Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic and director of the Neurology Residency Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

According to a study released today in The Lancet, dementia is more common in people who live within 50 metres of a major road than those who live farther away. Researchers tracked adults between the ages of 20 and 85 living in Ontario, Canada – approximately 6.6 million people – from 2001 to 2012. The observational study estimated that up to one in 10 cases of dementia could be attributed to living near a major road and that the link is strongest for those living closest to heavy traffic. Previous research has suggested that air pollution and traffic noise may contribute to neurodegeneration, with one study finding that living near a road was associated with reduced white matter and lower cognition.

Dr. Isaacson can comment on how toxic particles from air pollution can affect brain tissue and how noise disturbances could potentially disrupt sleep, which is the essential time the brain needs to dispose of the pathologic protein amyloid that builds up in the brain for those with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias.

Dr. Isaacson is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Richard Isaacson, please call 212-821-0565 or email [email protected].