Effects of diesel exhaust inhalation on cognitive performance in human volunteers: A randomized controlled crossover study

IF 10.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environment International Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2024.109213

Jason Curran , A.J. Hirsch Allen , Christopher F. Rider , Robin Shutt , Chris Carlsten

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Mounting evidence links exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) to impairment in cognitive functioning.

Objectives

To determine if short-term, controlled exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) adversely affects one or more cognitive function domains.

Methods

We carried out a double-blinded crossover design with 28 healthy, adult volunteers. Volunteers were exposed to two conditions for 120 min each, on separate order-randomized occasions: filtered air (FA) and DE (300 µg/m³ PM_2.5) at the Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory (APEL) at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). Volunteers were blinded to the two exposure conditions. Volunteers completed five computerised neuropsychological tests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) prior to (2-hr before) and at three timepoints following each exposure condition (0-hr, 3-h post-, and 24-h post-exposure). The selected CANTAB tests were related to five cognitive domains – attention, spatial working memory, strategy use, executive function, and processing speed. We hypothesized that short-term diesel exposure would adversely affect one or more cognitive function domains.

Results

Following screening, 15 volunteers were randomized to receive FA followed by DE and 14 volunteers were randomized to receive the exposures in the reverse sequence. A total of 28 volunteers contributed to the final analysis. Short-term exposure to DE was associated with slower reaction times in the Reaction Time Index task. DE was associated with a decrease of 18.2 ms (p = 0.05) in simple reaction time and 23.5 ms (p = 0.04) in five-choice reaction time.

Conclusions

This first study to investigate the effects of TRAP on the cognitive performance of humans in a controlled environment shows slowed reaction times similar to those previously demonstrated with blood alcohol levels of 0.05%. Important implications exist for workers in occupations where attention and reaction time are connected to safety and performance.

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柴油废气吸入对人类志愿者认知能力的影响：一项随机对照交叉研究

越来越多的证据表明，暴露于交通相关的空气污染（TRAP）与认知功能受损有关。目的确定短期、有控制地暴露于柴油废气（DE）是否会对一个或多个认知功能领域产生不利影响。方法对28名健康成人进行双盲交叉设计。志愿者在温哥华综合医院（VGH）空气污染暴露实验室（APEL）分别暴露于两种条件下，每种条件120 min，分别为：过滤空气（FA）和DE（300 µg/m3 PM2.5）。志愿者对两种暴露条件不知情。志愿者在每个暴露条件（暴露后0小时、3小时和24小时）之前（暴露前2小时）和之后的三个时间点完成了5次剑桥神经心理测试自动化电池（CANTAB）的计算机化神经心理测试。选定的CANTAB测试涉及五个认知领域-注意力，空间工作记忆，策略使用，执行功能和处理速度。我们假设短期接触柴油会对一个或多个认知功能领域产生不利影响。结果筛选后，15名志愿者随机接受FA后再接受DE， 14名志愿者随机接受相反顺序的暴露。共有28名志愿者参与了最后的分析。在反应时间指数任务中，短期接触DE与较慢的反应时间有关。DE与简单反应时间减少18.2 ms （p = 0.05）和五项选择反应时间减少23.5 ms （p = 0.04）相关。这项研究首次调查了在受控环境中，TRAP对人类认知能力的影响，结果显示，与之前血液酒精含量为0.05%的人相比，反应时间变慢了。对于那些注意力和反应时间与安全和表现有关的职业的工人来说，存在着重要的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Environment International 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

21.90

自引率

3.40%

发文量

734

审稿时长

2.8 months

期刊介绍： Environmental Health publishes manuscripts focusing on critical aspects of environmental and occupational medicine, including studies in toxicology and epidemiology, to illuminate the human health implications of exposure to environmental hazards. The journal adopts an open-access model and practices open peer review. It caters to scientists and practitioners across all environmental science domains, directly or indirectly impacting human health and well-being. With a commitment to enhancing the prevention of environmentally-related health risks, Environmental Health serves as a public health journal for the community and scientists engaged in matters of public health significance concerning the environment.