Association between exposure to air pollution and thalamus volume in adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Air pollution has been associated with cognitive function and brain volume. While most previous research has examined the association between air pollution and brain volume in cortical structures or total brain volume, less research has investigated associations between exposure to air pollution and subcortical structures, including the thalamus. Further, the few available previous studies investigating associations between air pollution and thalamic volume have shown mixed results.

Association between exposure to air pollution and prefrontal cortical volume in adults: A cross-sectional study from the UK biobank.

Associated with numerous cognitive and behavioral functions and with several diseases, the prefrontal cortex is vulnerable to environmental insult. Among other factors, toxins in air pollution have been associated with damage to the prefrontal cortex in children and older adults. We used data from the UK Biobank to assess further associations between an array of toxins in air pollution and gray matter in the prefrontal cortex including the left and right frontal poles, left and right superior frontal gyri, left and right frontal medial cortex, left and right orbitofrontal cortex, and left and right frontal opercula, using multivariate models adjusted for covariates that possibly could confound the association between air pollution and volume of prefrontal gray matter.

Association between Exposure to Air Pollution and Total Gray Matter and Total White Matter Volumes in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Total brain gray-matter and white-matter volumes can be indicators of overall brain health. Among the factors associated with gray-matter and white-matter volumes is exposure to air pollution. Using data from the UK Biobank, we sought to determine associations between several components of air pollution-PM, PM, PM, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides-and total gray-matter and total white-matter volumes in multivariable regression models in a large sample of adults.