A University of California, Irvine study found that exposure to air pollution from traffic leads to memory loss, cognitive decline, and the activation of brain circuits associated with the start of Alzheimer's disease.

The most frequent cause of dementia in older people is Alzheimer's disease, which is also a developing global public health emergency.

What was said by the co-author and adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health at the UCI Program in Public Health, Michael Kleinman, Ph.D.?

"Air pollution is one of the very few prominent, modifiable environmental risk factors in Alzheimer's disease"

The journal Toxicological Sciences published the study's results.

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Kitazawa and his team compared mouse models at two ages

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Researchers exposed a group of 3- and 9-month-old mouse models to ultrafine particulate matter for 12 weeks via ambient air collected in Irvine.

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A second group was exposed to purified air.

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The accumulation of brain plaque and the activation of glial cells in older models, which were 12 months old at the time of study, were found to enhance inflammation related to the start of Alzheimer's disease.

Kitazawa added, “This evidence is alarming, and it’s imperative that we take action to adopt effective and evidence-based regulations, spread awareness on lifestyle changes and work together to improve our air quality.”

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This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health under awards R21 ES028496 and RF1 NS130616 and by UCI MIND’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Women’s Initiative grant.

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