Neuropsychological sequelae of exposure to the chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents trichloroethylene and trichloroethane.

Reports in the literature concerning the acute neurobehavioral effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichloroethane (TCA) conflict as to whether or not cognitive deficits ensue. Our study of two patients acutely exposed to low concentrations of TCE suggests that (a) acute, low-dose exposures are sufficient to produce the mild to moderate impairments in psychomotor speed, attention and memory also reported after chronic exposures; (b) these memory impairments may be characterized by storage and/or retrieval difficulties; (c) the neural damage produced by TCE exposure is likely to be diffuse, but temporal lobe structures supporting memory may be more sensitive to TCE exposure than other brain structures; and (d) even brief exposures can lead to prolonged, but not necessarily chronic mild to moderate cognitive impairment. In a third case, exposed to trichloroethane (TCA), the neuropsychological profile suggests that this substance has few, if any, neurobehavioral effects at low concentrations.