Using household air purifiers with HEPA filters for one month leads to modest but noticeable improvements in brain function in adults, reports infohub.kz.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, assessed the impact of HEPA air purifiers on cognitive function. The experiment involved 119 participants aged 30 to 74 from Somerville, Massachusetts, a town located near major highways, resulting in high levels of traffic-related air pollution.
Participants were divided into groups: one group used a HEPA filter for a month, then a sham device without a filter for a month, with a one-month break in between. The second group underwent the phases in reverse order. Cognitive testing showed that volunteers aged 40 and older performed tasks measuring executive function and cognitive flexibility 12% faster after using the real HEPA filter.
The authors, Nicholas Pellegrino, Doug Brugge, and Misha Eliashevich, note that removing particulate matter from the air helps protect the brain's white matter from damage.