A small study of brain tissue found that long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Although environmental pollution is known to affect respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, its effect on neurodegenerative disorders is limited.
Researchers from the University of Antwerp in Belgium and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands examined different areas of the biobanked brains of four people from Belgium and neuropathologically confirmed Alzheimer’s disease for the presence of black carbon particles.
The findings show a significant amount of black carbon particles in the thalamus (the brain’s information relay station), the olfactory bulb (the area that helps the sense of smell) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for human cognition). hippocampus (plays an important role in learning and memory).
In an article published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found evidence that “outdoor pollution particles can travel to the human brain and accumulate in many areas of the brain involved in cognitive function.”
They said this phenomenon “may be the beginning and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, but further studies are needed to confirm their observations.”
A previous study on preterm lab rats showed that particulate matter in polluted air can cause brain changes and accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s.
