Department of General Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Institute of Electronics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 4;18(1):316. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010316.
The issue of air pollution is gaining increasing attention worldwide, and mounting evidence has shown an association between air pollution and cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between air pollutants and cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and its sub-domains. In this study, we used data from the Taiwan Biobank combined with detailed daily data on air pollution. Cognitive function was assessed using the MMSE and its five subgroups of cognitive functioning. After multivariable linear regression analysis, a high level of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM), low ozone (O), high carbon monoxide (CO), high sulfur dioxide (SO), high nitric oxide (NO), high nitrogen dioxide (NO), and high nitrogen oxide (NO) were significantly associated with low total MMSE scores. Further, high SO and low O were significantly associated with low MMSE G1 scores. Low O, high CO, high SO, high NO, and high NO were significantly associated with low MMSE G4 scores, and high PM, high particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤10 μm (PM), high SO, high NO, and high NO were significantly associated with low MMSE G5 scores. Our results showed that exposure to different air pollutants may lead to general cognitive decline and impairment of specific domains of cognitive functioning, and O may be a protective factor. These findings may be helpful in the development of policies regarding the regulation of air pollution.
空气污染问题在全球范围内日益受到关注，越来越多的证据表明空气污染与认知能力下降之间存在关联。本研究旨在通过使用简易精神状态检查（MMSE）及其子领域来研究空气污染物与认知障碍之间的关系。在这项研究中，我们使用了台湾生物银行的数据，并结合了详细的日常空气污染数据。认知功能使用 MMSE 及其认知功能的五个子组进行评估。经过多变量线性回归分析，高水平的空气动力学直径≤2.5μm 的颗粒物（PM）、低臭氧（O）、高一氧化碳（CO）、高二氧化硫（SO）、高二氧化氮（NO）和高二氧化氮（NO）与总 MMSE 评分较低显著相关。此外，高 SO 和低 O 与 MMSE G1 评分较低显著相关。低 O、高 CO、高 SO、高 NO 和高 NO 与 MMSE G4 评分较低显著相关，高 PM、空气动力学直径≤10μm 的颗粒物（PM）、高 SO、高 NO 和高 NO 与 MMSE G5 评分较低显著相关。我们的结果表明，暴露于不同的空气污染物可能导致总体认知能力下降和特定认知功能领域的损害，而 O 可能是一个保护因素。这些发现可能有助于制定有关空气污染治理的政策。
