TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term ambient air pollution exposures and brain imaging markers in korean adults
T2 - The environmental pollution-induced neurological effects (epinef) study
AU - Cho, Jaelim
AU - Noh, Young
AU - Kim, Sun Young
AU - Sohn, Jungwoo
AU - Noh, Juhwan
AU - Kim, Woojin
AU - Cho, Seong Kyung
AU - Seo, Hwasun
AU - Seo, Gayoung
AU - Lee, Seung Koo
AU - Seo, Seongho
AU - Koh, Sang Baek
AU - Oh, Sung Soo
AU - Kim, Hee Jin
AU - Seo, Sang Won
AU - Shin, Dae Seock
AU - Kim, Nakyoung
AU - Kim, Ho Hyun
AU - Lee, Jung Il
AU - Kim, Changsoo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Public Health Services, US Dept of Health and Human Services. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - BACKGROUND: Only a limited number of neuroimaging studies have explored the effects of ambient air pollution in adults. The prior studies have investigated only cortical volume, and they have reported mixed findings, particularly for gray matter. Furthermore, the association between nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and neuroimaging markers has been little studied in adults. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between long-term exposure to air pollutants (NO2, particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameters of ≤10 lm (PM10) and ≤2:5 lm (PM2.5), and neuroimaging markers. METHODS: The study included 427 men and 530 women dwelling in four cities in the Republic of Korea. Long-term concentrations of PM10, NO2, and PM2.5 at residential addresses were estimated. Neuroimaging markers (cortical thickness and subcortical volume) were obtained from brain magnetic resonance images. A generalized linear model was used, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A 10-lg=m3 increase in PM10 was associated with reduced thicknesses in the frontal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)] and temporal lobes [–0:06 mm (95% CI: –0:07, –0:04)]. A 10-lg=m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a thinner temporal cortex [–0:18 mm (95% CI: –0:27, –0:08)]. A 10-ppb increase in NO2 was associated with reduced thicknesses in the global [–0:01 mm (95% CI: –0:01, 0.00)], frontal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)], parietal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)], temporal [–0:04 mm (95% CI: –0:05, –0:03)], and insular lobes [–0:01 mm (95% CI: –0:02, 0.00)]. The air pollutants were also associated with increased thicknesses in the occipital and cingulate lobes. Subcortical structures associated with the air pollutants included the thalamus, caudate, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that long-term exposure to high ambient air pollution may lead to cortical thinning and reduced subcortical volume in adults. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7133.
AB - BACKGROUND: Only a limited number of neuroimaging studies have explored the effects of ambient air pollution in adults. The prior studies have investigated only cortical volume, and they have reported mixed findings, particularly for gray matter. Furthermore, the association between nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and neuroimaging markers has been little studied in adults. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the association between long-term exposure to air pollutants (NO2, particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameters of ≤10 lm (PM10) and ≤2:5 lm (PM2.5), and neuroimaging markers. METHODS: The study included 427 men and 530 women dwelling in four cities in the Republic of Korea. Long-term concentrations of PM10, NO2, and PM2.5 at residential addresses were estimated. Neuroimaging markers (cortical thickness and subcortical volume) were obtained from brain magnetic resonance images. A generalized linear model was used, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A 10-lg=m3 increase in PM10 was associated with reduced thicknesses in the frontal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)] and temporal lobes [–0:06 mm (95% CI: –0:07, –0:04)]. A 10-lg=m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a thinner temporal cortex [–0:18 mm (95% CI: –0:27, –0:08)]. A 10-ppb increase in NO2 was associated with reduced thicknesses in the global [–0:01 mm (95% CI: –0:01, 0.00)], frontal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)], parietal [–0:02 mm (95% CI: –0:03, –0:01)], temporal [–0:04 mm (95% CI: –0:05, –0:03)], and insular lobes [–0:01 mm (95% CI: –0:02, 0.00)]. The air pollutants were also associated with increased thicknesses in the occipital and cingulate lobes. Subcortical structures associated with the air pollutants included the thalamus, caudate, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that long-term exposure to high ambient air pollution may lead to cortical thinning and reduced subcortical volume in adults. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7133.
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U2 - 10.1289/EHP7133
DO - 10.1289/EHP7133
M3 - Article
C2 - 33215932
AN - SCOPUS:85096540397
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 128
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
IS - 11
M1 - 117006
ER -
