Abstract
The detrimental effects of traffic noise on cognition in children are well documented. Not much is known about the health effects in adults. We investigated the association of residential exposure to road traffic noise and annoyance due to road traffic noise with cognitive function in a cohort of 288 elderly women from the longitudinal Study on the influence of Air pollution on Lung function, Inflammation and Aging (SALIA) in Germany. Residential noise levels—weighted 24-h mean (LDEN) and nighttime noise (LNIGHT)—were modeled for the most exposed facade of dwellings and dichotomized at ≥50 dB(A). Traffic noise annoyance (day and night) was estimated by questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed using the Consortium to Establish a Registry on Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD-Plus) Neuropsychological Assessment Battery. The modeled noise levels were associated with impaired total cognition and the constructional praxis domain, independently of air pollution. Self-reported noise annoyance was associated with better performance in semantic memory and constructional praxis domains. This finding should be interpreted with caution since we could not control for potential confounding by hearing loss. Noise levels and annoyance were associated, but their health effects seemed mutually independent.
Highlights
Adverse health effects of ambient noise exposure are divided into auditory and non-auditory [1]
While the ambient noise levels at the residence were associated with impaired cognitive performance in the constructional praxis domain and with the total CERAD-Plus score, noise annoyance exhibited inverse associations with the domains of semantic memory (Boston naming test) and constructional praxis
Our results reflect the complexity of the relationships of residential noise exposure and annoyance with cognitive performance
Summary
Adverse health effects of ambient noise exposure are divided into auditory and non-auditory [1].There is only one auditory effect—hearing loss. The non-auditory effects, suggested by epidemiologic and mechanistic studies, include cardiovascular diseases, annoyance, and sleep disturbance [1]. In a panel study on nighttime aircraft noise exposure, Schapkin and colleagues observed a selective impairment of the inhibitory functioning and worsening in sleep quality in some participants [5]. The results were mixed: the authors observed no decrement in performance after exposure, possibly due to a compensatory effect [5]. In another panel study, noise exposure was associated with slower psychomotor speed, reduced episodic and working memory, and more cautious decision making; factors like cognition, noise sensitivity, and sleep quality influenced these associations [6]
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