Cognitive consequences of occupational stress in underground mine workers: Neuropsychological observational study

Abstract

This research examines the cognitive impairment due to underground mine workers' working conditions. This study included 52 underground coal miners and 48 above-ground workers equivalent in age, education level, and working hours. In order to evaluate the cognitive skills of the participants, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Tower of London Test, Stroop Test, Judgement of Line Orientation Test, Oktem-Verbal Memory Process Test, and Trial Making Test were applied. In the group comparisons, a statistically significant difference was found in the performance of the 2 groups in all cognitive skills except the Judgment of Line Orientation Test. Occupational stress and duration of working underground explain nearly 40% of the cognitive performance variance. Accordingly, the scores obtained from the tests showed that underground mine workers had worse cognitive test scores than the control group. This study examined differences in neuropsychological performance among miners, emphasizing the impact of occupational risk factors. Key cognitive impairments were identified in short- and long-term memory, cognitive flexibility, set-switching, and planning abilities. Additionally, education level, work duration, and occupational stress significantly predicted cognitive performance. Higher education emerged as a protective factor by enhancing cognitive reserve, while longer work duration and increased occupational stress exacerbated cognitive decline, likely due to prolonged exposure to risk factors. These findings highlight the importance of addressing occupational hazards and stress to protect cognitive health, particularly given the role of these factors as potential contributors to neurodegenerative disease risk in later life.