Car smoke can change brain connections in just two hours

Australia: The smoke emitted from the cars is not only harmful for the whole body, but now it is known that the smoke of the cars has such harmful effects on the brain after only two hours that it weakens the mental connections.

Scientists from the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria have said that car smoke weakens the interconnections between neurons. This is called brain connectivity.

In this context, scientists included 25 healthy and adult people in a random (random) manner. One group was exposed to car fumes and the other was placed in a clean air environment and was not told what the purpose of the study was.

Brain scans of volunteers who spent time in the smoky environment were taken and carefully studied. People who were exposed to smoke were found to have weaker brain connections called the default mode network (DMN). These areas of the brain are very active when we are lost in our thoughts, such as checking ourselves, remembering something, etc.

Experts are unable to say exactly what causes the DMN to weaken, but some research suggests that it may lead to a decline in working memory and the ability to self-task. The scientist involved in the study, Jody Gorialk, says that car pollution can affect the brain.

The good news, however, is that this change is temporary and the brain’s connections become stronger again, but experts suggest more research on people living in this environment for longer periods of time. These include traffic officials and roadside workers.