TY - JOUR
T1 - The Effects of Air Pollution on the Brain
T2 - a Review of Studies Interfacing Environmental Epidemiology and Neuroimaging
AU - de Prado Bert, Paula
AU - Mercader, Elisabet Mae Henderson
AU - Pujol, Jesus
AU - Sunyer, J.
AU - Mortamais, Marion
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).
PY - 2018/9/1
Y1 - 2018/9/1
N2 - Purpose of Review: An emerging body of evidence has raised concern regarding the potentially harmful effects of inhaled pollutants on the central nervous system during the last decade. In the general population, traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure has been associated with adverse effects on cognitive, behavior, and psychomotor development in children, and with cognitive decline and higher risk of dementia in the elderly. Recently, studies have interfaced environmental epidemiology with magnetic resonance imaging to investigate in vivo the effects of TRAP on the human brain. The aim of this systematic review was to describe and synthesize the findings from these studies. The bibliographic search was carried out in PubMed with ad hoc keywords. Recent Findings: The selected studies revealed that cerebral white matter, cortical gray matter, and basal ganglia might be the targets of TRAP. The detected brain damages could be involved in cognition changes. Summary: The effect of TRAP on cognition appears to be biologically plausible. Interfacing environmental epidemiology and neuroimaging is an emerging field with room for improvement. Future studies, together with inputs from experimental findings, should provide more relevant and detailed knowledge about the nature of the relationship between TRAP exposure and cognitive, behavior, and psychomotor disorders observed in the general population.
AB - Purpose of Review: An emerging body of evidence has raised concern regarding the potentially harmful effects of inhaled pollutants on the central nervous system during the last decade. In the general population, traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure has been associated with adverse effects on cognitive, behavior, and psychomotor development in children, and with cognitive decline and higher risk of dementia in the elderly. Recently, studies have interfaced environmental epidemiology with magnetic resonance imaging to investigate in vivo the effects of TRAP on the human brain. The aim of this systematic review was to describe and synthesize the findings from these studies. The bibliographic search was carried out in PubMed with ad hoc keywords. Recent Findings: The selected studies revealed that cerebral white matter, cortical gray matter, and basal ganglia might be the targets of TRAP. The detected brain damages could be involved in cognition changes. Summary: The effect of TRAP on cognition appears to be biologically plausible. Interfacing environmental epidemiology and neuroimaging is an emerging field with room for improvement. Future studies, together with inputs from experimental findings, should provide more relevant and detailed knowledge about the nature of the relationship between TRAP exposure and cognitive, behavior, and psychomotor disorders observed in the general population.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Brain
KW - Cognition
KW - Epidemiological studies
KW - Neuroimaging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058964086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s40572-018-0209-9
DO - 10.1007/s40572-018-0209-9
M3 - Review article
C2 - 30008171
AN - SCOPUS:85058964086
SN - 2196-5412
VL - 5
SP - 351
EP - 364
JO - Current environmental health reports
JF - Current environmental health reports
IS - 3
ER -
