Torres German, Mourad Mervat, Leheste Joerg R
Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Medaille College, Buffalo, USA.
Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Jun 23;14(6):e26247. doi: 10.7759/cureus.26247. eCollection 2022 Jun.
The human brain is constantly exposed to air pollutants, some of which might be disruptive or even lethal to certain neurons implicated in abstract features of cognitive function. In this review, we present new evidence from behavioral and neural studies in humans, suggesting a link between indoor fine particulate matter and decision-making behavior. To illustrate this relationship, we use qualitative sources, such as historical documents of the Vietnam War to develop hypotheses of how aerial transmission of pollutants might obstruct alternative choices during the evaluation of policy decisions. We first describe the neural circuits driving decision-making processes by addressing how neurons and their cognate receptors directly evaluate and transduce physical phenomena into sensory perceptions that allow us to decide the best course of action among competing alternatives. We then raise the possibility that indoor air pollutants might also impact cell-signaling systems outside the brain parenchyma to further obstruct the computational analysis of the social environment. We also highlight how particulate matter might be pathologically integrated into the brain to override control of sensory decisions, and thereby perturb selection of choice. These lines of research aim to extend our understanding of how inhalation of airborne particulates and toxicants in smoke, for example, might contribute to cognitive impairment and negative health outcomes.
人类大脑持续暴露于空气污染物中，其中一些污染物可能会对某些与认知功能抽象特征相关的神经元造成干扰甚至致命影响。在本综述中，我们展示了来自人类行为和神经研究的新证据，表明室内细颗粒物与决策行为之间存在联系。为了说明这种关系，我们使用定性资料，如越南战争的历史文献，来提出关于污染物空气传播可能如何在政策决策评估过程中阻碍其他选择的假设。我们首先通过阐述神经元及其相关受体如何直接评估物理现象并将其转化为感官感知，从而使我们能够在相互竞争的选择中决定最佳行动方案，来描述驱动决策过程的神经回路。然后，我们提出一种可能性，即室内空气污染物也可能影响脑实质外的细胞信号系统，从而进一步阻碍对社会环境的计算分析。我们还强调了颗粒物可能如何通过病理方式融入大脑，以凌驾于感官决策的控制之上，进而扰乱选择。这些研究旨在扩展我们对例如吸入空气中的颗粒物和烟雾中的有毒物质如何可能导致认知障碍和负面健康结果的理解。
