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Air Pollution Exposure Negatively Impacts Some Domains of Cognitive Performance

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 15, 2025.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- Air pollution is associated with domain-specific impacts on cognitive performance in older adults, according to a study published online March 17 in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A.

Giorgio Di Gessa, Ph.D., from University College London, and colleagues examined associations between cognitive scores in older adults and eight to 10 years of exposure to air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), total particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), and PM2.5 from different emission sources. The analysis included 1,127 participants in the 2018 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol substudy of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

The researchers found mostly inverted j-shape associations between air pollution trajectories and cognition, with respondents exposed to the highest residential levels of NO2 and total PM2.5 having worse performance for global cognition (β = −0.241 and −0.334, respectively) compared with those exposed to average levels of pollution. Similar findings were seen for executive function and memory (PM2.5 only), with an even larger dose-response relationship seen for language. Worse language scores were associated with higher emissions from industry and residential combustion, as well as biofuel, coal, oil, and natural gas combustion.

"Our study shows that air pollution is not just harmful to the lungs and heart but also to brain health, especially when people are exposed to high levels for long periods," Di Gessa said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2025

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