Have you ever wondered if all the particles in the air you breathe have an effect on your brain? The scientists certainly have and – embarrassed gasp – they have some bad news.
A series of recent studies highlighted in the Washington Post suggest that all kinds of microscopic debris are bypassing our blood-brain barrier and infiltrating our precious gray matter. And we can only begin to understand the role it might play in the development of neurocognitive disorders ranging from autism to dementia.
Although it’s not clear how these particles reach the brain, according to Caleb Finch, a USC professor renowned for his work on Alzheimer’s disease and aging, growing evidence suggests it starts as early as pregnancy.
“There’s a lot we don’t understand yet, but we do know that the risk of dementia increases in proportion to the amount of air pollution,” Finch said. WaPo.
A study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center found that foreign particles penetrated deep into the brains of people who died between the ages of 80 and 91, even reaching the amygdala, the area responsible for processing emotions.
Another study looked at data from the UK Biobank, a historic trove of medical and genetic data collected on half a million people living in Britain. It was found that subjects most exposed to fine particles that could enter the bloodstream were 14% more likely to develop dementia than those least exposed. Additional brain scans showed that subjects heavily exposed to pollution had a “reduction in global and regional brain volume,” the researchers wrote, cited by WaPo.
And a study published in September isolated the most problematic pollutants by exposing mice to different airborne particles for five hours and then examining their brains. Unsurprisingly, the dust collected at the World Trade Center turned out to be very damaging, but what shocked the researchers was that diesel engine exhaust was almost as disruptive. Both changed more than 1,200 of the same genes, the report notes, and caused brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Since wood smoke did not cause these deleterious effects, researchers believe that metals may be involved in the most brain-damaging forms of pollution.
Another comprehensive study suggests a direct link between air pollution and dementia. After examining the hospital records of more than 56 million Americans between 2000 and 2014, researchers found that those who lived in areas with higher levels of fine particle pollution were more likely to be hospitalized for Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease, both caused by abnormal clumps in the brain called Lewy bodies. Follow-up experiments using mice whose exposure to pollution triggered the accumulation of a protein that forms Lewy bodies.
It seems that a disposable spoonful of microplastic in our brains is just the beginning of our worries. If this news overwhelms you, perhaps try some deep, brain-poisoning breathing.
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Gn Health
