Nootropics

Pollution & Your Brain

Pollution & Your Brain

Taking time to get out of the urban environment and relax in forest or park spaces relieves mental stress and improves emotional health, but the impact of a busy urban environment on the brain may be more significant than previously thought.  Based on recent research from the University of British Columbia, the brain is extremely sensitive to not just the environment, but the level of pollution contained within its environment.

                The study focused on measuring cognitive function with MRI on healthy adults and compared the differences between cognitive function when exposed to pollution (diesel exhaust fumes) or clean, filtered air for 2 hours.  The participantsā€™ brains were scanned before and after the exposures for control methods, and the experiments were carried out with a two-week washout period.

Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  Polluted air exposure impaired connectivity in the DMN, a network crucial for thought and memory processes, among affected participants.Ā  Poor mental health states affect the DMN similarly, noted previously; this is the first association with air quality. The effects were temporary and full recoveries were made after the exposure was removed, but the results were surprising.

Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  Ā Ā  With busy commutes and time spent traveling from home to work, pollution is increasingly inescapable.Ā  Effects were short-term, but further investigations into air quality and brain health are necessary for a comprehensive understanding. Choose nature over city parks for clearing brain fog; both have benefits, but nature offers a distinct advantage.

Further Reading

Jodie R. Gawryluk, Daniela J. Palombo, Jason Curran, Ashleigh Parker, Chris Carlsten. Brief diesel exhaust exposure acutely impairs functional brain connectivity in humans: a randomized controlled crossover studyEnvironmental Health, 2023; 22 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00961-4

Photo by Aleksandr Popov on Unsplash

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