Katharina Buczek
The study’s results found that individuals with a predisposition to depression, who also live in places with high levels of air pollution, are much more likely to develop the mental illness.
Zhi Li, the lead author of the study, said, “Our results are the first to show a direct, neurological link between air pollution and how the brain works in processing emotional and cognitive information and in risk for depression.”
Daniel Weinberger, the co-author of the study, agreed and added, “The key message in this study is that air pollution is affecting important cognitive and emotional circuitry of the brain by changing the expression of genes that are conducive to depression. As a result, more people in high-pollution areas will become depressed because their genes and pollution in their environment will exaggerate the individual effects of each.”
The researchers are hopeful that this study will help push world leaders to address the substantial levels of air pollution internationally.
Hao Yang Tan, a Lieber Institute investigator, said, “Armed with this knowledge, leaders and public health officials around the globe have ample evidence that additional air pollution controls will lead to improved cognitive function and lower rates of depression.”
Tan also believes that the long-term price of depression calls for immediate action.
“There is an urgent need for scientific and policy strategies to better identify and protect vulnerable individuals from the deleterious brain impacts of air pollution,” Tan said.
To read the full scientific study, visit the link here.
