Valutazione del profilo neuro-psicologico e dello stato emotivo in lavoratori esposti a stressor urbani

This study was aimed to evaluate if workers exposed to environmental stressors, including the urban traffic noise, might show significant differences compared to a control group in neuropsychological and emotional profile. The research was carried on a sample of 81 volunteers: 39 workers exposed to environmental stressors and 42 controls. The phonometric measurements showed mean levels of noise due urban traffic like 74 dBAeq. In baseline condition significative differences in exposed workers vs. controls was found in Raven's Matrices PM 38 (p=0.002) and Arithmetic reasoning from WAIS-R (p=0.024). Attention capacities as measured by Digit Span Forward and Visual Search, emotional functioning as measured by state- and trait- anxiety test and mood profile were not different in the two groups. Our results allow us to consider that in workers exposed to urban stressors, such as noise, there are effects on cognitive functions in exposed vs. controls.