Abstract

Air pollution has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias that are related to it (ADRD), but the mechanisms that link ADRD to air pollution aren’t clear. Amyloid beta (A) deposition in the brain may be exacerbated by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and air pollution. Using data from 3044 dementia-free Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study (GEMS) participants, we investigated the relationship between nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter less than 2.5 m in diameter (PM2.5), and particulate matter less than 10 m in diameter (PM10). One-, five-, 10-, and 20-year exposure averages were calculated for residential addresses with address histories that included addresses from 1980. A was measured at the beginning of the study (2000-2002) and again at the end of the study (2007-2008), enabling linear random effects models to evaluate repeated measures and linear regression models to evaluate cross-sectional associations.