Rorschach test,
sensitive to disorders of thought and emotion; and the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory (MV1PI), a clinical test used to assess personality traits
and diseases).
II. EVIDENCE RELATING DISEASE TO 2.4,5-T, TCDD, or 2,4-D EXPOSURE A. Human Studies 1. Industrial Accidents An explosion at a plant in Nitro, West Virginia in 1949
resulted in exposure of enployeess and clean-up crews to TCDD contaminated material. Fatigue, nervousness and irritability, and decrease in libido followed chloracne and peripheral neuropathy in order of relative frequency of clinical synptoms. A follow-up examination of workers three years later revealed a general regression of these synptoms. Some nervousness and excess fatigue continued. No clinical explanation could be made based on results of physical examination. The exposure level of TCDD was not reported in the study (1980, E).
Singer reported on a 1971 German study by Kleu and Goltz that
looked at ten workers acutely exposed to TCDD fifteen years earlier. The study
found that the workers still reported fatigue, decreased lioido, alcohol
intolerance, and memory loss. The exposure level of TCDD was not reported in
the study (1982, C).
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An explosion at a BASF chemical plant in West Germany in 1953
!ofresulted in a total of 53 ill workers soon after the explosion.
the 14
workers suffering from chloracne, three also reported increased fatigue (1973,
I). A follow-up study in 1976 reported that of the 53 workers, two committed
suicide. However, the suicides were attributed by psychiatric and neurological
specialists to psychoses rather than dioxin exposure. (1976, G).
Workers exposed to TCDD as a result of an explosion at a
2,4,5-TCP production facility of the Coalite company in England in 1968
resulted in no cases of reported psychological or behavioral disturbances even
though 79 cases of chloracne were reported. Levels of TCDD were not described
(1973, H).
2. Occupational Exposure
Poland et^ al_. studied the chronic industrial exposure of 73
male employees involved from 1964 to 1970 in the production of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-TCP
and 2,4,5-T at a Newark, New Jersey plant of the Diamond Alkali Company. In
addition to medical histories and physical examinations, the Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MVPI) was administered to administrative
staff ana production workers. Wien scores of both groups of enployees were
compared with the normal values given for the MVPI test scales, administrative
staff and production workers varied significantly from the norms on a total of
six and nine scales respectively. Of particular interest were high values of
the employees in the depression, hysteria, and manic scales. Furthermore,
there was a high correlation between those employees with severe chloracne and
a high manic scale score (a state characterized by an expansive emotional
state, including elation, hyperirritability, or flight of ideas) (1971, M).
However, beyond test score changes, the study did not identify any observable
psychological or behavioral disturbances.
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A Czechoslovakian study looked at dioxin poisoning during ft
1965 to 1968 among workers involved in the production of 2,4,5-TJ Of the 400
workers enployed in the plant, 80 became ill. Fifty-five of those persons were
studied over a ten year period. Thirty-five workers were characterized as
neurasthenic (characterized by chronic abnormal fatigability, lack of energy,
feelings of inadequacy, moderate depression, inability to concentrate, loss of
appetite, and insomnia) or depressive. The authors observed that during the
ten year follow-up study the psychiatric conditions improved. The depressive
and anxiety components of neurasthenic disorders had completely disappeared and
the number of patients who showed no sign of mental disorders had increased
(1981, D).
Baaaer and Bauer studied workers at a West German plant that
produced pentachlorophenol for six months during 1948-1949. Of 17 workers
suffering from chloracne, four also experienced disturbances of libido (1951,
O).
Bauer et a K also studied 31 workers in a 2,4,5-T plant in
Hamburg, Germany. Exposure levels and duration of exposure were not reported.
There were reports of fatigue, a sense of insecurity, sullenness, and
irritation. The authors observed that not infrequently., a mood component of
fear and unease was present. Changes in affeetivity were reported by patients
in the form of increased emotional reactions, tendency to fits of temper, and
in some cases a certain dullness. There were also reports of decreased libido,
decreased appetite, and in some instances, abnormal and constantly changing
eating habits with cravings for varied types of food. Six of the employees
were studied over a two year period and given psychological examinations. The
Hamburg-Wechsler test (German version of the Wechsler test) was adninistered
for the discovery of intellectual performance shortcomings.
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Psychological and Behavioral Disturbances Page 5 those tested, there mbs a significantly raised percentage of degeneration,
f. providing a certain indication of an acquired decrease in mental capacity. The Rorschach psychogram was administered with results demonstrating signs of
f weakened emotional reactivity, poor concentration, reduction in tempo, and a sluggishness of mental processes (1961, N).
3. Veteran Studies A recent study by Korgeski et al_. examined the relationship
between 100 Vietnam veterans' self-reported and objectively determined exposure to Agent Orange ana the relationship between self-reported or objective ratings and self-reported psychological and medical problems. Comparison of the subjects' VMPI scores grouped according to self-reported levels of herbicide exposure indicated a consistent trend. Persons believing that they had been exposed to herbicides reported significantly more psychological problems.
The authors observed that these findings suggest a tendency for belief in exposure to herbicides to be correlated with self-reports of an extremely wide variety of psychological conplaints, such as depression, anxiety, somatic conplaints, and interpersonal difficulties. The study noted that a pattern of this type is not typical in persons suffering from most specific psychiatric disorders. The M^fl results were different when subjects were grouped according to objective ratings of herbicide exposure (based on where the subjects had been stationed in Vietnam and Defense Department records of herbicide spray missions). There were essentially no significant differences on the VMPI clinical scales between those classified as exposed and those classified as not exposed.
The study also looked at "success at living" variables since normally, persons experiencing significant emotional problems typically show poor levels of functioning in areas of life such as employment, income,
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educational attainment, social and coomunity involvement. The results *
demonstrated that regardless of whether the subjects were classified
according to self-reported or objective ratings of herbicide exposure,
ttfey did not differ on the indices of "success at living." Another series
of tests found that there were no significant differences between the
suojects on the indices of neuropsychological functioning, (e.g., delayed
recall testing) whether they were grouped according to self-reported or
objective ratings of herbicide exposure. The authors concluded that this
study did not seem to support the hypothesis that exposure to Agent Orange
caused psychological problems in veterans, nor did there seem to be a link
between herbicide exposure and neuropsychological problems in veterans
(1983, A).
A three_month Australian study of 58 Vietnam veterans
suggested that neuropsychiatrie disturbances experienced by Vietnam
veterans were linked to dioxin as well as organophosphate insecticides.
Synptoms noted in the study included loss of drive, concentration and
memory, irritability, insomnia, depression, and attempted suicide. All of
these synptoms were aggravated by small amounts of alcohol to which most
veterans were hypersensitive (1982, B).
4. Other
The accidental spraying of TCDD contaminated salvage oil in
three horse arenas in Missouri resulted in TCDD concentrations of about 30
ppm in the arena soil. Human health impacts studied have been limited to
six individuals exposed to the soil. One of the individuals experienced,
among other things, lethargy (1977, F).
A questionnaire and interview of 98 Vietnam refugees who had
claimed exposure to chemical sprays in South Vietnam found that 92%
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Ca r r .G o o d s o n s Le e .R C. Psychological and Behavioral Disturbances Page 7 reported fatigue, weariness, or dizziness after the spraying. Most of the respondents claimed to have inhaled the spray and to have been wetted by it. The study did not address whether the reported injuries ware verified by physicians (1972, L). B. Animal Studies 1. Manuals Dogs orally fed 7CDD at doses of 9.1 to 3.0 mg/kg experienced, among other things, anorexia and depression (1973, K). The Missouri horse arena incident (previously discussed) also resulted in injury to livestock. Of 85 horses ridden in the arena, 58 became ill. Of those 58, 24 horses suffered anorexia (1977, F). 2. Rodents Rats receiving 100 ug/kg of TCDD demonstrated syrrptoms of ruffled hair coat, hunched posture, and depression (1973, J). III. PRINCIPAL DOCUMENTS
A. 1983. B. 1982.
Correlates of Self-Reported and Objectively Determined Exposure to Agent Orange Korgeski, Gregory P . ; Leon, Gloria R. Carr Document No. - A-2765 Copy attached
Neuropsychiatrie Effects of Herbicides Barr, Malcolm Copy attached
n 1982.
Nerve Conduction Velocity Studies of Workers Enployed in the Manufacture of Phenoxy Herbicides
Singer, Raymond; Moses, Marion; Valciukas, Jose'; Lilis, Ruth; Selikoff, Irving J. Copy attached
D. 1981.
The Development and Prognosis of Chronic Intoxication bv TCDD in Men Vejlupkova-Pazderova, Jana; Jirasek, Lubor; Nemcova, Marcela;
Pickova, Jane Carr Document No. - A-2520
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E. 1980.
The Mortality Experience of Workers Exposed t o j Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin in a Trichlorophenol Process
Accident Zack, J.A.; Suskind, R.R Carr Document No. - A-198 Microfiche No. - A78 C04-C08
F. 1977.
Epidemiology and Pathology of a Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin Poisoning Episode Kimbrough, Renate, D. ; Carter, Coleman, D.; Liddle, John A. ; Cline, Richard E. Carr Document No. - A-219 Microfiche No. - A82 B14-C10
G. 1975. H. 1973. I. 1973. J. 1973. K. 1973. L. 1972. M. 1971.
Follow-up Report on the TrichlorophenolDioxin Accident at BASF P C on 13, November 1953 Thiess, A.M.; Goldnan, P. Carr Document No. - A-887
Microfiche No. - A262 B13-C04
Chloracne From the Accidental Production of Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin . May, George Carr Document No. - B-277
Microfiche No. - B123 B03-B12
Severe Acute Chloracne: A Mass Intoxication by 2,3t6,7Tetrachlorobenzodioxin Goldman, Paul J. Carr Document No. - A-885 Microfiche No. - A262 A08-B04
General Biological Effects of TCDD in Laboratory Animals Harris, M.W. ; Moore, J.A. ; Vos, J.G. ; Gupta, B.N. Carr Document No. - B-1212 Microfiche No. - B274 F03-F14
Toxicology of Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins Schwetz, B.A.; Norris, J.M. ; Sparchu, G.L.; Rowe, V.K.; Gehring, P.J.; Emerson, J.L.; Gerbig, C.G. Carr Document No. - A-944 Microfiche No. - A280 B06-C11
Chemical Spraying as Reported by Refugees from South Vietnam Rose, Hilary A; Rose, Steven P.R. Carr Document No. - B-1422 Microfiche No. - B351 E14-F04
A Health Survey of Vtorkers in a 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T Plant Poland, Alan P; Smith, Donald; Metter, Gerald; Possick, Paul
Carr Document No. - B-958 Microfiche No. ~ B253 D03-E03
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N. 1961.
t
O.
1951.
Occupational Intoxication Occurring in the Production of
Chlorophenol Compounds
i
Bauer, H; Shulz, K.H.; Spiegel berg, U.
Carr Document No. - B-482
Microfiche No. - B163 D08-E01
Industrial Intoxication Due to Pentachlorophenol
Baader, E.W. ; Bauer , H.J.
Carr Document No. - B-414
Microfiche No. -
B149 A13-B05
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V . OONFOUNDERS ' A. Because of the variability and subjective nature of many of the synptoms related to psychological and behaviorial disturbances, there are a host of other genetic, physiological and environmental factors that should be considered on a patient specific basis (e.g., general health and family history, medication and recreational drugs, or occupation).
B. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as experienced by Vietnam veterans, and others exposed to traumatic situations, manifests disturbances similar to those described by the plaintiffs. See. Stress Disorders Among Vietnam Veterans, edited by Charles R. Figley; (Brunnery Mazel, 1978).
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