Air Pollution and Dopamine in Parkinson’s Disease
Riya Saraiya1, Salih Cayir2, Vania Pala3, Melike Tezel4, Beaza Solomon5, Amr Elshahat2, David Matuskey2
1Integrative Neuroscience, Binghamton University, 2Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 3Carlmont High School, 4Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, 5Ridge Point High School
Objective:

To investigate the relationship between air pollutant concentrations (µg/m³) and the dopaminergic system in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

 

Background:
There is a well-established link between environmental factors and the dopaminergic system in various organisms, including humans. The primary underlying pathology of PD involves the disruption of the dopaminergic system. This study aims to explore the association between common air pollutants (i.e., formaldehyde, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and acetaldehyde) in living areas and dopaminergic function, as measured by dopamine transporter single photon emission computed tomography (DaT-SPECT) in PD patients and healthy controls (HC).  
Design/Methods:

All data used in analyses were obtained from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset. Average annual air pollutant concentrations from 2005–2018 were retrieved from the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (https://ephtracking.cdc.gov) using participants' residential ZIP codes. A composite air toxicity score was created by averaging the total pollutants’ z-scores for both PD and HC groups. Spearman correlations assessed the relationship between composite air toxicity score and DaT-SPECT specific binding ratios while controlling for age. 

Results:

221 PD patients and 70 HCs with available DaT-SPECT and environmental data were included in the analysis across 40 states and 160 cities. In PD patients, significant negative correlations were found between the composite air toxicity score and DaT-SPECT in the putamen (r=-0.20,p<0.01) and a non-significant negative correlation in the caudate (r=-0.13, p=0.06). Benzene and 1,3-butadiene showed significant negative correlations with the putamen (r=-0.21, p<0.01; r=-0.17, p=0.01, respectively). In the caudate, only benzene had a significant negative correlation (r=-0.17, p=0.01), while 1,3-butadiene showed a non-significant trend (r=-0.12, p=0.08). Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde both showed non-significant negative associations with the putamen and caudate (p>0.05). No significant associations were observed in the HC group for any variables. 

Conclusions:
These findings suggest increased air pollution in living areas might be associated with lower dopaminergic uptake in PD patients.
10.1212/WNL.0000000000208890
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.