The role of air pollution in cognitive impairment and decline

The biological pathways and the extent to which air pollution can affect the cognitive decline in the elderly is not fully understood. In recent years, the impact of air pollution on cognitive impairment has become an active area of epidemiological research and several studies provided supporting evidence. This short review focuses on epidemiological studies in older adults investigating the associations between long-term air pollution exposure and cognitive impairment and decline. Most studies were observational studies and reported assessment of cognitive function using different cognitive scores and air pollution exposure in adults older than 50 years. The results from these studies indicate that exposure to ambient air pollution can have adverse effects on cognitive decline and impairment, but the overall results are heterogeneous and not fully conclusive. The number of epidemiological studies are still limited and additional longer-term studies are needed to confirm the findings. Understanding the relationship between air pollution and cognitive impairment is important to develop preventive measures and to address the needs of people living with cognitive impairment.