Even brief exposure to air pollution may impair brain function: Study

Just two hours of exposure to air pollution may impair human brain function, according to a study.

The researchers found that exposure to diesel exhaust for just two hours causes a decrease in the brain's functional connectivity - a measure of how different areas of the brain interact and communicate with each other.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, provides the first evidence in humans, from a controlled experiment, of altered brain network connectivity induced by air pollution.

"For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution, said senior study author Chris Carlsten, a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada.

"This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition, Carlsten said.

The researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust and filtered air at different times in a ..