Association between Multiple Environmental Factors with Neurological Diseases in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Background: Limited evidence suggests the potential for associations between air pollution with neurodegenerative disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and dementia. Further, other environmental factors such as noise and green spaces have yet to be examined. Objectives: We aim to assess the effects of spatially co-varying environmental exposures-noise, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2. 5) and green space-on the incidence of MS, PD and dementia in the Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada metropolitan region. Here we present initial analyses for MS. Methods: Cases and age-and sex-matched controls were identified in a population-based (N= 674,176) cohort of adults derived from health insurance records. Incident cases from 1999 to 2002 were identified by relevant diagnostic codes and pharmaceutical dispensation data. Environmental exposures …