Air pollution linked to depression

Depression has many environmental and circumstantial roots, causing patients to seek relief through psychotherapy and psychopharmaceuticals. With the current research on air pollution affecting the brain, there may be more people looking to buy Effexor.

Research coming out of Ohio State University clearly demonstrates the effects of air pollution on cognitive functioning. Long-term studies on mice exposed to polluted air found that after 10 months of exposure, the animals' performance on learning and memory tests was significantly delayed in comparison to unexposed mice. Moreover, in another experiment, mice exposed to the polluted air demonstrated more depressive-like behaviors.

How exactly does air pollution lead to these brain changes? The OSU research team studied the hippocampal area of mice brains, specifically at branches called dendrites. The researchers found that the mice that breathed polluted air had shorter dendrites and simpler cells compared to clean air mice.

"The results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems," Laura Fonken, lead study author and a doctoral student in neuroscience at OSU.

This research is corroborated by an article published by the American Psychological Association in July 2012, synthesizing study results connecting air pollution and decreased cognition and well-being.