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Aging in the city: Linking neighborhood features with whole-brain structural and micro-structural changes during
Juan F Quinones1, Sandra Düzel2, Johanna Drewelies3
1Center for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
Environmental Research
|May 7, 2026
Summary
Neighborhood factors like air pollution and population density impact brain structure changes in older adults. This research highlights the importance of the physical environment for healthy brain aging.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Environmental Health
- Gerontology
Background:
- The link between the physical living environment and brain structure changes in older adults is understudied.
- Understanding this association is crucial for a growing elderly population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if neighborhood environmental features correlate with brain structure and microstructure changes during healthy aging.
- To identify specific environmental factors impacting neural outcomes in older adults.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study using data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II).
- Structural equation modeling to estimate brain changes over two years.
- Machine learning (BORUTA algorithm) applied to neighborhood environmental data (N=201) and brain measures (N=334).
Main Results:
- Typical brain aging trajectories were observed.
- Air pollutants, population density, and land-use composition were associated with changes in subcortical gray matter volume, cortical integrity, white matter volume, and ventricle size.
- Weaker associations were noted for mean diffusivity and cortical thickness.
Conclusions:
- The physical neighborhood environment significantly influences neural outcomes in aging.
- Environmental factors like air quality and urban characteristics play a role in brain health during later life.
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