Fighting the Haze: Effects of Wildfire Smoke and Particulate Matter on Brain Function
Published May 4, 2023
Stimulating phone games like Wordle and Lumosity have become a part of many people’s everyday lives, coupled with morning habits and shared daily with friendly competitors. Not only do these challenges add a little stimulation to our mornings, but those who regularly engage in these games experience better memory and less brain shrinkage long-term. EPA researchers are now using game apps to broaden our knowledge of brain function under a new context: player aptitude in the presence of wildfire smoke.
Analyzing data from the game Lost in Migration, a part of the Lumosity app meant to test players' ability to keep their focus, Stephanie Cleland, Ana G. Rappold, and other collaborators are studying how cognitive performance is influenced by air quality related to wildfire events.
Wildfires have become more intense and frequent in recent years, launching harmful pollution particulates into the air and bringing several public health implications with them. Particulates are mixtures of solid and liquid particles that can cause serious health problems when inhaled.
With wildfires growing in size and frequency, it is increasingly important to gain a better understanding of the effects of particulate matter on public health. While air pollution has mostly been associated with negative effects on lung and heart health, there are gaps in knowledge on how it affects brain health. Cleland, a predoctoral ORISE fellow at EPA, Rappold, and their team’s creative research methods aim to narrow this gap.
“We often hear anecdotal evidence of people experiencing increased fatigue or ‘brain fog’ during wildfire season. However, data on cognitive function is often difficult to obtain. Lumosity provided a unique opportunity to look at the longitudinal cognitive effects of air pollution,” explains EPA scientist Ana Rappold, a senior author on the research paper.
Analyzing over 10,000 Lumosity players between 2017 and 2018, the research team uses game scores from players in areas affiliated with wildfire events to understand the effects of smoke on their performances. The research team assessed the first 20 Lost in Migration games ever played by individuals ranging from 18 to 90 years old. Lost in Migration challenges a player’s focus by quickly flashing different patterns of flying bird icons on the screen. The player’s job is to quickly identify the direction the center bird is pointed in, testing their focus and forcing them to disregard the distracting extra information on the screen.
The results of the study reveal striking effects of wildfire smoke and pollution particulates on brain performance.
"We found evidence suggesting that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can reduce attention in adults within just hours of exposure. This is a very quick turnaround between exposure and decreased cognitive performance and may have implications when thinking about time-sensitive public health communication during extreme air pollution events like wildfires," Cleland explains.
This study is the first to examine the effects of wildfire smoke in relation to cognitive performance and one of the first to investigate the effects of particulates on the working-age population on such a short-term basis. Smoke density tends to fluctuate throughout the day, which makes understanding how wildfire smoke affects our brains on a short time scale important knowledge. Since the greatest changes in the brain happen in young and old populations, EPA researchers are expanding our knowledge on the effects of smoke on the brain by examining a broad age range.
Not only does this research inform us of the amount of time it takes for wildfire smoke particulates to affect brain health, but through a second study led by Lauren Wyatt, EPA researchers found that prolonged exposure to particulate pollution shortens attention spans in younger populations specifically. In this study, scientists found that players 18-29 years old had lower game scores when exposed to PM2.5, and elevated long-term exposure was related to decreased focus scores in this age range. In both the long-term and short-term analyses, exposure to harmful particulates caused lower Lost in Migration scores.
While follow-up research will likely be needed to validate their findings, EPA researchers have seized a unique opportunity in taking advantage of a game that collects information spanning several generations. Tapping into this vast world of game app data could be an effective strategy for future EPA research and help inform decisions surrounding air quality and brain health.