Air Quality & Cognition

How the air you breathe affects thinking

Can the air you breathe affect how well you think? Research using Lumosity game data suggests yes. A study by La Nauze & Severnini (2021) found that higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were associated with worse cognitive performance, particularly on new tasks and among lower-ability users.

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The researchers analyzed performance on games like Word Bubbles Rising, Lost in Migration, and Memory Matrix, comparing scores with local air quality data. The findings suggest that air pollution doesn't just affect your lungs, it can impair attention, memory, and processing speed in real time. It's a powerful reminder that brain health depends on your environment, not just your habits.

Related Research

Wyatt, L. H., Cleland, S. E., Wei, L., Paul, N., Patil, A., Ward-Caviness, C., et al. (2023). Long-term exposure to ambient O3 and PM2.5 is associated with reduced cognitive performance in young adults: A retrospective longitudinal repeated measures study in adults aged 18-90 years. Environmental Pollution, 333, 121085.