Learning Ability as a Function of Practice: Does It Apply to Farmworkers?. Issue 6 (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nguyen, Ha T.; Quandt, Sara A.; Summers, Phillip; Morgan, Timothy M.; Chen, Haiying; Walker, Francis O.; Howard, Timothy D.; Galván, Leonardo; Arcury, Thomas A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 57:Issue 6(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000424
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Farmworkers experience significant work-related health risks including pesticide-associated cognitive impairment. Practice effect is a surrogate for learning ability. This study examined differences in cognitive function and learning capacity in Latino farmworkers and nonfarmworkers. Methods: Tasks of learning and short-term memory, executive function and working memory, perceptual coding, and psychomotor function were assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up in 136 farmworkers and 116 nonfarmworkers. Results: Farmworkers had better performance on visuospatial learning and short-term memory at baseline ( P < 0.05). Nevertheless, nonfarmworkers showed more practice effects, or improvement on cognitive performance, at 3-month follow-up relative to farmworkers. Furthermore, the amount of improvement on visuospatial learning ability, short-term visuospatial memory, and perceptual coding ability was significantly higher in nonfarmworkers than in farmworkers. Conclusions: Practice effects may serve as an additional cognitive readout to differentiate healthy individuals from those with cognitive impairment.