A sizable body of evidence demonstrates that exposure to particulate air pollution correlates with an increased risk of neurodegenerative conditions and cognitive decline with age. The most plausible biological explanations revolve around the harmful downstream effects of increased inflammation resulting from the interaction of particles with cells in the respiratory system. Inflammation sustained over the long term, even at relatively low levels, is disruptive to cell and tissue function, contributing to the onset and progression of age-related disease. Ways to control unwanted inflammation that do not also suppress the necessary inflammatory response to infection and injury would likely prove to be very beneficial, reducing many of the contributions to aging and age-related disease.
There is growing evidence that exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with impaired cognitive function. However, limited studies have specifically examined the relationship between PM exposure and domain-specific cognitive function. This study involved 2,668 female participants from the Lifestyle and Healthy Aging of Chinese Square Dancer Study. Global cognitive function was assessed using a composite Z-score derived from four tests: the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B). These tests evaluated specific cognitive subdomains: memory (AVLT), language (VFT), attention (DSST), and executive function (TMT-B).
After adjusting for basic sociodemographic factors, a 10 mg/m3 increase in 3-year exposure to PM10 was significantly associated with a worse DSST score by -0.05 and a worse TMT-B score by 0.05. When further adjusting for gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO2, and O3), even stronger associations were observed between 3-year exposure to either PM2.5 or PM10 and performance in both global cognition and specific cognitive subdomains. Specifically, in the DSST subdomain, a 10 µg/m³ increase in 1-year PM10 exposure was associated with a worse score by -0.10. Age-stratified analyses further indicated that older participants were consistently more vulnerable to PM exposure. Notably, 3-year exposure to both PM2.5 and PM10 was linked to declines in DSST scores across both middle-aged and older age groups.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1...889-025-22126-3
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