Multiple chemical sensitivity: a test of the olfactory-limbic model.

Thus far, no neuropsychological study has examined the cognitive profile of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) within the framework of Bell's Olfactory-Limbic Model. It predicts that cognitive weaknesses will be associated more with limbic (i.e., frontal and/or temporal lobe) than with non-limbic (i.e., posterior cortex) brain regions. Matched MCS, asthma, and healthy control groups (n = 63) were tested on cognitive measures with localizing value. Between-group comparisons found that the MCS group performed as well as controls on all cognitive tasks. Within-group comparisons found that both the MCS and asthma groups performed significantly more poorly on tasks that were sensitive to frontal and temporal regions than to posterior regions. Additional research is needed before concluding that the Olfactory-Limbic Model adequately describes the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of MCS. Confounding factors such as medication use and chronic illness need to be considered.

Somatic complaints disproportionately contribute to Beck Depression Inventory estimates of depression severity in individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity.

A number of individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) are also diagnosed with depression. However, there is content overlap in MCS and symptoms of depression with respect to somatic complaints. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to document severity of depressive symptomatology in 42 individuals with MCS. The purpose was to determine the extent to which somatic complaints contributed to the total BDI score. Analysis of cognitive-affective and somatic-performance complaints subscale indicated a significantly higher mean item score on somatic-performance items, relative to cognitive-affective items (t = 6.43, P < 0.05). Consequently, the total BDI score classified a greater percentage (43%) of the sample as moderately depressed than did the cognitive-affective subscale score (29%). An item analysis of the BDI revealed that individuals with MCS tended to endorse more somatic-performance items than did a sample of depressed outpatients. Two alternative interpretations are possible: (a) the BDI total score overestimated severity of depressive symptomatology in this sample, and/or (b) individuals with MCS tended to express depressive symptomatology in terms of somatic complaints. It was recommended that until the etiology of MCS is better understood, caution be used when estimating severity of depressive symptomatology in individuals with MCS when measures include somatic items.

Turning body time to shift time.

Studies have shown that shift work can have a negative impact on job performance, sleep, physical and emotional health, social life, family life, drug use and level of job-related stress. For nurses, these negative effects have consequences not just for the individual, but for the workplace, as decreased alertness and reduced job performance could endanger human lives.