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. 2023 Apr 27;10(6):964–973. doi: 10.1002/acn3.51779

Table 3.

Effects quartiles of chronic exposure to air pollutants on the rate of cognitive declines.

Predictor Category Language domain Visuospatial domain Memory domain Executive domain
β (95% CI) p β (95% CI) p β (95% CI) p β (95% CI) p
CO 1st quartile [267.54–493.84 ppb] Reference Reference Reference Reference
2nd quartile [493.91–536.96 ppb] −0.10 (−0.22–0.03) 0.122 0.04 (−0.21–0.30) 0.737 −0.01 (−0.12–0.11) 0.882 −0.06 (−0.24–0.12) 0.499
3rd quartile [537.26–626.75 ppb] −0.09 (−0.22–0.03) 0.133 −0.20 (−0.45–0.05) 0.112 0.00 (−0.12–0.11) 0.955 −0.06 (−0.23–0.12) 0.512
4th quartile [628.0–932.24 ppb] −0.15 (−0.27–0.02) 0.020 −0.11 (−0.36–0.14) 0.387 −0.08 (−0.20–0.03) 0.145 −0.09 (−0.26–0.08) 0.302
Interquartile increase 1 −0.04 (−0.08–0.00) 0.029 −0.06 (−0.14–0.02) 0.159 −0.03 (−0.06–0.01) 0.167 −0.03 (−0.08–0.03) 0.325
NO2 1st quartile [9.06–26.17 ppb] Reference Reference Reference Reference
2nd quartile [26.60–31.36 ppb] −0.05 (−0.17–0.08) 0.471 0.05 (−0.21–0.30) 0.716 −0.04 (−0.16–0.07) 0.472 −0.10 (−0.27–0.08) 0.280
3rd quartile [31.44–34.57 ppb] −0.02 (−0.14–0.10) 0.762 −0.03 (−0.27–0.22) 0.819 −0.09 (−0.20–0.02) 0.113 −0.12 (−0.29–0.05) 0.170
4th quartile [34.58–58.94 ppb] −0.12 (−0.24–0.01) 0.074 0.13 (−0.12–0.39) 0.299 −0.09 (−0.20–0.03) 0.133 0.00 (−0.17–0.18) 0.977
Interquartile increase 1 −0.03 (−0.07–0.01) 0.118 0.03 (−0.05–0.11) 0.442 −0.03 (−0.07–0.00) 0.087 0.00 (−0.06–0.05) 0.944
SO2 1st quartile [2.40–4.80 ppb] Reference Reference Reference Reference
2nd quartile [4.81–5.17 ppb] 0.00 (−0.13–0.13) 0.974 0.10 (−0.15–0.36) 0.454 −0.08 (−0.20–0.03) 0.165 −0.04 (−0.22–0.14) 0.649
3rd quartile [5.18–5.70 ppb] −0.02 (−0.14–0.11) 0.802 0.00 (−0.26–0.26) 0.985 −0.08 (−0.20–0.03) 0.153 −0.05 (−0.23–0.13) 0.607
4th quartile [5.70–9.43 ppb] −0.01 (−0.14–0.12) 0.886 0.15 (−0.10–0.41) 0.255 −0.16 (−0.27–0.04) 0.008 2 −0.01 (−0.19–0.16) 0.870
Interquartile increase 1 0.00 (−0.04–0.04) 0.846 0.04 (−0.04–0.12) 0.380 −0.05 (−0.08–0.01) 0.012 0.00 (−0.06–0.05) 0.892
PM10 1st quartile [37.42–44.49 μg/m3] Reference Reference Reference Reference
2nd quartile [44.50–47.43 μg/m3] 0.11 (−0.02–0.24) 0.088 0.11 (−0.14–0.36) 0.373 ‐0.01 (−0.13–0.10) 0.836 0.19 (0.02–0.36) 0.033
3rd quartile [47.45–52.54 μg/m3] −0.02 (−0.14–0.10) 0.739 −0.28 (−0.53–0.04) 0.023 −0.07 (−0.18–0.04) 0.213 −0.01 (−0.18–0.16) 0.891
4th quartile [52.56–64.01 μg/m3] −0.03 (−0.16–0.10) 0.627 0.01 (−0.24–0.26) 0.920 −0.07 (−0.19–0.04) 0.217 0.10 (−0.08–0.27) 0.287
Interquartile increase 1 −0.02 (−0.06–0.02) 0.246 −0.04 (−0.12–0.04) 0.320 −0.03 (−0.07–0.01) 0.127 0.01 (−0.05–0.06) 0.822
PM2.5 1st quartile [20.65–24.03 μg/m3] Reference Reference Reference Reference
2nd quartile [24.03–25.61 μg/m3] 0.02 (−0.11–0.16) 0.723 0.01 (−0.26–0.28) 0.961 −0.01 (−0.13–0.11) 0.875 −0.18 (−0.36–0.01) 0.058
3rd quartile [25.62–27.98 μg/m3] −0.04 (−0.17–0.09) 0.543 −0.12 (−0.37–0.14) 0.378 0.06 (−0.05–0.18) 0.282 −0.10 (−0.28–0.07) 0.257
4th quartile [28.02–35.82 μg/m3] −0.02 (−0.15–0.11) 0.739 −0.23 (−0.49–0.03) 0.086 0.03 (−0.08–0.15) 0.554 −0.03 (−0.21–0.14) 0.720
Interquartile increase 1 −0.01 (−0.05–0.03) 0.529 −0.08 (−0.16–0.00) 0.057 0.02 (−0.02–0.05) 0.350 0.00 (−0.06–0.05) 0.940

Data represent the results of linear mixed model analysis for longitudinal cognitive scores using air pollutants, year, and the interaction term between air pollutants and year (air pollutants × year) as predictors. Covariates included age, sex, education, APOE4 carrier status, and baseline CDR. Air pollutants were treated as categorical variables based on the quartile distribution, and the lowest quartile group was used as a reference.

APOE4, apolipoprotein E ε4; BMI, body mass index; CDR, Clinical Dementia Rating; CO, carbon monoxide; NO2, nitrogen dioxide; PM, particulate matter; SO2, sulfur dioxide.

1

Air pollutant quartiles were treated as ordinal variables.

2

Significant after multiple comparison corrections across five air pollutants using the false discovery rate method.