Microplastics in the brain could affect how it functions

Study links microplastics to Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice.

A new study published by researchers at the University of Rhode Island suggests that the accumulation of microplastics in the brain could affect how it functions, finding that high amounts of microplastics could trigger Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in mice with a genetic predisposition to the disease.

In one portion of the study, mice were put in a square pen, and their movements were tracked by cameras. Normal, healthy mice will stay by the corners, avoiding open spaces for safety. But male mice that were exposed to microplastics and were predisposed to Alzheimer’s spent much more time in the center of the pen. Female mice with the gene that were exposed to microplastics showed evidence of memory problems when facing a new object.

The average human brain may contain about seven grams of tiny shards of plastic. About 1 in 9 people in the U.S. over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s disease. But the causes of the condition remain elusive, with researchers attributing it to a combination of genetic, environmental and other factors.

Researchers can’t say for certain the role that micro and nanoplastics play in Alzheimer’s. Mice brains are not a perfect model for human brains, and the current study didn’t take into account the effects of aging on the development of disease.

But scientists are beginning to look more deeply into how plastic affects our brains. 

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