Cognitive function and plasma BDNF levels among manganese-exposed smelters

Objectives To explore the potential dose–response relationship between manganese (Mn) exposure and cognitive function and also plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in occupational Mn exposure workers. Methods A total 819 workers were identified from our Mn-exposed workers, and 293 control workers were recruited in the same region. All exposed workers were divided into three groups based on Mn cumulative exposure index. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was applied to estimate cognitive function for all subjects. Plasma BDNF levels were determined by ELISA in 248 selected exposed workers and 100 controls. Results Mn-exposed workers had significantly lower MoCA scores than those in the control group (25.62±0.25): those in high-exposure group had the lowest scores (21.33±0.32), compared with the intermediate-exposure group (23.22±0.30) and low-exposure group (23.57±0.23). Mn exposure levels were inversely associated with MoCA total scores, all p