Avoiding contact with air pollution not only safeguards your respiratory system but also shields your brain, as stated by a professor at McMaster University.
Russell de Souza, a member of the faculty in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at the Hamilton-based university, revealed that prolonged exposure to two common air pollutants was linked to “minor differences in brain function that we could detect.”
De Souza, coauthor of a research study released on May 13 in the journal Stroke, discussed how exposure to prevalent air pollutants impacted the cognitive abilities of approximately 7,000 Canadians during an interview on CBC’s London Morning radio program.
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The study participants, with an average age of 57, were recruited from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia between 2014 and 2018. The researchers assessed their exposure to air pollution in the five years leading up to the study.
One of the pollutants examined was fine particulate matter, commonly present in wildfire smoke, industrial emissions, and vehicle exhaust. The other was nitrogen dioxide, a gas also emitted from vehicle exhaust.
Brain health assessments were conducted on the participants using the Montréal Cognitive Assessment, involving word recall, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, focusing on number-symbol matching.
“These evaluations demonstrate the cognitive capabilities and efficiency of the brain,” stated de Souza.
Measurable but not severe declines, researcher explains
The study revealed that exposure to both air pollutants led to decreased scores on the cognitive tests.
De Souza clarified, “These declines are not severe enough for individuals to notice immediate drastic changes in their memory or cognitive functions, but they indicate the potential for early detection and prevention of further decline.”
Regarding air pollution in Canada, de Souza mentioned it has been a relative success story, resulting in the region having some of the cleanest air globally. However, he highlighted that recent climate-driven wildfires have partially offset these advancements.
