SummaryThere is evidence of potential effects of urban environmental factors, as air pollution and traffic noise, and social conditions and built environment, on the neurocognitive function. However, little is known about the association of various urban exposures with the brain structure and neurocognitive function in adults. We aim to investigate the associations of ambient long-term air pollution and traffic noise exposure as well as neighborhood social-economic factors and built environment with morphological aspects of brain structure, functional network architecture, and neurocognitive performance in the subsample of the NAKO participants that participated in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Moreover, we will investigate the effect modification of built environment and neighborhood social economic status (nSES) on the possible associations of air pollution and traffic noise with brain health. Multivariable linear regression models will be constructed for each exposure and each outcome. We expect that higher air pollution exposure, higher traffic noise exposure, disadvantaged nSES and poor built environment, such as a lack of green spaces and overcrowding, will be associated with markers of local atrophy in one or several functional brain networks. We also expect, based on the literature, that these disadvantaged urban exposures will be associated with poorer neurocognitive performance.

Keywords MRI air-pollution built-enviroment functional-connectivity mental-health neighborhood-SES neurocognition noise structural-MRI-markers

InstitutionsCenter For Health And Society, HHU, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich