The study revealed a notable increase in black carbon particles within various brain regions, including the thalamus, responsible for information processing, the prefrontal cortex linked to cognitive abilities, the olfactory bulb essential for the sense of smell, and the hippocampus, crucial for learning and memory.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the paper presents compelling evidence suggesting that ambient air pollution particles have the capacity to migrate to the human brain and accumulate in regions crucial for cognitive function. The researchers underscored the potential implications of this phenomenon in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. However, they emphasized the necessity for further research to validate these findings. A prior study involving genetically susceptible laboratory mice demonstrated that particulate matter present in polluted air could induce alterations in brain regions and accelerate the onset of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
