Air Pollution Exposure is Associated with Cognitive Performance: Results from the Einstein Aging Study
Year: 2021
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Prior research has established that those exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution have higher levels of accumulated amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau in frontal cortex at autopsy, higher error rates on cognitive function assessments, and lower scores on memory and both verbal and non-verbal intelligence assessments. METHODS: We explored the relationship between regional PM2.5 measures (from EPA) and baseline cognitive performance of 312 older adults, from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS, NIA P01AG003949) across ambulatory cognitive assessments (completed on study-provided smartphones) and standard in-clinic neuropsychological assessments. Each year, participants completed standard neuropsychological assessments and ambulatory cognitive assessments for 14 days. For each participant, we computed average PM2.5 exposure at various windows (1-15, 30-60, 60-90, 90-120 days prior to baseline). RESULTS:Controlling for age, education, and gender across all models, mean of daily PM exposure was significantly related to performance on ambulatory cognitive assessments of: processing speed (i.e., significantly slower with increased exposure, across all windows), working memory (i.e., higher error score; across all windows), and memory binding (i.e., higher error score; 60-90 and 90-120 day windows). To compare these results, we ran parallel models with (clinic-based) neuropsychological assessments. Mean of PM2.5 at exposure windows tested above, was related to the MoCA and Trails A & B, in expected directions (i.e., higher pollution, worse cognitive performance - more error, slower speed). Models with memory performance as the outcome indicated that distant time horizons (60-90, 90-120 days) were related. These findings taken together suggest that PM exposure affects different cognitive domains at different timescales (i.e., short-term exposure linked with processing speed; long-term exposure with memory). CONCLUSIONS:An important limitation, this methodology cannot address contributions from indoor air quality and mobility - an exposure misclassification likely resulting in significant biases towards the null in the estimation of the effects of air pollution. KEYWORDS: particulate matter, cognition, Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD)
Source: ISEE Conference Abstracts
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3195575833