Noise pollution and human cognition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence

A systematic review of urban noise and its management in Southeast Asia contrasted to that of management in developed countries

Cities that are in countries grouped into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) uniformly face noise problems. The paper summarizes a systematic review conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to examine noise profiles and legislation in ASEAN countries, aiming to identify gaps in legislative enforcement. The study reviews 54 noise records and contrasts 34 noise legislation records in ASEAN countries with noise legislation and management practices in Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), Japan, New Zealand, the United States of America (USA), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Our review finds that most ASEAN countries have noise regulations but still, noise levels are high, often greatly exceeding stipulated levels. Private motor vehicles are the primary noise sources and significantly contribute to heavy traffic throughout the city. As a result, roadsides and housing areas are the most common locations for measurements, with noise levels nearly all exceeding the standards. In ASEAN, noise regulations are less detailed than those enacted in developed countries, which often mention measurement procedures, sanctions, and/or punishments for any violation. Consequently, the review found that most noise measurements in ASEAN countries lacked proper procedures. Compared to developed countries, ASEAN countries do not provide direct public or "self-reporting" channels for their communities, making noise bylaws only documents rather than enforcement tools. We argue that the availability of public reporting channels is a crucial aspect that should be adopted by ASEAN countries, although, as we point out, challenges exist.

Association of Perceived Acoustic Environment Exposure and Nonrestorative Sleep with Cognitive Functioning Among Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Despite the growing emphasis on cognitive health, evidence regarding individual and environmental factors influencing cognitive functioning remains limited. We aimed to examine the association of personal and environmental factors, specifically perceived acoustic environment exposure and nonrestorative sleep, with cognitive functioning among Chinese adults. Between July and August 2022, we recruited 970 Chinese adults from all districts in Hong Kong for our cross-sectional study. Univariable and structured multiphase linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the contributory factors. Among 970 Chinese adults, the structured multiphase linear regression model revealed that being in their 30s (β = 0.160; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.315) and 40s (β = 0.186; 95% CI: 0.029, 0.343), being female (β = 0.095; 95% CI: 0.018, 0.173), being former smokers, and having medical consultations, medical histories (eczema, hearing problems, and insomnia), perceived acoustic environment exposure (traffic and mechanical sounds (β = 0.011; 95% CI: 0.008, 0.013), nature and music sounds (β = 0.004; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.007), and human sounds (β = 0.002; 95% CI: 0.0004, 0.005)), and psychological symptoms (perceived stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms) were associated with worse cognitive functioning. Moreover, more nonrestorative sleep (β = -0.015; 95% CI: -0.022, -0.007) was also associated with worse cognitive functioning. This study revealed that increased perceived acoustic environment exposure and a higher degree of nonrestorative sleep were associated with poorer cognitive functioning among Chinese adults. This underscores the need for public health strategies and policies aimed at fostering a healthy acoustic environment and promoting sleep hygiene education in the community.

Outdoor air pollution, road traffic noise, and allostatic load in children aged 6-11 years: evidence from six European cohorts

Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to air pollutants and road traffic noise triggers stress responses, which mediate physiological responses in multiple organs and tissues. However, epidemiological study in children is sparse. We aimed to evaluate whether outdoor air pollution and road traffic noise are associated with physiological response measured by allostatic load in children. We studied 919 children aged 6-11 years from the HELIX (Human Early Life Exposome) cohort in 6 European countries with 19 biomarkers assessed in four physiological systems-cardiovascular, metabolic, immune/inflammation, and neuroendocrine systems. We then calculated both count-based and continuous scores for each physiological system and generated allostatic load scores (range 0-19). Exposure to air pollution (NO2, PM2.5, PM10, PM2.5absorbance) and road traffic noise (LDEN) based on participants' home, school, and commuting route addresses were estimated for the year prior to outcome assessment. Higher exposure to all air pollutants was associated with a higher allostatic load, although only the association of PM10 survived correction for multiple testing (for count-based allostatic load score: RR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.48; for continuous allostatic load score: β = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.27-0.84, per each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10). Examining physiological systems separately, higher exposure to air pollution was mainly associated with higher allostatic load in the immune/inflammatory and metabolic systems. No associations between road traffic noise and allostatic load were observed. Our findings suggest that air pollution act as a chronic stressor in manifesting multi-systemic physiological dysregulation in childhood, which may be a precursor of air pollution-related diseases.

Joint effects of environmental and neighborhood socioeconomic factors on cognitive function in the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

BACKGROUND

Modifiable physical and social environments are believed to influence cognitive health in older age.

OBJECTIVES

To employ cutting-edge methods to analyze the impact of correlated environmental and socioeconomic neighborhood factors on cognitive function in German older participants.

METHODS

In the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall cohort study, participants underwent neuropsychological testing at the first follow-up examination (2006-2008) to derive a global cognitive score (GCS). Long-term exposure to air pollution was estimated by the land-use regression and chemistry transport models. Road traffic noise was assessed as outdoor weighted 24h and nighttime means. Seven neighborhood-level socioeconomic position (nSEP) characteristics were linked from administrative data. The joint effects of exposure combinations on GCS were estimated using two dimensionality reduction techniques: principal component (PC) analysis (PCA) and self-organizing maps (SOM).

RESULTS

Overall, 3748 individuals were included (median age 65 years; 50.7 % female). In single-exposure linear regression analysis, higher particle matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides exposure, higher proportion of welfare recipients, and lower living area per resident were negatively associated with GCS. In the PCA, the first principal component (PC), the direction of maximum variance, was positively correlated with all disadvantageous nSEP factors and higher concentrations of all environmental exposures except ozone. This PC was associated with lower GCS. SOM revealed associations with lower GCS for 3 of 6 exposure clusters. These clusters were characterized by low nSEP (Cluster 1), high environmental exposure (Cluster 4) and high concentration of accumulation mode particle number concentration (Cluster 5).

DISCUSSION

We identified associations between distinct combinations of intercorrelated air pollution, road traffic noise, and nSEP disadvantages with poorer cognitive function, using two different dimensionality reduction methods. Our findings highlight the importance of considering combined environmental and social exposures to systematically assess the potential benefits of multimodal urban interventions aimed at mitigating these risk factors.

The cognitive benefits of ecosystem improvement: Evidence from China's National Key Ecological Function Zones

Despite growing evidence of a strong correlation between ecosystem changes and human health, the direct impact of ecological improvements on cognitive function remains underexplored. This study examines the impact of China's National Key Ecological Function Zones (NKEFZs) policy on residents' cognitive function, employing a staggered Difference-in-Differences model. Using large-scale longitudinal survey data from 92,825 adults, our findings indicate that NKEFZs implementation is associated with significant improvements in cognitive outcomes, with cognitive scores increasing by 0.0291 standard deviations for vocabulary, 0.0703 for mathematical scores, and 0.0993 for overall cognitive function. Further analysis reveals that these effects are mediated by enhanced objective health status, reduced depression, and increased outdoor exercise frequency. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that the cognitive benefits of NKEFZs implementation vary across demographic groups, with older and lower-income individuals experiencing less pronounced effects. These findings emphasize the broader public health implications of ecosystem improvement.

Tracking neural activity patterns during rapid high-altitude transitions

Rapid adaptation to dynamic changes in the environment is critical for human survival. Extensive studies have observed human behavior and brain activity in a stable environment, but there is still a lack of understanding of how our brain's functional activity drives behavioral changes when the natural environment changes. Here, we used a virtual environment platform named the hypobaric hypoxia chamber to investigate how human neural oscillations and related behaviors are affected by changes in barometric pressure and oxygen levels at different altitudes. We found that physiological compensations occurred in the hypobaric hypoxic environment followed by an increase in altitude, resulting in faster response times in working memory tasks. High-density EEG analysis revealed a significant decrease in the alpha band at high altitudes, while delta band activity gradually increased with altitude. Moreover, a predictive model based on differences in brain regions across frequency bands identified the left supramarginal gyrus and left lingual gyrus as two hub regions strongly associated with hypoxia-related behavioral changes, and activations in the pallidum and amygdala could effectively decode the specific altitude at which humans are located. Our study underscores the potential of hypobaric hypoxia chambers as a powerful tool for dynamic high-altitude research and provides novel insights into how altitude-related changes shape human cognition and brain activity.

Constructing hierarchical pore structures in melamine foams with silver and cellulose nanofiber to achieve broadband sound absorption and enhanced mechanical performance

It is a great challenge to prepare lightweight porous materials with high-efficiency broadband sound absorption and good mechanical properties. In this work, a series of melamine foams (MF) which were decorated by silver (Ag) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) were prepared by the in-situ deposition and freeze-drying method. The deposition of Ag particles on the foam skeleton formed nanopores, and hierarchical porous structures were constructed along with the existence of micropores in MF. In addition, the formation of filamentous CNF structure further optimized the pore structure, which resulted in achieving excellent broadband sound absorption and enhanced mechanical properties of corresponding composite foams. Specifically, Ag@MF-6-CNF achieved more than 95 % sound absorption efficiency in the range of 2500-6400 Hz. Besides, the compressive strength of Ag@MF-6-CNF reached 13.8 kPa at a strain rate of 50 %, which was 75 % higher than pure MF. The proposed method provided a reference for preparing lightweight porous materials for noise attenuation applications in industrial sectors.

Influence pathways of noise exposure on people's negative emotions and health across different activity contexts: A neural network-based double machine learning approach

Noise is a major global environmental issue that raises concerns about both mental and physical health. However, few studies have investigated the mediating role of emotions in the pathways linking noise exposure to health outcomes. Additionally, many studies have overlooked the varying effects of noise across different activity contexts. Most importantly, previous research has predominantly relied on correlational analysis, offering limited evidence of causality. In this study, we utilize real-time data from an environmental health survey of 800 residents in Hong Kong collected between 2021 and 2023 and apply a neural network-based Double Machine Learning model to estimate the pathways through which noise influences emotional states and health outcomes. Our findings reveal that (1) noise during travel significantly heightens real-time annoyance, while noise at home primarily increases real-time stress; (2) annoyance strongly contributes to headaches, whereas stress predominantly leads to insomnia and fatigue; and (3) noise at home directly triggers insomnia and fatigue, whereas noise during travel not only directly causes insomnia and headache but also indirectly exacerbates insomnia, fatigue, and headache through heightened annoyance. In contrast, noise in the workplace and outdoors has a limited impact on insomnia, fatigue, and headaches. This study provides valuable insights into the pathways through which noise influences negative emotional states and, subsequently, health outcomes, offering a methodological framework for unraveling the "black box" of environmental health relationships.

Interplay between noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss and hypertension: pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic prospects

More than 5% of the global population suffers from disabling hearing loss, primarily sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). SNHL is often caused by factors such as vascular disorders, viral infections, ototoxic drugs, systemic inflammation, age-related labyrinthine membrane degeneration, and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL, in particular, leads to changes in blood-labyrinth-barrier (BLB) physiology, increased permeability, and various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, neurological disorders, and adverse reproductive outcomes. Recent advances in neuromodulation and vector-based approaches offer hope for overcoming biological barriers such as the BLB in the development of innovative treatments. Computational methods, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, QSAR/QSPR analysis with machine/deep learning algorithms, and network pharmacology, hold potential for identifying drug candidates and optimizing their interactions with BLB transporters, such as the glutamate transporter. This paper provides an overview of NIHL, focusing on its pathophysiology; its impact on membrane transporters, ion channels, and BLB structures; and associated symptoms, comorbidities, and emerging therapeutic approaches. Recent advancements in neuromodulation and vector-based strategies show great promise in overcoming biological barriers such as BLB, facilitating the development of innovative treatment options. The primary aim of this review is to examine NIHL in detail and explore its underlying mechanisms, physiological effects, and cutting-edge therapeutic strategies for its effective management and prevention.

Global Burden of Disease from Environmental Factors

Estimation of the disease burden attributable to environmental factors is a powerful tool for prioritizing environmental and pollution management and public health actions around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) began estimating the environmental disease burden in 2000, which has formed the basis for the modern estimation approach conducted in the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor (GBD) study. In 2021, environmental and occupational risk factors in the GBD were responsible for 18.9% (12.8 million) of global deaths and 14.4% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), led by ambient PM2.5 air pollution (4.2% DALYs, 4.7 million deaths) and household air pollution from the use of solid fuels for cooking (3.9% DALYs, 3.1 million deaths). Climate change exacerbates many environmental hazards, leading to increased disease burdens from heat, air pollution, vector-borne diseases, storms, and flooding. Other environmental risk factors not included in the GBD, such as poor indoor air quality, various chemical exposures, and environmental noise pollution, also significantly contribute to disease burden in many countries, though more efforts are needed to generate and integrate data resources for inclusion in global estimations.

Speech Perception and Discrimination in Noise for Long-term Bilateral Hearing Aids Users: An ERP Study

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the characteristics of auditory event-related potentials (AERP) evoked by vowel and consonant contrasts in prelingual deafness adults, who fitted with bilateral hearing aids (HA) in quiet and noisy environments.

METHODS

Standard stimuli /ba/ (75%) and deviant stimuli (/ga/ and /bu/, 12.5% each) were presented using a passive oddball paradigm in quiet and noisy (+10 decibel [dB] signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) conditions. Eighteen young adults aged 18-23 years with long-term bilateral HA, and 20 age-matched normal hearing (NH) individuals participated in the study.

RESULTS

The hearing loss (HL) group showed lower N1-P2 and mismatch negativity (MMN) amplitudes and longer N1 and MMN latencies than the NH group. Both groups showed reduced N1-P2 amplitudes and longer MMN latencies in noise. The consonant contrast (/ga/-/ba/) induced lower and delayed MMN than the vowel contrast (/bu/-/ba/).

CONCLUSIONS

Young adult bilateral HA users with prelingual severe to profound HL have poorer abilities in processing consonant-vowel syllables than people with NH, especially in noisy conditions and consonant contrast differences. Long-term auditory compensation provided by bilateral HA for people with prelingual severe and profound HL does not seem to enable adequate development of the auditory cortex.

Variable Step-Size Hybrid Filtered-x Affine Projection Generalized Correntropy Algorithm for Active Noise Control

Active Noise Control (ANC) is frequently utilized to minimize noise in industrial environments. However, the powerful pulses in industrial noise pose challenges to its application. Consequently, ANC systems necessitate a high-performance algorithm as a core component. In this process, the variable step-size strategy is the main approach for enhancing the ANC algorithm's performance but ensuring robustness while improving performance remains a challenge. To address this problem, we propose a new ANC algorithm with a variable step size. This algorithm is derived from the Affine Projection Generalized Maximum Correntropy (APGMC) method, featuring a hybrid step-size and a new step-size approach achieved by modifying the mean square deviation (MSD). To showcase the practical effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, noisy audio from a real construction site was used for noise reduction control. Results show that the proposed algorithm effectively manages noise across frequency bands, with an improvement of approximately 16% to 19.2% compared to existing similar algorithms.

Social Media Depictions of the Impact of Noise Pollution on Communication and Mental and Physical Health

Noise pollution is known to have harmful consequences on various facets of human health, as is recognized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as by the World Health Organization. Even though noise pollution is a ubiquitous and global problem, the public may not be cognizant of its ill-effects. Often, people go online first to obtain information, and YouTube is the second most used social media platform. For these reasons, the objective of this study was to examine the information available by YouTube to the public about parameters pertaining to noise pollution. The most viewed one-hundred videos in English were obtained for examination from YouTube, searching for "noise pollution." Each video was assessed regarding the pertinent information (content) it displayed, as well as for the date it was uploaded, the source of its upload (professional or consumer/public), the duration of the video (in seconds), number of times it was viewed, and the number of "likes" it received. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, Fisher's exact tests, or Chi-square tests were applied as appropriate. Analysis of video characteristics indicated that the 100 most viewed videos on YouTube on the topic of noise pollution were uploaded from 2009 to 2023, with the highest frequency of uploads occurring in 2022 (16%), with 27% originating from the general public and 73% originating from professional health organizations. Cumulatively, the videos were viewed over 15 million times, and those uploaded by consumers had a greater median view tally (17,000), were longer in duration, and were "liked" more compared to videos uploaded by professionals (5,100). However, these differences were not statistically significant. Analysis of video content provided a breadth of data, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between consumer and professional videos in their presentations of noise characteristics, discussions of official and anecdotal complaints regarding noise, health problems attributed to noise pollution, general effects of noise on the community, and reactions from community administrators. Further topics shown equally in consumer and professional videos, from tinnitus to communication difficulties are discussed. Whereas of the one hundred most viewed videos, 73 were uploaded by professionals compared to 27 uploaded by the public, the fact that the professional videos had a somewhat lower median number of views (5,100 compared to 17,000), may point to a likely preference of consumers for videos by "peers." It may be worthwhile for professional organizations to consider this tendency so as to enhance the public's accessing of curated professional videos. Concerning the content available, the findings reveal that there is a respectable professional presence on YouTube videos on noise pollution. Nonetheless, certain issues were not adequately addressed, including the significant cognitive, communication, and physical harmful effects, or possible information that could be useful to the public on noise exposure.

Effect of Noise Exposure During Orthopedic Surgery on Nurses' Information Processing: Analysis of Reaction Delays and Errors in Judgment

Objective Orthopedic surgeries generate high noise levels that exceed recommended thresholds, thereby posing risks to surgical safety. Nurses play a critical role in instrument preparation and intraoperative monitoring. However, evidence of noise-induced cognitive impairment in this population remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of intraoperative noise exposure on nurses' reaction times and error rates during orthopedic procedures.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed data from 200 orthopedic surgeries conducted in a tertiary hospital over 12 months. Noise levels in the operating rooms (ORs) were recorded using calibrated noise meters. Nurses' cognitive performance was assessed by measuring reaction time and error rate. Baseline demographic and clinical data, such as age, experience, gender, and surgery type, were included. Correlation analysis and multivariate regression were performed to assess the relationships among noise levels, reaction time, and error rates.

RESULTS

The average noise level in the ORs was 89.73 ± 11.52 dB (range: 60-120 dB). Noise levels showed significant positive correlations with reaction delays (r = 0.54, P < 0.01) and error rates (r = 0.68, P < 0.01). Nurses exposed to noise levels exceeding 100 dB had an average reaction time of 274.82 ± 45.80 ms, compared with 261.48 ± 47.63 ms in quieter environments. Error rates increased sharply beyond 100 dB, with a mean of 0.91% ± 0.05%, compared with 0.61% ± 0.04% at lower noise levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed noise as an independent risk factor for delayed reaction time and increased error rate.

CONCLUSION

Noise exposure during orthopedic surgeries significantly affects nurses' information processing, increasing reaction times and error rates. Noise mitigation strategies are essential to enhance OR safety and nursing performance.

Agent-based modelling: A stochastic approach to assessing personal exposure to environmental pollutants - Insights from the URBANOME project

In the context of the URBANOME project, aiming to assess European citizens' exposure to air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2) and noise, an extensive data collection process was undertaken. This involved the distribution of stationary home sensors, portable sensors, and smartphone applications, alongside participants logging their activities while using these devices. By leveraging socioeconomic and socio-demographic statistical data for the residents of Thessaloniki, we developed an agent-based model to estimate exposure levels based on the movement patterns, locations, and data collected from the URBANOME campaign. The model highlights that an individual's exposure is closely linked to the type of activities they perform, their location, age, and gender. Whether exposure occurs indoors, or outdoors is important for determining intake levels. Activity selections were found to be strongly influenced by income, age, and social connections, indicating that socio-economic factors significantly shape exposure patterns. The analysis also revealed considerable differences between PM measurements taken from fixed monitoring stations and the sensors used in the campaign. Notably, even agents residing in the same household displayed distinct exposure levels, underscoring the variability within localized environments. Preliminary results from the URBANOME campaign were compared with the ABM outputs, showing differences in median values of up to 20 % of both noise and inhalation intakes. This research emphasizes the importance of using such models for developing future scenarios in large cities aimed at fostering green transitions and enhancing citizens' quality of life. These models provide valuable insights for designing strategies to reduce exposure and improve urban living conditions.

The Influence of Ambient Factors on Emotional Wellbeing of Older Adults: A Review

This work conducts a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and using software tools like Covidence® 2024 and Nvivo® 15 for thematic analysis, aiming to examine significant studies on the impact of external factors on the emotional wellbeing of older adults and propose new conclusions and future research directions. In this context, studies using sensors to measure factors such as ambient temperature or lighting are key to understanding their impact on the emotional wellbeing of older individuals. These technologies offer opportunities to monitor and adapt environments in real-time, enabling targeted interventions. It is widely recognised that aspects like noise levels, ambient temperature, or lighting can influence an individual's mood and overall wellbeing; however, it is crucial to further explore the effect of less studied factors. This review not only validates and questions popular beliefs about these factors but also highlights how the results can be useful for designing living environments that enhance the emotional wellbeing of the elderly and for establishing new directions in related research. By addressing these factors, this review provides actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and care providers to design environments that enhance the emotional wellbeing of older adults. Furthermore, this study not only validates previous knowledge but also highlights the need for future interdisciplinary interventions that integrate these factors holistically.

The U-Shape Association Between Noise and Individual Depression: Nationwide Longitudinal Evidence from Three Waves of CHARLS

Depression is a common mental disorder formed by a combination of various factors. Existing researches have already demonstrated that noise indeed impacts the level of depression, but their results were inconsistent. To reconcile seemingly contradictory findings, this study aims to investigate how noise affects individual depression using big data mining and analysis techniques. The individual data was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) over 3 years (2013, 2015, and 2018) totaling 9693 participants coming from 125 different cities. The Chinese version of the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was employed to assess depression scores, while the search index for noise-related keywords was obtained from Baidu Index to measure noise levels across different cities. A curvilinear model with fixed effects was applied to analyze the relationship between noise and depression. Additionally, moderating effect analyses were conducted to examine the influence of city size and green space. The results indicate a U-shaped relationship between depression and noise, wherein depression initially decreases with increased noise, then subsequently rises. The moderating effect analysis suggests that both city size and green space influence this U-shaped curve; notably, in cities with larger populations or higher green coverage rates, the curve flattens. This study reveals that the impact of noise on depression is complex, which is the result of a multifactorial synergy. It underscores the necessity for urban planning and management to prioritize the creation of friendly sound environments, which could enhance the physical and mental health of urban residents.

Home Environment as a Therapeutic Target for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Delivering Restorative Living Spaces, Patient Education and Self-Care by Bridging Biophilic Design, E-Commerce and Digital Health Technologies

A high prevalence of chronic diseases exposes diverse healthcare pain points due to the limited effectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs and biologics, sedentary lifestyles, insufficient health literacy, chronic stress, unsatisfactory patient experience, environmental pollution and competition with commercial determinants of health. To improve patient care and long-term outcomes, the impact of the home environment is overlooked and underutilized by healthcare. This cross-disciplinary work describes perspectives on (1) the home environment as a therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and (2) transforming health-centric household goods e-commerce platforms into digital health interventions. We provide a rationale for creating therapeutic home environments grounded in biophilic design (multisensory, environmental enrichment) and supporting physical activities, quality sleep, nutrition, music, stress reduction, self-efficacy, social support and health education, hence providing clinical benefits through the modulation of the autonomic nervous system, neuroplasticity and behavior change. These pleiotropic "active non-pharmacological ingredients" can be personalized for people living with depression, anxiety, migraine, chronic pain, cancer, cardiovascular and other conditions. We discuss prospects for integrating e-commerce with digital health platforms to create "therapeutic home environment" interventions delivered through digital therapeutics and their combinations with prescription drugs. This multimodal approach can enhance patient engagement while bridging consumer spending with healthcare outcomes.

Impact of irrelevant speech and non-speech sounds on serial recall of verbal and spatial items in children and adults

Short-term memory for sequences of verbal items such as written words is reliably impaired by task-irrelevant background sounds, a phenomenon known as the "Irrelevant Sound Effect" (ISE). Different theoretical accounts have been proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying the ISE. Some of these assume specific interference between obligatory sound processing and phonological or serial order representations generated during task performance, whereas other posit that background sounds involuntarily divert attention away from the focal task. To explore the roles of phonological processing, serial order retention, and attention control, we analyzed the effects of environmental non-speech sounds and unfamiliar speech on serial recall of verbal items (pictures representing German nouns) and spatial items (dot locations) in children (n = 137) and adults (n = 98). In the verbal task, both age groups were equally affected by background sounds, with speech impairing recall more than environmental sounds. In the spatial task, no ISE was found in adults and fourth graders, but third graders exhibited significant performance impairment from both sounds. There was no habituation to the sound effects across the experimental trials. The findings indicate that both specific interference and attention capture may contribute to the ISE, with the impact of attention capture potentially decreasing with age.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Influence of Personality on Noise Annoyance and Bidirectional Effects between Noise and Health Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Long-term noise annoyance can be expected to have worse outcomes than short-term annoyance. This study investigates noise annoyance over time, its association with personality traits and potential reciprocal effects between health outcomes and noise annoyance.

METHODS

Firstly, we conducted a Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis to identify noise annoyance profiles. We further analysed the effect of Big Five personality traits on the likelihood of belonging to these annoyance profiles. Secondly, we used Cross-lagged Panel Models to analyse whether changes in noise annoyance precede changes in health outcomes or vice versa. For both analyses, we used 8 years of data from the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel. Between 2708 and 11,068 subjects were included (this varies between models).

RESULTS

We found three profiles of noise annoyance, namely, chronically, occasionally and never annoyed. Among all participants, 12% were chronically annoyed by neighbour noise and 6% by street noise. Extraversion and emotional stability decreased the chance of belonging to the cluster of chronically annoyed, while openness had the opposite effect. Chronic noise annoyance showed a significant effect on self-reported heart complaints and sleeping problems, while the effects of noise annoyance profiles on high blood pressure and heart attacks were insignificant. Some potential indications for a reverse effect from health outcomes on noise annoyance were found.

CONCLUSION

Noise annoyance was relatively stable over time possibly because of its correlation with personality traits. Noise had a small negative effect on health outcomes, and some health outcomes affected noise annoyance. Further research should be conducted to collect dedicated panel data.

Mapping environmental noise of Guangzhou based on land use regression models

BACKGROUND

Environmental noise seriously affects people's health and life quality, but there is a scarcity of noise exposure data in metropolitan cities and at nighttime, especially in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the environmental noise level by land use regression (LUR) models and create daytime and nighttime noise maps with high-resolution of Guangzhou municipality.

METHODS

A total of 100 monitoring sites were randomly selected according to population density. The Equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq) was measured on weekdays from December 2022 to May 2023 during daytime [morning (7:30-12:00), afternoon (13:00-16:30), evening (17:30-22:00)], and nighttime (23:00-7:00) with 30 min of measurement at each site in winter/spring and summer/autumn. The LUR model was constructed by a supervised forward stepwise method to predict the noise exposure level via introducing the geographic predictor variables. A ten-fold cross-validation method was utilized to assess the performance of LUR models.

RESULTS

A total of 800 times of measurements were conducted and the average equivalent continuous LAeq of monitoring sites was 65.79 ± 7.45 dB(A). Urban areas exhibited higher noise levels than suburban areas (66.95 ± 7.37 dB(A) vs. 63.08 ± 6.94 dB(A), P < 0.001). Further, the noise level during the day was also significantly higher than during the night (67.18 ± 6.50 dB(A) vs. 61.60 ± 7.59 dB(A), P = 0.001). Four LUR models were developed with adjusted R2 ranging from 0.54 to 0.76, and the R2 of the ten-fold cross-validation varied from 0.61 to 0.79. Points of interests (POIs), traffic-related variables, and land use were important predictive factors in LUR models. Noise maps of daytime and nighttime with a resolution of 50 × 50 m were created, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that daytime and nighttime environmental noise exceeded the recommended values from the World Health Organization in Guangzhou. POIs, traffic-related variables, and land use were the main influencing factors of environmental noise level.

Longitudinal associations between air pollution and incident dementia as mediated by MRI-measured brain volumes in the UK Biobank

BACKGROUND

Although there is increasing evidence that environmental exposures are associated with the risk of neurodegenerative conditions, there is still limited mechanistic evidence evaluating potential mediators in human populations.

METHODS

UK Biobank is a large long-term study of 500,000 adults enrolled from 2006 to 2010 age 40-69 years. ICD-10 classified reports of dementia cases up to 2022 (Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, dementia in other classified diseases, and unspecified dementia) were identified from health record linkage. Estimates of residential air pollution, traffic noise, and greenspace exposure have been modelled. Structural brain MRI was conducted from 2014 to 2022, with brain volumes relevant to dementia identified a priori. Associations between environmental exposures, brain volumes, and dementia cases (diagnosed post-MRI) were tested using linear and logistic regression and adjusted for age, sex, household income, ethnicity, education, smoking, and area-level deprivation. Mediation of exposure-outcome associations by plausible brain volumes (those associated with both environmental exposure and dementia outcomes) were modelled using the quasi-Bayesian Monte Carlo method (N = 34,817-39,772).

RESULTS

Small but significant mediating effects (2%-8% of relationships mediated) were observed between PM2.5abs exposure and dementia risk by reduced total brain volume, NOx and Alzheimer's disease risk by reduced peripheral cortical grey matter, PM2.5abs and vascular dementia risk by reduced peripheral cortical grey matter, PM2.5abs and other dementia risk by reduced total grey matter, and PM10 and other dementia risk by reduced total grey matter. Greenspace and noise were not associated with dementia outcomes in the subset of the cohort providing brain imaging data.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to existing evidence of associations between environmental exposures and dementia outcomes. Our findings provide novel evidence that differences in brain volume may mediate these relationships. Future research is required to prove this mechanism and establish the other mechanisms through which exposure to air pollution might increase dementia risk.

Cognitive Health Costs of Poor Housing for Women: Exploring Executive Function and Housing Stress in Urban Slums in India

An increasing body of literature has investigated the implications of housing quality on health, confirming the negative consequences of poor housing quality on physical and mental health. Despite this increased focus on the salutogenic impacts of housing, the relationship between housing quality and cognitive health remains understudied. This study examined how the housing quality in urban informal settlements, where living conditions are often substandard, affects women's cognitive functioning, with a specific focus on executive function (EF) skills. EF is a decision-making system that enables us to make decisions using working memory and attentional control. This study addressed two key questions: (1) Is housing quality associated with EF skills? (2) Does perceived housing stress experienced by women mediate the housing-EF relationship? A standardized observer-based tool assessed housing quality, psychometric instruments measured EF skills, and a 12-item questionnaire evaluated perceived housing stress. Results indicated that better housing quality is positively associated with higher EF skills, with housing stress acting as a mediating factor in this relationship. These findings have important implications for both health and housing policies. Investments in improving housing conditions can yield cognitive health benefits for women, and addressing stress-inducing housing factors could further enhance cognitive outcomes.

Urban environment and children's health: An umbrella review of exposure response functions for health impact assessment

BACKGROUND

Urban settlements have become the main living environment. Understanding the impact of urban exposures on human health has therefore become a growing area of research. Up-to-date knowledge about the influence of urban exposures on pregnant women's and children's health is especially relevant, as they are particularly vulnerable to certain external influences.

AIM

This review aims to provide a synthesis of systematic reviews with meta-analyses reporting on an association between the urban environmental risk factors and health outcomes in pregnancy, infants, children and adolescents.

METHODS

We conducted an umbrella review, methodically analysing systematic reviews with meta-analyses, published between January 2016 and December 2022 in PubMed or Scopus. Adhering to the PRISMA checklist, we searched for free text using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms related to air pollution, noise pollution, temperature, green space exposure, built and food environment, health outcomes, children (aged 0-18 years), pregnancy and systematic reviews with meta-analyses. We extracted key characteristics of each included study and assessed the quality of the included studies via the R-AMSTAR 2 tool.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies met our inclusion criteria and identified 104 associations including 15 exposures and 60 health outcomes. The most frequently studied associations were related to air pollutants, followed by the built and food environment and noise. Birth outcomes (including low birth weight, pre-term birth or stillbirth) were the most commonly affected health outcomes, followed by respiratory outcomes such as asthma or respiratory infections. A total of 45 exposure-response function were reported to be statistically significant, including 10 exposures and 23 health effects.

CONCLUSION

This umbrella review provides an overview of the evidence and availability of exposure response functions between selected urban exposures and child health outcomes. This helps to identify research gaps and to build the basis for health impact assessment.

Individual-level noise exposure and its association with sleep quality and duration: A cross-sectional study using real-time data

As urban populations grow, the problem of noise pollution becomes more significant. The limited number of epidemiological studies linking individual-level dynamic noise exposure to sleep highlights a gap in our understanding of how individual-level noise exposure impact sleep quality and duration. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Hong Kong, and portable noise sensors were used to record participants' real-time noise exposure. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess their sleep quality. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of individual-level noise exposure with sleep quality and sleep duration. Among a total of 763 subjects included in the analysis, and a-weighted decibels [dB(A)] 24-h average exposure (L24) was 63.21 (58.85-67.85) dB(A) for workday and 63.52 (59.03-67.86) dB(A) for non-workday. A significant decrease in individual noise level was observed closer to bedtime (P < 0.05). Compared with the lowest noise exposure, exposure to the highest noise level was positively associated with the presence of poor sleep quality for L24, Ld and Ln, with an odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidential interval (CI) of 1.53 (1.04-2.24), 1.65 (1.12-2.43), and 1.51 (1.03-2.21), respectively. Exposure to elevated noise level was associated with increased risk of shorter nocturnal sleep duration (< 7 h), the OR and 95 % CI was 1.87 (1.29-2.73) for L24, 1.58 (1.09-2.30) for Ld, 1.50 (1.03-2.18) for Le, and 1.60 (1.10-2.32) for Ln in the highest noise exposure group. Similar findings were observed both on workdays and non-workdays, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that each 10 dB(A) increment in L24 and Ln was associated with a probable 29 % and 27 % increase in poor sleep quality and a 24 % and 24 % reduction in sleep duration. This study demonstrates that environmental noise exposure was associated with poor sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, posing a significant public health issue in Hong Kong.

Ear to the ground! socioeconomic status, environmental stress, and the neural substrate of selective attention

We reanalyzed data originally published by Berman and Friedman (1995), who recorded event related potentials (ERPs) while children and adults with low, medium, and high socioeconomic status (SES) detected oddball auditory targets (tones and consonant-vowel sequences) among distractors. The ERP differential measuring how much attention was allocated to the targets vs. distractors increased significantly with SES, independently of age. To explain these findings, we integrate the ear to the ground hypothesis and the socioenvironmental epigenetic stress approach. According to the ear to the ground hypothesis, frequent and prolonged environmental uncertainty and hazard induce low-SES children to learn adaptive over-vigilance, attending disproportionately to stimuli that are currently irrelevant but may quickly become relevant and thus require an immediate survival response. Socioenvironmental epigenetic stress refers to the bidirectional interaction between a stress-inducing environment and the impact and expression of transgenerational gene selections in low-SES contexts. Because low-SES individuals are historically under and misrepresented in research, the proposed framework contributes to increase our understanding of how socioeconomic and environmental conditions may affect neurocognitive development. This offers significant points of entry for future interventions and policies targeting macrosocial settings (i.e., education and the justice system) and microsocial ontogenetic settings (i.e., individuals and families).

Evaluation of noise pollution impact on health in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this research was to look at the interrelation between adult health issues in Dhaka and noise pollution.

METHODS

The methodology involved a cross-sectional survey conducted in five different land use categories, with a sample size of 1,016 individuals. A validated questionnaire that focused on sources of perceived noise pollution and health issues related to noise was used to gather subjective data for the study. Objective noise pollution was evaluated using equivalent continuous sound pressure level (LAeq).

RESULTS

Findings revealed noise generated from road traffic are the predominant source of noise pollution, with Thursday evenings during the end of office hours being the noisiest period in Dhaka. All areas in Dhaka exceeded permissible noise levels, posing significant health risks to residents and workers. The study identifies critical gaps in existing noise regulation policies and enforcement.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive noise pollution mitigation strategies, including innovative technologies, real-time monitoring systems, and public awareness campaigns. Further studies in diverse urban contexts are recommended to enhance the understanding of noise pollution's long-term impacts on vulnerable populations.

Effects of high-intensity chronic noise on spatial memory in male versus female rats

The detrimental effects of high-intensity noise on the auditory system and emotional status, including the induction of anxiety, are well documented. Preclinical as well as epidemiological and clinical studies have solidly established differential responses between males and females to various stressful stimuli, including high-intensity white noise (HIWN). However, whether chronic exposure to noise affects cognitive functions and whether this effect is sex dependent has not been adequately addressed. In this study, we used two cognitive test paradigms, such as the Morris water maze (MWM) and the multi-branch maze (MBM), to test the effect of chronic HIWN on indices of spatial learning and memory in both male and female Wistar rats. Our findings indicate that daily (1 h) exposure to 100 dB of noise for 30 consecutive days induces different task-dependent responses in male versus female rats. For example, in the acquisition phase of MWM, female rats exposed to noise outperformed their male counterparts at twice the speed. Similarly, in the MBM test, noise-exposed female rats outperformed the male rats in reaching the nest box. It is clear from these studies that noise impairs cognitive functions twice as negatively in male rats as in female rats. Thus, sex-related differences in spatial learning and memory in response to HIWN must be taken into consideration when investigating the neurobiological components and/or treatment modalities.

Investigation of the Content Offered to the Public Regarding Noise Pollution in Online News

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Noise remains an under-discussed type of environmental pollutant, which exerts a wide range of adverse health effects, both auditory and non-auditory. Ensuring that the public has ready access to useful health information online about noise exposure is important. In this regard, evaluating the content of public news articles regarding noise pollution is vital. Although examining the content available to the public on this topic is significant, there is still a dearth of information on this topic. Consequently, this study aimed to analyze the content on Google News regarding noise pollution.

METHODS

Google News was searched using the term "noise pollution," and 100 articles were shortlisted for further coding. Qualitative coding was based on the news source, the type of domain extension, and whether a video was included in the article. The articles were quantitatively coded based on their content and compared for length.

RESULTS

The three most common content areas were as follows: types of noise pollution (73%), sources of noise (63%), and responses by administrative offices (59%). Only 17% of the news articles alluded to health issues linked to noise pollution, such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, high blood pressure, and effects on children's auditory skills, that is speech development, concentration, and memory retention. Scientific research findings related to noise pollution were incorporated in less than one-third of the articles. The news articles were of comparable length.

CONCLUSION

This study not only contributes to a better understanding of the news provided to the public and how noise pollution issues are discussed in contemporary, mainstream media, but also can inform about public health initiatives. We recommend that scientific/healthcare communities collaborate with online news media to improve the coverage regarding-and underscore the scientific evidence of-the deleterious consequences of noise on human and animal health.

Geospatial analysis for environmental noise mapping: A land use regression approach in a metropolitan city

Environmental noise can lead to adverse health outcomes. Understanding the spatial variability of environmental noise is crucial for mitigating potential health risks and developing influential urban strategies for reducing noise levels. This study aimed to measure noise levels and develop a land use regression (LUR) model to determine the spatial variability of environmental noise in Shiraz, Iran. A grid-based technique was used to establish 191 noise measurement sites (summer) across the city to generate the LUR model based on two noise metrics: Lden and Lnight. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) and 38 additional measurement sites (winter) were used for the LUR model assessment. The mean values of Lden and Lnight during summer were 68.20 (±8.05) and 58.95 (±9.55), respectively, while during winter, the corresponding values were 69.46 (±5.46) and 58.81 (±6.79). The LUR models explained 67% and 65% of the spatial variability in Lden and Lnight, respectively. LOOCV analysis demonstrated R2 values of 0.64 and 0.61. Moreover, findings indicated mean absolute error (MAE) values of 3.96 dB(A) for Lden and 4.74 dB(A) for Lnight. Validation based on an additional set of 38 measurement sites revealed R2 values of 0.62 for both Lden and Lnight, with MAE of 2.78 and 3.31, respectively. In addition, the adjusted R2 values were 0.54 and 0.53. The results indicated no significant temporal variations between summer and winter. The results revealed that road-related variables significantly influenced noise levels. Moreover, the results indicated that Lden and Lnight levels were higher than the World Health Organization recommendations for exposure to road traffic noise. The results of our study showed that the LUR modeling approach based on geographical predictors is an effective tool for assessing changes in ambient noise levels in other cities in Iran and around the globe.

Air pollution, traffic noise, mental health, and cognitive development: A multi-exposure longitudinal study of London adolescents in the SCAMP cohort

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence that air pollution and noise may have detrimental psychological impacts, but there are few studies evaluating adolescents, ground-level ozone exposure, multi-exposure models, or metrics beyond outdoor residential exposure. This study aimed to address these gaps.

METHODS

Annual air pollution and traffic noise exposure at home and school were modelled for adolescents in the Greater London SCAMP cohort (N=7555). Indoor, outdoor and hybrid environments were modelled for air pollution. Cognitive and mental health measures were self-completed at two timepoints (baseline aged 11-12 and follow-up aged 13-15). Associations were modelled using multi-level multivariate linear or ordinal logistic regression.

RESULTS

This is the first study to investigate ground-level ozone exposure in relation to adolescent executive functioning, finding that a 1 interquartile range increase in outdoor ozone corresponded to -0.06 (p < 0.001) z-score between baseline and follow-up, 38 % less improvement than average (median development + 0.16). Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 24-hour traffic noise, and particulate matter < 10 µg/m3 (PM10) were also significantly associated with slower executive functioning development when adjusting for ozone. In two-pollutant models, particulate matter and ozone were associated with increased externalising problems. Daytime and evening noise were associated with higher anxiety symptoms, and 24-hour noise with worse speech-in-noise perception (auditory processing). Adjusting for air pollutants, 24-hour noise was also associated with higher anxiety symptoms and slower fluid intelligence development.

CONCLUSIONS

Ozone's potentially detrimental effects on adolescent cognition have been overlooked in the literature. Our findings also suggest harmful impacts of other air pollutants and noise on mental health. Further research should attempt to replicate these findings and use mechanistic enquiry to enhance causal inference. Policy makers should carefully consider how to manage the public health impacts of ozone, as efforts to reduce other air pollutants such as NO2 can increase ozone levels, as will the progression of climate change.

The impact of poverty and socioeconomic status on brain, behaviour, and development: a unified framework

In this article, we, for the first time, provide a comprehensive overview and unified framework of the impact of poverty and low socioeconomic status (SES) on the brain and behaviour. While there are many studies on the impact of low SES on the brain (including cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and even neurotransmitters) and behaviours (including educational attainment, language development, development of psychopathological disorders), prior studies did not integrate behavioural, educational, and neural findings in one framework. Here, we argue that the impact of poverty and low SES on the brain and behaviour are interrelated. Specifically, based on prior studies, due to a lack of resources, poverty and low SES are associated with poor nutrition, high levels of stress in caregivers and their children, and exposure to socio-environmental hazards. These psychological and physical injuries impact the normal development of several brain areas and neurotransmitters. Impaired functioning of the amygdala can lead to the development of psychopathological disorders, while impaired hippocampus and cortex functions are associated with a delay in learning and language development as well as poor academic performance. This in turn perpetuates poverty in children, leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and psychological/physical impairments. In addition to providing economic aid to economically disadvantaged families, interventions should aim to tackle neural abnormalities caused by poverty and low SES in early childhood. Importantly, acknowledging brain abnormalities due to poverty in early childhood can help increase economic equity. In the current study, we provide a comprehensive list of future studies to help understand the impact of poverty on the brain.

Rethinking professional boundaries: the climate crisis and brain health

Since climate change affects psychiatric, neurological and neuropsychological disorders, as well as brain development, the Irish Doctors for the Environment working group on mental health has changed its title and remit to brain health. Mental health professionals need to respond coherently and effectively to the climate crisis. This need challenges traditional professional, disciplinary and academic boundaries and demands a holistic, person-centred approach. We propose that meeting this challenge is vital if the public, policy-makers and legislators are to grasp the full extent of the significance of climate's impact on brain health.

How does urbanization affect the cognitive function among older adults: A geospatial analysis in China

There has been a plethora of studies on urbanization and older adults, and more recent ones on how older adults adapt to this process with their cognitive competence. Yet it has been unclear about the relationship between them, like how the level and rate of urbanization affect the cognitive function among older adults. This study sourced, formed, and analyzed a set of geospatial big datasets from different sources, such as the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data, and the NPP/VIIRS nighttime light (NTL) data. Results showed a generally negative linear association between the rate of urbanization and cognitive performance among older adults in China. The "U" shaped non-linear relationship between urbanization level and cognitive function, as well as the tipping point, were identified. At the same time, it should be noted that mediators such as education, physical activity, social activity, and community elderly service might be able to mitigate these negative associations. Furthermore, older adults living in eastern regions or urban areas appeared to have better cognitive function than those living in mid-western regions or rural areas in China. The findings also pointed to the importance of focusing on older adults with poor cognitive health status in rapidly urbanizing areas.

The Health-Related and Learning Performance Effects of Air Pollution and Other Urban-Related Environmental Factors on School-Age Children and Adolescents-A Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This scoping review aims to assess the impact of air pollution, traffic noise, heat, and green and blue space exposures on the physical and cognitive development of school-age children and adolescents. While existing evidence indicates adverse effects of transport-related exposures on their health, a comprehensive scoping review is necessary to consolidate findings on various urban environmental exposures' effects on children's development.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is consistent evidence on how air pollution negatively affects children's cognitive and respiratory health and learning performance, increasing their susceptibility to diseases in their adult life. Scientific evidence on heat and traffic noise, while less researched, indicates that they negatively affect children's health. On the contrary, green space exposure seems to benefit or mitigate these adverse effects, suggesting a potential strategy to promote children's cognitive and physical development in urban settings. This review underscores the substantial impact of urban exposures on the physical and mental development of children and adolescents. It highlights adverse health effects that can extend into adulthood, affecting academic opportunities and well-being beyond health. While acknowledging the necessity for more research on the mechanisms of air pollution effects and associations with heat and noise exposure, the review advocates prioritizing policy changes and urban planning interventions. This includes minimizing air pollution and traffic noise while enhancing urban vegetation, particularly in school environments, to ensure the healthy development of children and promote lifelong health.

A lecturer's voice quality and its effect on memory, listening effort, and perception in a VR environment

Many lecturers develop voice problems, such as hoarseness. Nevertheless, research on how voice quality influences listeners' perception, comprehension, and retention of spoken language is limited to a small number of audio-only experiments. We aimed to address this gap by using audio-visual virtual reality (VR) to investigate the impact of a lecturer's hoarseness on university students' heard text recall, listening effort, and listening impression. Fifty participants were immersed in a virtual seminar room, where they engaged in a Dual-Task Paradigm. They listened to narratives presented by a virtual female professor, who spoke in either a typical or hoarse voice. Simultaneously, participants performed a secondary task. Results revealed significantly prolonged secondary-task response times with the hoarse voice compared to the typical voice, indicating increased listening effort. Subjectively, participants rated the hoarse voice as more annoying, effortful to listen to, and impeding for their cognitive performance. No effect of voice quality was found on heard text recall, suggesting that, while hoarseness may compromise certain aspects of spoken language processing, this might not necessarily result in reduced information retention. In summary, our findings underscore the importance of promoting vocal health among lecturers, which may contribute to enhanced listening conditions in learning spaces.

Serum metabolome perturbation in relation to noise exposure: Exploring the potential role of serum metabolites in noise-induced arterial stiffness

Noise pollution has grown to be a major public health issue worldwide. We sought to profile serum metabolite expression changes related to occupational noise exposure by untargeted metabolomics, as well as to evaluate the potential roles of serum metabolites in occupational noise-associated arterial stiffness (AS). Our study involved 30 noise-exposed industrial personnel (Lipo group) and 30 noise-free controls (Blank group). The untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed by employing a UPLC-HRMS. The associations of occupational noise and significant differential metabolites (between Blank/Lipo groups) with AS were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted generalized linear models. We performed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis to further screen for AS's risk metabolites. We explored 177 metabolites across 21 categories significantly differentially expressed between Blank/Lipo groups, and these metabolites were enriched in 20 metabolic pathways. Moreover, 15 metabolites in 4 classes (including food, glycerophosphocholine, sphingomyelin [SM] and triacylglycerols [TAG]) were adversely associated with AS (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, five metabolites (homostachydrine, phosphatidylcholine (PC) (32:1e), PC (38:6p), SM (d41:2) and TAG (45:1) have been proven to be useful predictors of AS prevalence. However, none of these 15 metabolites were found to have a mediating influence on occupational noise-induced AS. Our study reveals specific metabolic changes caused by occupational noise exposure, and several metabolites may have protective effects on AS. However, the roles of serum metabolites in noise-AS association remain to be validated in future studies.

Diurnal rail noise measurement, analysis, and evaluation of associated health impacts on residents living in the proximity of rail track area

In India, railway is the major transportation mode for carrying goods and people. The tracks for the movement of the rail were initially constructed in the city for the pre-eminence and expediency of the vantage of the people. Rapid modernization and increasing population in the city crammed the area around the railway tracks. Moving rail on the tracks passing through the city is not compatible, which is creating problems for the nearby residents. In the urban and suburban regions, the railway noise has become a major problem. This study was conducted to examine the perception of the physiological and psychological effects of railway noise in the nearby areas of railway stations in Delhi, India. For this purpose, 10 sites near the railway station were selected for the study. To assess the impact of railway noise pollution on the health of humans, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The data of 344 individuals were collected through the questionnaire survey and analyzed to get the perception towards railway noise. Noise level was monitored by a Sound Level Meter (SLM) and the equivalent noise level (Leq) in dB(A) was used to compute the noise pollution in three shifts, i.e., morning, noon, and evening time. Results showed that 57.65% of female and 86.11% of male respondents in the survey reported the disturbance due to railway noise. The level of noise pollution was found higher in the evening time as compared to the noon and morning period, which exceeds the limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at all the monitored locations. Findings of the study show that the primary cause of the health problems is railroad noise, which is negatively impacting the health of the residents, who are living in the proximity of the rail track region. The perception survey reported that headache, sleep disturbance, irritation, and stress are common health issues among the locals residing around the railway track proximity in Delhi.

Association between ambient particulate matter exposure and mitochondrial DNA copy number: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ambient particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as inducing oxidative stress, which could contribute to mitochondrial damage and dysfunction. However, studies investigating the association between ambient PM and mitochondria, particularly mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), have yielded inconsistent results.

METHODS

We conducted comprehensive literature searches to identify observational studies published before July 17, 2023, examining the association between ambient PM exposure and mtDNA-CN. Meta-analysis using random effects model was employed to calculate the pooled effect estimates for general individual exposures, as well as for prenatal exposure with specific trimester. Additionally, the quality and level of evidence for each exposure-outcome pair was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 10 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The results indicated that general individual exposure to PM2.5 (β = -0.084, 95 % CI: -0.521, 0.353; I2 = 93 %) and PM10 (β = 0.035, 95 % CI: -0.129, 0.199; I2 = 95 %) did not significantly affect mtDNA-CN. Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 (β = 0.023, 95 % CI: -0.087, 0.133; I2 = 0 %) and PM10 (β = 0.006, 95 % CI: -0.135; 0.147; I2 = 51 %) were also not significantly associated with mtDNA-CN in offspring. The level of evidence for each tested exposure-outcome pair was assessed as "inadequate."

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that there is an "inadequate" strength of evidence for the association between general individual or prenatal exposure to ambient PM and mtDNA-CN. Future research necessitates studies with more rigorous design, enhanced control of confounding factors, and improved measures of exposure to substantiate our findings.

The impact of environmental noise on drivers' cognitive abilities: A case study on in-vehicle voice interaction interfaces

To investigate the impact of environmental noise on the cognitive abilities of drivers, this study, using in-vehicle voice interaction as an example, conducted laboratory experiments to assess the effects of road traffic noise, entertainment noise, and white noise stimuli on drivers' attention and short-term memory. The noise levels simulated to mimic acoustic conditions during car driving ranged from 35 dB(A) to 65 dB(A). The conclusions drawn were as follows: (1) Noise levels directly influenced subjective annoyance levels, with annoyance linearly increasing as noise levels escalated; (2) Both attention and short-term memory task reaction times of drivers were significantly influenced by noise types. Compared to traffic noise and white noise, drivers' cognitive efficiency was lower under entertainment noise. (3) Performance in complex cognitive tasks was more susceptible to noise levels compared to simple cognitive tasks; (4) Experimentally, it was found that drivers exhibited the highest cognitive efficiency in cognitive tasks when the environmental noise level was 55 dB(A), as opposed to noise levels of 35 dB(A), 45 dB(A), and 65 dB(A).

Neural Mechanisms of Nonauditory Effects of Noise Exposure on Special Populations

Due to the abnormal structure and function of brain neural networks in special populations, such as children, elderly individuals, and individuals with mental disorders, noise exposure is more likely to have negative psychological and cognitive nonauditory effects on these individuals. There are unique and complex neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For individuals with mental disorders, there are anomalies such as structural atrophy and decreased functional activation in brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive processing, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Noise exposure can worsen these abnormalities in relevant brain regions, further damaging neural plasticity and disrupting normal connections and the transmission of information between the PFC and other brain areas by causing neurotransmitter imbalances. In the case of children, in a noisy environment, brain regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and PFC, which are involved in growth and development, are more susceptible to structural and functional changes, leading to neurodegenerative alterations. Furthermore, noise exposure can interrupt auditory processing neural pathways or impair inhibitory functions, thus hindering children's ability to map sound to meaning in neural processes. For elderly people, age-related shrinkage of brain regions such as the PFC, as well as deficiencies in hormone, neurotransmitter, and nutrient levels, weakens their ability to cope with noise. Currently, it is feasible to propose and apply coping strategies to improve the nonauditory effects of noise exposure on special populations based on the plasticity of the human brain.

Racial and ethnic disparities in the co-occurrence of intellectual disability and autism: Impact of incorporating measures of adaptive functioning

Intellectual disability (ID) commonly co-occurs in children with autism. Although diagnostic criteria for ID require impairments in both cognitive and adaptive functioning, most population-based estimates of the frequency of co-occurring ID in children with autism-including studies of racial and ethnic disparities in co-occurring autism and ID-base the definition of ID solely on cognitive scores. The goal of this analysis was to examine the effect of including both cognitive and adaptive behavior criteria on estimates of co-occurring ID in a well-characterized sample of 2- to 5-year-old children with autism. Participants included 3264 children with research or community diagnoses of autism enrolled in the population-based Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) phases 1-3. Based only on Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) composite cognitive scores, 62.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.1, 64.7%) of children with autism were estimated to have co-occurring ID. After incorporating Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II) composite or domains criteria, co-occurring ID estimates were reduced to 38.0% (95% CI: 36.2, 39.8%) and 45.0% (95% CI: 43.1, 46.9%), respectively. The increased odds of meeting ID criteria observed for non-Hispanic (NH) Black and Hispanic children relative to NH White children when only MSEL criteria were used were substantially reduced, though not eliminated, after incorporating VABS-II criteria and adjusting for selected socioeconomic variables. This study provides evidence for the importance of considering adaptive behavior as well as socioeconomic disadvantage when describing racial and ethnic disparities in co-occurring ID in epidemiologic studies of autism.

Long-term exposure to transportation noise in relation to global cognitive decline and cognitive impairment: Results from a Swedish longitudinal cohort

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Transportation noise is an environmental exposure with mounting evidence of adverse health effects. Besides the increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, recent studies suggest that long-term noise exposure might accelerate cognitive decline in older age. We examined the association between transportation noise and cognitive function in a cohort of older adults.

METHODS

The present study is based on 2594 dementia-free participants aged 60 + years from the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). Global cognition score and CIND (cognitive impairment, no dementia) were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery at baseline and up to 16 years. Residential transportation noise resulting from road traffic, railway, and aircraft were estimated at the most exposed façade and the time-weighted average exposure was assessed. Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the effect of long-term traffic noise exposure on the rate of change in global cognition score. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of CIND by transportation noise exposure were obtained with Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

Global cognition score decreased at an average rate of -0.041 (95 %CI -0.043, -0.039) per year. Aircraft noise was associated with a 0.007 (per 10 dB Lden; 95 %CI -0.012, -0.001) faster annual rate of decline. Global cognition score seems to be not affected by road traffic and railway noise. During the follow-up, 422 (21 %) participants developed CIND. A 10-dB Lden difference in exposure to aircraft and railway noise was associated with a 16 % (HR 1.16, 95 %CI 0.91, 1.49) and 26 % (HR 1.26, 95 %CI 1.01, 1.56) increased hazard of CIND in the multi-pollutant model, respectively. No association was found for road traffic (HR 1.00, 95 %CI 0.83, 1.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Transportation noise was linked to cognitive impairment and faster cognitive decline among older adults. Future studies are warranted to confirm our results.

Addressing the influencing path of social noise exposure risk perception on noise mitigation behavior

Noise interference has become a common health risk in population-densified urban areas where social noise occurs frequently. However, the influence of an individual's perception of social noise exposure risk on reactive behavior remains unknown. This study developed an integrative psychosocial perspective-based model that includes constructs from two theoretical frameworks (the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Value-Belief-Norm theory) to analyze noise risk perception and behavioral intention for social noise mitigation. Haidian District, Beijing, was selected as the case study area and 300 questionnaires were distributed. The results showed that personal attributes had significant effects on residents' noise exposure risk perception and noise-mitigation behavioral intentions. Noise perception, as represented by awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, was significantly related to noise mitigation behavioral intention. Awareness of consequences directly positively influenced behavioral intention (β = 0.235, p < 0.001) and indirectly positively influenced behavioral intention through the mediating effect of the ascription of responsibility, which accounted for 24 % of the total effect of awareness of consequences on behavioral intention. This study provides valuable insights into the risks of social noise and encourages adaptive measures to reduce it.

Effect of low-frequency noise exposure on cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Low-frequency noise may cause changes in cognitive function. However, there is no established consensus on the effect of low-frequency noise on cognitive function. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and identified original studies written in English on low-frequency noise and cognition published before December 2022 using the PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases. The risk of bias was evaluated according to established guidelines. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed where appropriate. To explore the association between low-frequency noise exposure and cognitive function, we reviewed eight relevant studies. These studies covered cognitive functions grouped into four domains: attention, executive function, memory, and higher-order cognitive functions. The data extraction process was followed by a random-effects meta-analysis for each domain, which allowed us to quantify the overall effect.

RESULTS

Our analysis of the selected studies suggested that interventions involving low-frequency noise only had a negative impact on higher-order cognitive functions (Z = 2.42, p = 0.02), with a standardized mean difference of -0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.67, -0.07). A moderate level of heterogeneity was observed among studies (p = 0.24, I2 = 29%, Tau2 = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study findings suggest that low-frequency noise can negatively impact higher-order cognitive functions, such as logical reasoning, mathematical calculation, and data processing. Therefore, it becomes important to consider the potential negative consequences of low-frequency noise in everyday situations, and proactive measures should be taken to address this issue and mitigate the associated potential adverse outcomes.

Cognition as a neglected mediator of responses to anthropogenic noise

Anthropogenic noise is an increasingly pervasive global disturbance factor, with diverse biological effects. Yet, most studies have focused on population mean responses to noise pollution, leaving sources of among-individual differences in responses poorly understood. Blackburn et al. (2023) provide the first evidence from free-living animals that cognition might mediate individual differences in responses to noise pollution. In this commentary, we highlight the contribution of this ground-breaking study to stimulate more research on this important topic. We argue that cognition might mediate among-individual differences in the ability to cope with both masking effects and stress associated with noise pollution.

Comparative analysis of noise and music exposure on inflammatory responses on lipopolysaccharide-induced septic rats

OBJECTIVE

Environmental factors such as noise and music can significantly impact physiological responses, including inflammation. This study explored how environmental factors like noise and music affect lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation, with a focus on systemic and organ-specific responses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

24 Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 6 per group): Control group, LPS group, noise-exposed group, and music-exposed group. All rats, except for the Control group, received 10 mg/kg LPS intraperitoneally. The rats in the noise-exposed group were exposed to 95 dB noise, and the music-exposed group listened to Mozart's K. 448 music (65-75 dB) for 1 h daily over 7 days. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was utilized to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), in serum and tissues (lung, liver, and kidney). Western blot examined the phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 in organ tissues.

RESULTS

Compared with the Control group, LPS-induced sepsis rats displayed a significant increase in the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum, lung, liver, and kidney tissues, as well as a remarkable elevation in the p-NF-κB p65 protein expression in lung, liver, and kidney tissues. Noise exposure further amplified these inflammatory markers, while music exposure reduced them in LPS-induced sepsis rats.

CONCLUSION

Noise exposure exacerbates inflammation by activating the NF-κB pathway, leading to the up-regulation of inflammatory markers during sepsis. On the contrary, music exposure inhibits NF-κB signaling, indicating a potential therapeutic effect in reducing inflammation.

Association of road traffic noise exposure and school childrens' cognition: A structural equation model approach

This study explores the complex relationship between traffic noise and school children's cognition, acknowledging existing empirical inconsistencies and aiming to contribute to a richer understanding of this pivotal issue. Schools adjacent to noisy roads were selected, and outdoor noise levels were measured employing a Kimo dB300 sound level meter, focusing on noise level indices LAeq, L10, and L90. Subsequent calculations were performed to determine the noise pollution level (Lnp), noise climate (NC), and traffic noise index (TNI), revealing a severe noise exposure when compared to standard guidelines. A perception questionnaire for various noise and acoustic factors influencing cognition was developed, and 1524 student responses were collected. Data analysis incorporated Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for dimension reduction, revealing three latent factors labelled 'annoyance,' 'behaviour,' and 'cognition'. Further, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to explore multivariate relationships between variables and latent factors. Resultant path coefficients were obtained as 0.12, 0.98, and 0.10 for the impact of 'behaviour' and 'annoyance' on 'cognition' and the correlation between 'annoyance' and 'behaviour', respectively. Findings underscore a potent positive impact of annoyance, stemming from acute ambient noise exposure, on the deterioration of children's cognition. While suggesting that ambient noise may be correlated with adverse health impacts due to its influence on cognition, this study emphasizes the pressing necessity for noise mitigation in roadside schools and stringent enforcement of noise pollution guidelines in academic zones.