Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 60 posts

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#41

Post by Retric »

awjr wrote: post #9
lostlogin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favourite lead and violence link - http://motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gas...

That's a brilliant article.

In the end there are huge range of causes that all impact these statistics.

For example, the rise of video games which may be a stronger explanation. One way to test this is if their are dips in violence around the release of GTA or other ultra popular games. With the method of action simply being fewer human interactions.

That said, the indirect evidence is even low levels of environmental lead contamination are significant over a population. Which suggests other things may cause similar issues without people noticing. EX: mad as a hatter

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#42

Post by soundwave106 »

madgar wrote: post #34
lostlogin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favourite lead and violence link - http://motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gas...

I find that article very convincing, but unfortunately it's considered "fake news" by anyone who needs convincing.

I think the lead exposure = more violence connection is pretty well established. Leaded gasoline, while being the most studied connections out there, isn't even the only study in this regard.

For instance, there's this rather extensive study that shows higher homicide rates (among other things) in cities that used lead pipes for their water systems in the early 20th century.

http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jfeigenbaum/files/feigenbau...

I do not see anything at the moment connecting lead exposure to dementia though.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#43

Post by dpark »

unclebucknasty wrote: post #33
tunap wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My initial thought follows this line. Even if a subject doesn't experience actual sleep deprivation, the constant external stimuli are still omni-present, regardless of how well the conscious mind tunes them out. Perhaps sub+consciously parts of the brain never get any rest, even while sleeping? I know I feel less refreshed if I fall asleep and media or traffic outside is constant. A hotel room facing a freeway often…

Yeah, it can disturb your all-important REM sleep without causing you to fully awaken, so you're not aware that your sleep has been disturbed. You're just not as refreshed by morning. Interesting about the fan blower. My wife started using that to prevent our young kids from being awakened by normal household noise. It reminded me of something I'd read years ago about people who worked in server rooms losing hearing…

I wonder if that's permanent hearing loss or temporary desensitization. It's not hard to imagine that the brain eventually starts to tune out a constant 60db server hum without any mechanical or permanent hearing loss.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#44

Post by dpark »

reddytowns wrote: post #19
awjr wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The study specifically adjusts for poverty/lifestyle.

But what proof is there that their adjustments covered every possible cause? I would suggest this is by definition impossible, since if we knew every possible cause for dementia, we would not need to do the study.

They obviously didn't cover every possible cause nor should they be expected to. With that logic no one could ever do an empirical study.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#45

Post by collyw »

amai wrote: post #27

It is not pollution, it is the noise and the low quality of sleep that causes dementia. Good sleep quality is important so the glymphatic system that cleans the brain of garbage while sleeping can work well. See this recent article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nedergaard-how-th...

That was my first thought. I went to visit a friend in the middle of nowhere in Norway last year. Coming back to a big city a week later I really noticed the level of noise you get in a big city and found it quite hard for the first few days back.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#46

Post by princeb »

amai wrote: post #27

It is not pollution, it is the noise and the low quality of sleep that causes dementia. Good sleep quality is important so the glymphatic system that cleans the brain of garbage while sleeping can work well. See this recent article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nedergaard-how-th...

i wonder how much the road noise is affecting me especially since I quite like the overnight hum of the roads. a highway provides a much more even white noise experience while city road noise is more grainy.

the closest experience to the city hum that i could find in the country is probably the seaside, and i have to say, it is a very comforting experience.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#47

Post by wil421 »

epalmer wrote: post #32
wil421 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldnt worry too much. My grandfather has dementia symptoms and he's 90. You could have another 30 years. One advice after watching him is to never quit your hobbies until you abosolutely have to. His mental decline was sharp after giving up hobbies he had for 40 years.

I don't worry too much. Just try to pay attention to what researchers are saying and controlling what I can with my lifestyle. I work still and will continue to work till at least 67. I'm a developer and development manager so I get to challenge my brain routinely at work. I consume nuts, lots of and a variety of tea, a little chocolate and some red wine to help with polyphenols [1]. Oh and Omega 3 fatty acid sources…

As a 30 year old I think of the same. I'm trying to not spend the next 30 years being sedentary in a office.

I'm trying to pick of all kinds of outdoor hobbies I can do year around.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#48

Post by 27182818284 »

collyw wrote: post #45
amai wrote: post #27

It is not pollution, it is the noise and the low quality of sleep that causes dementia. Good sleep quality is important so the glymphatic system that cleans the brain of garbage while sleeping can work well. See this recent article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nedergaard-how-th...

That was my first thought. I went to visit a friend in the middle of nowhere in Norway last year. Coming back to a big city a week later I really noticed the level of noise you get in a big city and found it quite hard for the first few days back.

Had a similar experience recently overseas. Was shocked at how quiet it was--and I"m not like living in NYC or something back in the US--it is a clear difference from even a smaller city.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#49

Post by lostlogin »

Retric wrote: post #41
awjr wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a brilliant article.

In the end there are huge range of causes that all impact these statistics. For example, the rise of video games which may be a stronger explanation. One way to test this is if their are dips in violence around the release of GTA or other ultra popular games. With the method of action simply being fewer human interactions. That said, the indirect evidence is even low levels of environmental lead contamination are sig…

The correlation matches the phasing out dates in various places. The dates lead were discontinued weren't the same everywhere. Edit: how would games explain the geographic distribution? Areas with heavy lead contamination seem to have more of the effects, although no mention is made of game console/computer prevalence in any of the lead articles.
Post reply on HN