Particulate matter 2.5 (PM) - associated cognitive impairment and morbidity in humans and animal models: a systematic review.

in Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part B, Critical reviews by Ritu Chauhan, Susmitha Dande, Darryl B Hood, Sanika S Chirwa, Michael A Langston, Stephen K Grady, Levente Dojcsak, Mohammad Tabatabai, Derek Wilus, R Burciaga Valdez, Mohammad Z Al-Hamdan, Wansoo Im, Monique McCallister, Donald J Alcendor, Charles P Mouton, Aramandla Ramesh

TLDR

  • This systematic review found that particulate matter exposure is associated with various neurological disorders, including dementia, Parkinson disease, and depression, and discusses the role of the exposome in characterizing neurobehavioral anomalies.

Abstract

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM) is one of the criteria air pollutants that (1) serve as an essential carrier of airborne toxicants arising from combustion-related events including emissions from industries, automobiles, and wildfires and (2) play an important role in transient to long-lasting cognitive dysfunction as well as several other neurological disorders. A systematic review was conducted to address differences in study design and various biochemical and molecular markers employed to elucidate neurological disorders in PM-exposed humans and animal models. Out of 340,068 scientific publications screened from 7 databases, 312 studies were identified that targeted the relationship between exposure to PMand cognitive dysfunction. Equivocal evidence was identified from pre-clinical (animal model) and human studies that PMexposure contributes to dementia, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, depression, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and neurodevelopment. In addition, there was substantial evidence from human studies that PMalso was associated with Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, neuropathy, and brain tumors. The role of exposome in characterizing neurobehavioral anomalies and opportunities available to leverage the neuroexposome initiative for conducting longitudinal studies is discussed. Our review also provided some areas that warrant consideration, one of which is unraveling the role of microbiome, and the other role of climate change in PMexposure-induced neurological disorders.

Overview

  • The study aimed to investigate the relationship between particulate matter (PM) exposure and neurological disorders.
  • A systematic review was conducted to identify 312 studies on the topic, with equivocal evidence from pre-clinical and human studies suggesting that PM exposure contributes to various neurological disorders.
  • The primary objective of the study was to elucidate the relationship between PM exposure and cognitive dysfunction, and to discuss the role of exposome in characterizing neurobehavioral anomalies.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study found equivocal evidence from pre-clinical and human studies that PM exposure contributes to dementia, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, depression, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and neurodevelopment.
  • There was substantial evidence from human studies that PM exposure was associated with Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, neuropathy, and brain tumors.
  • The review identified areas that warrant consideration, including the role of microbiome and climate change in PM exposure-induced neurological disorders.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings have significant implications for the development of policies and interventions aimed at reducing PM exposure and mitigating its effects on neurological health.
  • Future research should focus on unraveling the role of microbiome and climate change in PM exposure-induced neurological disorders.
  • The neuroexposome initiative offers opportunities for conducting longitudinal studies to better understand the exposome and its role in characterizing neurobehavioral anomalies.
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