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Air Pollution Linked to Increased Lewy Body Dementia Risk

Air pollution's hidden danger: new study links it to Lewy body dementia. Find out how it affects the brain and what it means for your health.

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Air Pollution Linked to Increased Lewy Body Dementia Risk

Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, may significantly increase the risk of Lewy body dementia, a new study suggests. The research, conducted on both mice and humans, reveals a link between air pollution and the formation of Lewy bodies in the brain.

Scientists found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can interact with alpha-synuclein, a protein in brain neurons, to form a new strain called PM-PFF. This strain resembles the alpha-synuclein strains seen in Lewy body disease patients. Humanized mice, modified with a human mutation that enables alpha-synuclein growth with age, also demonstrated cognitive impairment after air pollution exposure.

In an epidemiological study, increased fine particulate matter exposure was associated with a higher risk of hospitalization for Lewy body dementia in humans. Chronic exposure to fine particulate matter is linked to a higher risk of being hospitalized for both forms of Lewy body dementia. Exposure to air pollution in mice led to brain shrinkage, cognitive decline, and accumulation of serine-129 phosphorylation, which can cause Parkinson's disease. Gene expression in mice with PM-PFF showed a strong correlation with people with Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.

The study suggests that air pollution may act as a catalyst for Lewy body dementia progression by altering the alpha-synuclein protein. Further research is needed to identify the specific pollutants and biological drivers behind Lewy body dementia and develop targeted interventions. Meanwhile, reducing air pollution exposure may help lower the risk of this degenerative brain disease.

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