HEPA Air Purifiers May Boost Brain Function
Cleaner air at home may do more than help your lungs. A new study found that adults 40 and older performed significantly faster on a brain function test after using a HEPA air purifier for just one month.
HEPA — short for high-efficiency particulate air — filters are designed to remove very small airborne particles. Exposure to particulate matter, including pollution from traffic, has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease as well as neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
The research, published in Scientific Reports, is one of relatively few studies to examine whether reducing particulate pollution in the home can improve cognitive performance.
Researchers analyzed data from 119 adults ages 30 to 74 who lived within about 650 feet of highways in Somerville, Massachusetts, an area with substantial traffic-related air pollution. Participants used either a HEPA air purifier or a sham purifier that looked and operated like the real device but did not filter the air. After a monthlong break, they switched devices.
Adults 40 and older completed a test measuring executive function and mental flexibility about 12% faster after using the HEPA purifier for a month than after using the sham device. The improvement was not seen in participants younger than 40.
Researchers say the findings suggest that reducing indoor exposure to traffic-related particulate pollution could potentially offer a simple way to support certain aspects of cognitive function, particularly as people age.
Previous research has linked both short- and long-term exposure to particulate pollution with poorer cognitive performance. HEPA filtration can reduce particulate matter inside homes, including pollution that enters from nearby traffic.
More research is needed to determine whether the effect found in the new study persists over time and whether air filtration could benefit people who already have cognitive impairment.
"Our participants only used a HEPA air purifier for one month," said the researchers. "It's possible that longer durations of air purification may sustain or even increase the improvement in cognitive function we observed in our study."
Researchers plan to further investigate how cleaner air may affect cognition and whether reducing particulate exposure could help slow or potentially improve cognitive decline.
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