Common levels of traffic pollution can hinder cognitive function within a matter of only hours, a new study by the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia has found.
The study, published earlier this month in the journal Environmental Health, provides the first evidence in humans B次元官网网址� from a controlled experiment B次元官网网址� of altered brain network connectivity directly linked to pollution.
It also found that just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust causes a decrease in the brainB次元官网网址檚 functional connectivity, which reflects the ability of different areas of the brain to interact and communicate with one another.
B次元官网网址淔or many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,B次元官网网址� Dr. Chris Carlsten, professor and head of respiratory medicine and the Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease at UBC, said in a news release Tuesday (Jan. 24).
For the experiment, 25 healthy adults were briefly exposed to diesel exhaust and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. The brain activity of participants was additionally measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Researchers analyzed changes in the brainB次元官网网址檚 default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play a significant role in memory and internal thought. The fMRIs revealed that participants had decreased functional connectivity in widespread regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.
B次元官网网址淲e know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so itB次元官网网址檚 concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks,B次元官网网址� Jodie Gawryluk, assistant professor of psychology at UVic, told Black Press Media. B次元官网网址淏ut more studies are needed to look at the long-term effects, like what happens after we have repeated exposures for a long time B次元官网网址� we might not be able to recover so easily from that.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎ir pollution is now recognized as the largest environmental threat to human health and we are increasingly seeing the impacts across all major organ systems,B次元官网网址� said Carlsten. B次元官网网址淚 expect we would see similar impacts on the brain from exposure to other air pollutants, like forest fire smoke. With the increasing incidence of neurocognitive disorders, itB次元官网网址檚 an important consideration for public health officials and policymakers.B次元官网网址�
The study was conducted at UBCB次元官网网址檚 Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory at Vancouver General Hospital, which is equipped with a state-of-the-art exposure booth that is able to mimic what itB次元官网网址檚 like to breathe a range of different air pollutants.
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