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Transportation for elders can ease driving transition

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:11:02 +0000

Most of us with aging relatives will eventually face the “how do we stop them from driving” problem. To many people, driving a car equals independence. One reason for that is the lack of convenient public transportation in much of our country. Very large American cities such as New York, plus most of Europe’s large cities, generally have good public transportation, so people who don’t drive aren’t stranded. But across the country, accessible public transportation for elders is hard to come by.

My own high plains state is especially poor at providing affordable public transportation. There’s an “everyone has his own horse” mentality. True, the metro areas have elder commissions that often provide senior vans, but this can be costly for many seniors and doesn’t allow for spur of the moment trips. For most seniors, taxi rides are financially out of reach. Para-transit buses for the disabled are available, but like senior van rides, they often are costly and they must be scheduled. All of these services are better than nothing, but they are hardly ideal.

In an article titled Aging in Place, Stuck Without Options, this situation is spotlighted as a national problem. The organization Transportation for America ranks metro areas by the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation, now and in the coming years, and presents other data on aging and transportation.

The article states that “By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent. That number is expected to continue to grow rapidly as the baby boom generation “ages in place” in suburbs and exurbs with few mobility options for those who do not drive.”

It’s not just big cities

While this analysis was done in the Atlanta area, I would hazard a guess that rural areas are even worse. Generally, the term “aging in place” is thought to be a positive movement that helps elders stay in their homes longer. However, Transportation for America uses the phrase in a different manner, suggesting that many elders are, or will be, unable to get to the services they need because there is no affordable and easily accessible transportation for them.

Families often drive their elders to as many medical appointments as possible, but most adult children are working at least one outside job. They can’t be available just anytime. So, elders can become increasingly isolated as they sit at home because they don’t have transportation to get to a lunch date with friends, or out to the senior center.

Socialization, or lack thereof, has been shown in numerous studiesto be linked to mental health and even Alzheimer’s disease, and socialization often depends on transportation.

More options for everyone would be ideal

It’s generally suggested that when an elder starts to show signs of poor driving habits, the family should try to make gradual changes. The elder should be given options to be driven by family members at night and in busy areas where traffic is heavy. Gradually, the family, in an ideal situation, then shows the elder that options are available to get transportation to where the elder wants to go, anytime.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/140002/transportation

Learning and Using A New Language Benefits Brain and Slows Alzheimer’s Disease

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:13:15 +0000

When I was a teenager, my parents took me to a company that does aptitude testing to help me in thinking about a professional career. The tests covered everything from manual dexterity to spatial understanding. I really struggled on one test involving memorizing and associating nonsensical words; it turned out that test gauged one’s aptitude for picking up a foreign language. I remember during the debriefing session at the end of all testing that the test administrator shared with me that I would probably really have difficulty picking up a second language. But I still may try to learn another language to not only have the joy of conversing with people from other countries, but also also to help defend against Alzheimer’s disease.

In a story on National Geographic.com, Christine Dell’Amore reported on a new study that was published in the November 2010 issue of Neurology. Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist at Canada’s York University, led the research which studied 102 longtime bilingual and 109 monolingual people who had Alzheimer’s and were at the same cognitive level. The researchers found that the study participants who were bilingual were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s approximately four years later than participants who only spoke one language. In addition, Dr. Bialystok used CT scans to examine the brains of study participants who were the same ago and who functioned at the same level mentally. She found that the disease’s effects were more advanced in the brains of bilingual people; however, bilingual speakers’ brains seemed to be compensating for the disease’s progression. “Even though the ‘machine’ is more broken, they can function at the same level as a monolingual with less disease,” Dr. Bialystok stated.

Researchers credited the effect of multiple languages on the brain’s executive control system. In an article in the New York Times, Dr. Bialystok described the executive control system as “a general manager. Its job is to keep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It’s what makes it possible for you to hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them. If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain’s networks work is that every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what’s relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it’s that regular use that makes that system more efficient.”

While many people who participated in the study were bilingual for most of their lives, scientists believe that learning a second language later in life can still be beneficial to your brain. Dr. Bialystok said learning a second (or third) language keeps the brain active, thus contributing to brain fitness. But just studying a language in high school won’t be of help. “You have to use both languages all the time,” she explained. “You won’t get the bilingual benefit from occasional use.”

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/139523/alzheimer-disease

Caregivers Need to Realize That Asking Friends for Help Is a Sign of Love Instead of a Burden

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:47:47 +0000

Dad brought a recent newspaper column to my attention. In it, a gentleman wrote that he was caregiving for his wife, who has dementia. He said he wasn’t good at asking people to help him with caregiving duties, but instead wanted people to volunteer when their schedules permitted. I understand that this gentleman did not want to be “a burden” to his friends, but I also think he is not being realistic. Let me explain.

I have been fortunate to have a cadre of great friends throughout my life. I also was raised by parents who didn’t want to be a burden to their children and friends, and ingrained that lesson into both my brother and me. When Mom experienced severe distress from her Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in 2005, she wouldn’t ask for help. Instead, I jumped in and told her that she needed to move in with me. As I became more aware of how dramatically her memory and moods had changed, I realized that I needed help. I didn’t have any family nearby, so I asked friends instead. Initially, I reached out to my neighbor as well as a former co-worker, both of whom agreed to stay with Mom when I ran errands or attended a day-time graduate class. I also hired a home health care service that sent an aide to my house to sit with Mom while I attended night classes. Within two weeks of her arrival, Mom was exhibiting increasingly erratic behaviors so I asked medical professionals for a geriatric psychiatric evaluation. And two weeks after that, Mom was placed in a locked unit at a nursing home.

Mom lived for another two years. Admittedly, I wasn’t in the day-to-day crush of in-person caregiving, but I still was under great emotional, mental and physical strain. And guess what? Most of my friends had no idea what I was going through or what they could do to help me. Furthermore, they had their own very busy lives to lead and when they got a break, thinking about what they could do to help me didn’t top their list. Instead, most opted to do long-put-off chores around their own homes or used the time to do something fun with their significant other.

I didn’t take their choices personally and eventually realized that they relied on me to tell them what I needed from them. Slowly but surely, it also finally dawned on me that instead of being a burden, my asking people to help was actually a great sign of love since it gave my friends a chance to do something meaningful for me. It might be going out to a movie to let me mentally escape. It might be going out to lunch or dinner so I could have time to vent about what I was facing. Or on some occasions, friends agreed to be “on call” when I needed a longer break to get out of town. During these periods, friends would agree to let me give their names and phone numbers to the nursing home staff so that the staff could contact my friends if Mom unexpectedly had to go to the hospital. (Fortunately, that never happened.)

So my advice to the gentleman who is caring for his wife is this: encourage your friends to call you when they have time, but don’t be surprised if they don’t. And consider changing your paradigm that makes you think that you’re a burden if you ask for help. Your friends will be happy if you do give them a specific task to do and will consider performing this task to be a wonderful act of love that honors both you and your wife.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/139137/caregivers-burden

Well Spouse Association has unique caregiver focus

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:38:30 +0000

Throughout my years of writing about caregiving, I’ve often recommended the Well Spouse Association as a resource for spousal caregivers.

As a family caregiver who spent two decades in varying caregiving roles for a total of seven elders, I’ve endured a lot of emotional upset. While none of my own caregiving was spousal in focus, I did observe my mother, and my mother-in-law, in their spousal caregiver roles. I was the helper, but the wives started out as primary caregivers until their own health failed. It was obvious to me at the time, and even more so in hindsight, that while there is much crossover in caregiving relationships, there are also differences.

Answering a call to serve

Recently, I was asked to become an honorary board member for the Well Spouse Association. My first emotional response was to ask myself if I am qualified for this honor. However, I decided that, because of the advice, feedback and interaction I’ve had through the years with well spouses, I could perhaps work to expand the bridges between caregiving groups

Therefore, I accepted the position with pleasure. While the sheer numbers of adult children caregivers will always outweigh those of spousal caregivers, most of us who share stories, support, resources and comfort try to include all types of caregivers in the mix. My hope is to use the information I’ve gained from listening and reading notes from spouses caring for their mates to help all caregivers understand each other.

Similar but different

Certainly there is much information that is valuable to adult children caregivers, as well as spousal caregivers, and even caregivers of adult children. Resources for respite care are needed by all. Many techniques, such as validation and re-direction with a person who has Alzheimer’s disease are helpful to spouses as well as adult children. Organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the American Diabetes Association and the Arthritis Foundation are capable of helping any caregiver coping with disease related issues.

However, emotional support is often most valuable when offered by people who have traveled the same journey as we have. Therefore, while adult child caregivers can generally relate in some way to my experiences, spousal caregivers may only partially relate. Spousal caregivers need to hear from, and communicate with, others who care for their ill spouses.

The Well Spouse Association is the only organization that I know of solely dedicated to spouses. There may be others – there probably are others – however, on a large scale, this organization shines the brightest.

Interaction needs to be filtered

As with any organization offering support through caregivers living the life, readers will agree with some of the blog posts and comments, and disagree with others. Full articles are generally written by credentialed writers, but even then readers may not always agree with the writer’s viewpoint.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/138948/association-focus

PAINAD Scale Can Help Caregivers Identify Pain in Loved Ones with Advanced Dementia

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:59:58 +0000

After watching Mom’s last days at the nursing home when she was uncommunicative, I often have wondered how caregivers would realize that a loved one who is at the end stages of Alzheimer’s was in pain. That’s where the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) scale can be of use.

According to Lippincott’s Nursing Center.com, this scale is a behavior-observation tool for use with people who have advanced dementia to the point that they can no longer communicate verbally. This scale was adapted from the Discomfort Scale for Dementia of the Alzheimer Type and the a scale used to assess pain levels in babies called the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry , Consolability Scale.

The PAINAD scale is a rubric that lets a medical professional rate the severity of an item that may be indicative of pain. Lippincott’s Nursing Center.com stated, “The PAINAD scale’s value is twofold. First, in combination with other assessments (for example, monitoring known sources of pain such as acute or chronic conditions), the PAINAD scale can assure the clinician that behaviors are (or are not) pain related. Second, because behaviors that might indicate pain are not the same in all people with dementia, it’s useful to evaluate a patient’s actions in a consistent manner using a single tool. This helps the provider to recognize the patient’s unique behavioral patterns and thereby detect changes.”

The site notes that pain profiles will differ based on the individual; in fact, some people who are in pain will not show any of the behaviors that are included on the PAINAD scale. “Some behaviors not included are changes in interpersonal interactions (becoming withdrawn, decreasing social interactions), changes in activity patterns (such as in sleeping or eating), and changes in mental status (increased confusion). It’s therefore important for clinicians to recognize a patient’s pain profile, which will aid in the timely treatment of underlying conditions,” the website reported.

Here’s what PAINAD looks like:

Breathing independent of vocalization:

0: the person has normal breathing1: the person is displaying occasional labored breathing and short periods of hyperventilation.2: the person is displaying noisy labored breathing, long periods of hyperventilation, and Cheyne-Stokes respirations, which, according to Dictionary.com, is “cyclic breathingmarkedbyagradualincreaseintherapidityofrespirationfollowedbyagradualdecreaseandtotalcessationforfrom5to50seconds.”

Negative vocalization:

0: the person is not displaying negative vocalization.1: the person is displaying an occasional moan or groan, as well as low-level speech with a negative or disapproving quality.2: the person displays repeated troubled calling out, loud moaning or groaning, and crying.

Facial expression:

0: the person is smiling or inexpressive.1: the person is sad, frightened or frowning.2: the person displays facial grimacing.

Body language:

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/138903/painad-caregivers

Betty White advises us not to vegetate or isolate if we are to stay sharp

admin — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:38:14 +0000

White, who is kicking 90, really hit her stride after she turned 50, and has never slowed down. She’s even hosted Saturday Night Live. White stars in TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland, and is now the face of a new AARP campaign telling people to just “get over it,” when it comes to aging. During a different interview, she said, “I’m swimming as fast as I can,” referring to her work life. It’s evident that White seems to be able to swim pretty fast.

During the question and answer portion of the call, White repeated many times that she is blessed with good health and realizes that not everyone is. She also has advice, however, when it comes to keeping our health. She tells us to stay physically and mentally active.

I was polite enough to imply that she likely never had such slips, but many of us do. White chuckled, but didn’t own up to that fact that these slips ever happen to her. However, she does seem to revel in the wisdom gained from living life well, and her reputation speaks for itself as to being a great professional.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/138779/vegetate-isolate

Understanding Food Allergy, Food Intolerance & Food Sensitivity

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:43:39 +0000

Food Allergy, Food Intolerance, and Food Sensitivity are all terms that have recently joined our vernacular. But, what do these terms really mean? That’s what we’re going to explore in this Sharepost.

A Food Allergy is an immediate or slightly delayed immune reaction to a specific food, even if that food is ingested in tiny amounts. The reaction can be mild, such as a rash, hives, or nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal cramps; or, severe, such as swelling of face, tongue, airway, or even life-threatening such as anaphylactic shock.

The reason for the reaction is that the body’s immune system is mistakenly identifying that specific food as a harmful substance. The body then produces antibodies to fight the offending food. Then the immune system releases histamine into the bloodstream and leads to the symptoms of food allergy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is estimated that 6 to 8 percent of children under age 5, and about 3 to 4 percent of adults, have an actual food allergy. Of these numbers, many children outgrow their food allergies as they age.

Food Intolerance does not involve the immune system and is typically caused by the body lacking a specific enzyme needed to digest a particular food. That said, a food intolerance can cause some of the same signs and symptoms as food allergy. For many people with a food intolerance, they can possibly eat a small amount of the offending food, infrequently, without triggering a reaction.

A Food Sensitivity is an adverse reaction to a food which does not involve antibodies, but other aspects of the immune system.

So, how do you determine if you have a food allergy or sensitivity/intolerance? There are a number of methods. First, is by documenting your history of symptoms as well as what you eat and drink every day. Read my Sharepost about keeping a food journal to learn more- http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/2623/95394/keeping-food-journal. Keeping your food journal for at least 2 weeks before you see your doctor can help them know which direction to go next.

Prick or scratch tests are administered by allergists and test a number of common food allergens by injecting a serum including that allergen under the thin skin, usually on your back. You will remain in the doctor’s office for a period of time and be monitored to see what kind of reaction, if any, you have. If the prick tests are inconclusive, or if for some reason you can’t do the prick tests, there are particular blood tests that can be done to test for allergens.

Personally, I found the best option for finding those foods that my body reacted negatively to was with an elimination diet – you can read my Sharepost about how to do this here: http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/2623/92582/elimination-diet This diet will take some time, about two months, and you need to be dedicated to it. It’s not easy, but it is amazing because at the end of it you will know how particulare foods make you feel and it will be easier for you to determine whether it’s worth eating those foods or not. Once I found the foods that made me feel bloated, gassy, dizzy, etc. I just stopped eating them because it wasn’t worth feeling bad.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/2623/138592/understanding-allergy

“Understanding Well-being in the Oldest Old” highlights culture change in eldercare

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:52:40 +0000

Decades ago, few people lived to be 85 years old, or older. However, now, the fastest growing segment of our population is a group of people often referred to by professionals as the “very old.” The definition of “the very old” or the “oldest old” is people aged 85 and above, many of whom live in care facilities.

These aged people have largely been ignored by many as a group that is too old to really live. In many cases, apart from groups active in culture changes such as the Pioneer Network, they have been relegated, for the most part, to just exist until death.

“Understanding Well-being in the Oldest Old,” aims to improve this view. It delivers a comprehensive treatment of how we, as a society, should be looking at the care of the oldest old. The word “well-being,” in the title of the book, is what drew me to this volume. Society needs to continue to look at aged people as human beings entitled to the best quality of life they can live. That, obviously, encompasses more than just warehousing them and keeping them breathing “unto death.”

Scholarly researchers, caring hearts

Eva Kahana, of Case Western University, writes in her cover note about “Understanding”:

”Directing many lenses at the challenges of “aging well” among the very old, this book offers fresh insights about definitions, limitations, and variety in human adaptation at the end of the life course.”

Containing contributions from prominent scholars in the United States and Israel, “Understanding” highlights the challenges of providing for the well-being of elders with dementia. I believe that this focus is not necessarily age related. It’s more about quality of life for those who are no longer cognitively able to live in the world as a well person sees it.

Yes, the book is scholarly, so medical professionals who treat the very old and those with dementia, please take note. You will find the documentation satisfying. However, mainstream readers interested in how to care for the very old, or those of any age with severe dementia, can find much of interest. As a non-medical person, I was especially drawn to the chapter “The Measurement of Life Satisfaction and Happiness in Old-Old Age.”

What compromises “happiness” in the very old?

This chapter, as well as others, notes the subjective nature of determining well-being. Concepts such as family solidarity and interaction, religious and spiritual connections, gratitude, and finding meaning in life, are addressed.

Everyone needs a reason to be. The very old are no exception. Families, medical people, assisted living centers and nursing homes need to find ways to engage the very old and make them feel valued. If these folks are to feel they are anything but a burden on society, they must be shown they have value. They must be shown there is a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

“Understanding” can help people, well, understand, this concept. The book can guide professionals and family members as they look for ways to help the very old do more than survive.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/138443/understanding

Information essential to make an informed decision about tube feeding of dementia patients

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:50:37 +0000

One of the most agonizing decisions families might face can be whether or not to request or approve of a feeding tube for a loved one who is near death. Are we “playing God” by denying tube feeding to our dying loved one as long as he or she can be kept comfortable, or are we “playing God” by requesting tube feeding, with or without medical agreement?

If the dying person left plain instructions about end-of-life medical care, made during a time of good cognition, the decision can be easier, though still fraught with emotional pain. Few of us want to be put in this situation, but many of us find ourselves facing medical people who need to know what we want done.

There’s no easy answer. Spiritual and religious views of the decision maker often enter the picture, even if the ill person left explicit instructions. When religious views mesh with the dying loved one’s views, the situation is still difficult, but a bit easier than when views clash.

If mom or dad expressed a wish to be kept alive for as long as possible with feeding tubes and/or other medical means, but the family members feel that the suffering has been long and hard and that the parent would have changed his or her mind at this point, what do they do? If the parent left a living will stating that no feeding tubes or other measures be used to prolong life during this stage, but the adult children disagree with that stance, do they have a right to override the parent’s stated wish?

What about the doctor’s input? Many people complain that they’ve never been asked about tube feeding, but they walk into a hospital room and find feeding tubes already in place. Others say that they feel the doctor is trying to talk them out of tube feeding, when they really need to think about the issue or definitely want to try it.

Apparently, where we live also plays into the decision. Joan Teno, professor of community health at Brown University, has documented a striking variation in feeding tube insertion rates depending on the state where the patient lived.

Supported by funding provided by the National Institute on Aging, Teno led a group of researchers from Brown University, the Hebrew Senior Life Institute for Aging Research in Massachusetts, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in “asking people to describe the communication they had with physicians surrounding whether to insert a feeding tube for their loved ones.”

Teno’s team conducted a study of intubation rates of people with advanced Alzheimer’s disease based on the states with the very high rates of intubation of people with advanced Alzheimer’s disease (Texas, Alabama, and Florida) and with very low rates of intubation of people with advanced Alzheimer’s (Massachusetts and Minnesota). The study was reported on in an article on the Brown University website.

The article reporting on the study is titled Families need information on feeding tubes for elderly dementia patients. The full results can be found in a May 13, 2011 print issue of Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/138143/information-make

OncoGenex first quarter revenue decreases to $1.2 million

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:11:21 +0000

OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI) today announced its first quarter financial results and provided an update on current events and activities.

Key OncoGenex Activities

Currently enrolling the Phase 3 clinical trial referred to as SYNERGY, to be conducted in approximately 123 cancer centers to evaluate a survival benefit for custirsen in combination with first-line docetaxel treatment in approximately 800 patients with CRPC.Enrollment continues for the Phase 3 Prostate Cancer SATURN trial to evaluate a durable pain palliation benefit for custirsen in combination with docetaxel retreatment as second-line chemotherapy. The study will enroll approximately 300 patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

OncoGenex has submitted to the FDA a revision to the approved Special Protocol Assessment (SPA), to expand the inclusion criteria for the SATURN trial. The proposed revision would permit participants to receive either docetaxel re-treatment or cabazitaxel as chemotherapy in the clinical study. The study design would remain the same in that all patients would be randomized to receive custirsen or placebo in conjunction with chemotherapy. In addition, the pain palliation endpoints remain unchanged.Recent and upcoming data presentations at scientific meetings such as the American Association of Cancer Research, the Society of Urologic Oncology and the American Urological Association, provide new pre-clinical evidence and enhance the understanding of OncoGenex’ product candidates, custirsen and OGX-427.Two additional trials scheduled to commence this year; a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate a survival benefit for custirsen in combination with first-line chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a Phase 2 clinical trial of OGX-427 in approximately 180 patients with metastatic bladder cancer.

"We recognize the prostate cancer landscape is evolving rapidly and the approval of new treatments is encouraging news for patients," said Scott Cormack, president and CEO of OncoGenex. "The proposed revision to the SATURN trial will help ensure custirsen remains aligned with currently approved chemotherapy."

Financial Results

Revenue for the first quarter of 2011 decreased to $1.2 million, compared with $4.7 million for the first quarter of 2010. This decrease was due to lower reimbursement revenue earned through our strategic collaboration with Teva resulting from manufacturing costs now being paid directly by Teva, as well as lower costs associated with clinical trials.

At March 31, 2011, $21.0 million of the $30.0 million upfront payment received from Teva in December 2009 was included in our Balance Sheet as Deferred Collaboration Revenue, which we are amortizing over the expected performance period of our deliverables under the agreement. We currently expect this performance period to end in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110510/OncoGenex-first-quarter-revenue-decreases-to-2412-million.aspx

Bladder Cancer Medication: User Rating & Reviews

Study Links Traffic Pollution to Brain Inflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 22:29:33 +0000

From 1996 to 2000, my parents lived in a home in Austin, Texas that was next to one of the busiest highways in the United States – Interstate 35. That corridor is an important conduit for commerce between the U.S. and Mexico, and needless to say, big trucks and other vehicles are constantly navigating that road at all times of the day and night. And early morning and afternoon rush hours continued to increase, especially as people moved into more affordable housing in the towns outside of Austin.

I noticed that while they lived at that residence, Mom increasingly had difficulty breathing due to her Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) caused by too many years of smoking. Research previously has linked air pollution and respiratory distress. But it turns out that may not have been the only thing that was worsening due to the air pollution created by the vehicles on that highway. Mom’s descent into dementia may have been hastened due to living close to that congested freeway.

Researchers from the University of Southern California recently announced that they found that mice which were subject to traffic pollution showed signs of inflammation that was similar to Alzheimer’s disease. The study was published in the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. According to Tim Beissmann of Car Advice.com, the researchers exposed the mice to traffic pollution for five hours a day, three times a week for 10 weeks. Researchers believe the combination of tiny particles produced by burning fossil fuels as well as eroding car parts and road surfaces were the cause of brain damage. “You can’t see them, but they are inhaled and have an effect on brain neurons that raises the possibility of long-term brain health consequences of freeway air,” said university professor and senior author Caleb Finch, an expert in the effects of inflammation and holder of the ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging at USC. Beissmann explained further, stating, “The neurons involved in learning and memory loss also showed significant damage, and the brain neurons of developing mice did not grow as well as those not subjected to the particles.”

You would think that the recent improvement in a car’s technology would limit the level of pollution, but that’s not the case. Bryan Walsh of Time.com reported, “The particulates in the experiment are tiny — perhaps one-thousandth the width of a human hair, and far too small to be trapped by car filtration systems.” The researchers are not sure how to protect people who live in urban areas from this type of toxicity. “Commuters might be able to switch their modes of transportation, or even work from home — but those unfortunate enough to live near freeways have little defense against air pollution,” Walsh wrote.

The authors hope to conduct follow-up studies on issues, including:The memory functions in animals exposed to freeway particulates;The life span of exposed animals;The interaction of particulates with other components of smog, such as heat and ozone;The potential for recovery between periods of exposure;The comparison of effects from artificially and naturally occurring nanoparticles;The chemical interactions between freeway particulates and brain cells.

This study supports the findings from another study of autopsies performed on adults in Mexico. That study found greater signs of brain inflammation and premature aging in subjects from Mexico City compared to ones from the less polluted city of Veracruz.