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Puckett OK, Fennema-Notestine C, Hagler DJ, Braskie MN, Chen JC, Finch CE, Kaufman JD, Petkus AJ, Reynolds CA, Salminen LE, Thompson PM, Wang X, Kremen WS, Franz CE, Elman JA. The Association between Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and MRI-Assessed Locus Coeruleus Integrity in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:77006. [PMID: 39028627 PMCID: PMC11259243 DOI: 10.1289/ehp14344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased exposure to ambient air pollution, especially fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μ m (PM 2.5 ) is associated with poorer brain health and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. The locus coeruleus (LC), located in the brainstem, is one of the earliest regions affected by tau pathology seen in AD. Its diffuse projections throughout the brain include afferents to olfactory areas that are hypothesized conduits of cerebral particle deposition. Additionally, extensive contact of the LC with the cerebrovascular system may present an additional route of exposure to environmental toxicants. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate if exposure to PM 2.5 was associated with LC integrity in a nationwide sample of men in early old age, potentially representing one pathway through which air pollution can contribute to increased risk for AD dementia. METHODS We examined the relationship between PM 2.5 and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) estimates of LC structural integrity indexed by contrast to noise ratio (LC CNR ) in 381 men [mean age = 67.3 ; standard deviation ( SD ) = 2.6 ] from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). Exposure to PM 2.5 was taken as a 3-year average over the most recent period for which data were available (average of 5.6 years prior to the MRI scan). We focused on LC CNR in the rostral-middle portion of LC due to its stronger associations with aging and AD than the caudal LC. Associations between PM 2.5 exposures and LC integrity were tested using linear mixed effects models adjusted for age, scanner, education, household income, and interval between exposure and MRI. A co-twin control analysis was also performed to investigate whether associations remained after controlling for genetic confounding and rearing environment. RESULTS Multiple linear regressions revealed a significant association between PM 2.5 and rostral-middle LC CNR (β = - 0.16 ; p = 0.02 ), whereby higher exposure to PM 2.5 was associated with lower LC CNR . A co-twin control analysis found that, within monozygotic pairs, individuals with higher PM 2.5 exposure showed lower LC CNR (β = - 0.11 ; p = 0.02 ), indicating associations were not driven by genetic or shared environmental confounds. There were no associations between PM 2.5 and caudal LC CNR or hippocampal volume, suggesting a degree of specificity to the rostral-middle portion of the LC. DISCUSSION Given previous findings that loss of LC integrity is associated with increased accumulation of AD-related amyloid and tau pathology, impacts on LC integrity may represent a potential pathway through which exposure to air pollution increases AD risk. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14344.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia K. Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Donald J. Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Meredith N. Braskie
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Caleb E. Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joel D. Kaufman
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Andrew J. Petkus
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Chandra A. Reynolds
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Lauren E. Salminen
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Carol E. Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jeremy A. Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Gui Z, Ji W, Wang Y, Li J, Cheng Y, Li L, Dong G, Yang B, Zhou Y. Severer air pollution, poorer cognitive function: Findings from 176,345 elders in Northwestern China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:116008. [PMID: 38266358 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited evidence exists regarding the link between air pollution exposure and cognitive function in developing countries, particularly in areas with abundant natural sources of particulate matter. OBJECTIVES To investigate this association in a large representative sample of the elderly in northwestern China. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study among 176,345 participants aged 60-100 years in northwestern China in 2020. A satellite-based spatiotemporal model was applied to assess three-year annual averages of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤ 10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) at residential address. Poor cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess associations. RESULTS Compared with participants with the lowest quartiles of PM2.5, PM10, and O3 levels, those with the second, third, and highest quartiles of air pollutants consistently showed increased odds of poor cognitive function and decreased MMSE scores. The odds ratios of poor cognitive function associated with a 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were 1.26 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.17, 1.36), 1.06 (95 %CI: 1.04, 1.08), and 2.76 (95 %CI: 2.11, 3.62), respectively. Subgroup analyses suggested stronger associations between air pollution exposures and poor cognitive function among participants who were younger, were non-Uyghur and were physically active. CONCLUSION Long-term exposures to PM2.5, PM10 and O3 were associated with poor cognitive function in elders. Our results suggest that reducing air pollution may alleviate the burden of poor cognitive function in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohuan Gui
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weidong Ji
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yushan Wang
- Center of Health Management, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinlin Cheng
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Li
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Boyi Yang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yi Zhou
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Wang X, Salminen LE, Petkus AJ, Driscoll I, Millstein J, Beavers DP, Espeland MA, Erus G, Braskie MN, Thompson PM, Gatz M, Chui HC, Resnick SM, Kaufman JD, Rapp SR, Shumaker S, Brown M, Younan D, Chen JC. Association between late-life air pollution exposure and medial temporal lobe atrophy in older women. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.28.23298708. [PMID: 38077091 PMCID: PMC10705610 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.28.23298708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Background Ambient air pollution exposures increase risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias, possibly due to structural changes in the medial temporal lobe (MTL). However, existing MRI studies examining exposure effects on the MTL were cross-sectional and focused on the hippocampus, yielding mixed results. Method To determine whether air pollution exposures were associated with MTL atrophy over time, we conducted a longitudinal study including 653 cognitively unimpaired community-dwelling older women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study with two MRI brain scans (MRI-1: 2005-6; MRI-2: 2009-10; Mage at MRI-1=77.3±3.5years). Using regionalized universal kriging models, exposures at residential locations were estimated as 3-year annual averages of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) prior to MRI-1. Bilateral gray matter volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), and entorhinal cortex (ERC) were summed to operationalize the MTL. We used linear regressions to estimate exposure effects on 5-year volume changes in the MTL and its subregions, adjusting for intracranial volume, sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics. Results On average, MTL volume decreased by 0.53±1.00cm3 over 5 years. For each interquartile increase of PM2.5 (3.26μg/m3) and NO2 (6.77ppb), adjusted MTL volume had greater shrinkage by 0.32cm3 (95%CI=[-0.43, -0.21]) and 0.12cm3 (95%CI=[-0.22, -0.01]), respectively. The exposure effects did not differ by APOE ε4 genotype, sociodemographic, and cardiovascular risk factors, and remained among women with low-level PM2.5 exposure. Greater PHG atrophy was associated with higher PM2.5 (b=-0.24, 95%CI=[-0.29, -0.19]) and NO2 exposures (b=-0.09, 95%CI=[-0.14, -0.04]). Higher exposure to PM2.5 but not NO2 was also associated with greater ERC atrophy. Exposures were not associated with amygdala or hippocampal atrophy. Conclusion In summary, higher late-life PM2.5 and NO2 exposures were associated with greater MTL atrophy over time in cognitively unimpaired older women. The PHG and ERC - the MTL cortical subregions where AD neuropathologies likely begin, may be preferentially vulnerable to air pollution neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Lauren E Salminen
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Andrew J Petkus
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ira Driscoll
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Joshua Millstein
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Daniel P Beavers
- Departments of Statistical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Mark A Espeland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Guray Erus
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics (CBICA), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Meredith N Braskie
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Helena C Chui
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Susan M Resnick
- The Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Medicine (General Internal Medicine), and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Stephen R Rapp
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Sally Shumaker
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Mark Brown
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Diana Younan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Thompson R, Smith RB, Karim YB, Shen C, Drummond K, Teng C, Toledano MB. Air pollution and human cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160234. [PMID: 36427724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This systematic review summarises and evaluates the literature investigating associations between exposure to air pollution and general population cognition, which has important implications for health, social and economic inequalities, and human productivity. METHODS The engines MEDLINE, Embase Classic+Embase, APA PsycInfo, and SCOPUS were searched up to May 2022. Our inclusion criteria focus on the following pollutants: particulate matter, NOx, and ozone. The cognitive abilities of interest are: general/global cognition, executive function, attention, working memory, learning, memory, intelligence and IQ, reasoning, reaction times, and processing speed. The collective evidence was assessed using the NTP-OHAT framework and random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS Eighty-six studies were identified, the results of which were generally supportive of associations between exposures and worsened cognition, but the literature was varied and sometimes contradictory. There was moderate certainty support for detrimental associations between PM2.5 and general cognition in adults 40+, and PM2.5, NOx, and PM10 and executive function (especially working memory) in children. There was moderate certainty evidence against associations between ozone and general cognition in adults age 40+, and NOx and reasoning/IQ in children. Some associations were also supported by meta-analysis (N = 14 studies, all in adults aged 40+). A 1 μg/m3 increase in NO2 was associated with reduced performance on general cognitive batteries (β = -0.02, p < 0.05) as was a 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure (β = -0.02, p < 0.05). A 1μgm3 increase in PM2.5 was significantly associated with lower verbal fluency by -0.05 words (p = 0.01) and a decrease in executive function task performance of -0.02 points (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Evidence was found in support of some exposure-outcome associations, however more good quality research is required, particularly with older teenagers and young adults (14-40 years), using multi-exposure modelling, incorporating mechanistic investigation, and in South America, Africa, South Asia and Australasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon Thompson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Rachel B Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Yasmin Bou Karim
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chen Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Kayleigh Drummond
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chloe Teng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Mireille B Toledano
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK.
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