Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39961373›Full record

ArticleNeurotoxicology2025

World Trade Center response activities and cognitive health: A moderated mediation study of the role of surgical/nuisance dust mask usage.

Yuan Yang, Jaymie Meliker, Lauren L Richmond, Frank D Mann, Minos Kritikos, Dylan M Smith, Tesleem Babalola, Melissa A Carr, Benjamin J Luft, Sean A P Clouston

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurotoxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yuan YangProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Jaymie MelikerProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Lauren L RichmondDepartment of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Frank D MannProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Minos KritikosProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Dylan M SmithProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Tesleem BabalolaProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA.
Melissa A CarrWorld Trade Center Health and Wellness Program, Stony Brook University (SUNY), Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Benjamin J LuftWorld Trade Center Health and Wellness Program, Stony Brook University (SUNY), Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Sean A P CloustonProgram in Public Health and Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, USA. Electronic address: Sean.clouston@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

Funding

A lifecourse approach to PTSD and cognitive aging: A cohort of 9/11 respondersR01AG049953 · NIA · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · PI CLOUSTON, SEAN · 2015 to 2024
$11.0M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG049953
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study explores the relationship between World Trade Center (WTC) response activities (WRAs) and cognitive impairment (CI) and uses a moderated-mediation model to examine the role of wearing a surgical/nuisance dust mask.

methodsThis study includes 3285 WTC responders. Responders were placed into eight WRA groups based on self-report structured responses and free-text descriptions of activities at the WTC. The presence/absence of surgical/nuisance dust mask usage was self-reported. The outcome was CI as determined using a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score < 23. Robust Poisson regression was used to examine the main effect, and counterfactual moderated-mediation analysis was used to determine the role of mask usage.

resultsThe risk of CI was higher across most WRAs when compared to supervision. Mask usage was reported by 63 % of responders and varied across WRAs and was associated with a reduced risk of CI (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]=0.77, p = 0.008) after controlling for WRAs. Moderation effects indicated that responders are more likely to wear masks when encountering more dangerous exposures, even within the same WRA group. Responders in the WRA-enclosed group had a lower risk of CI through a moderated intermediary effect of mask usage (aRR=0.92, p = 0.05).

conclusionSurgical/nuisance dust mask usage provided mild protection against air pollution exposures during WTC response activities when compared to not wearing a mask. Results suggest that response workers at disaster sites might benefit from wearing surgical/nuisance dust masks when respirators are unavailable even when the air seems safe.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionDustEmergency RespondersMasksOccupational ExposureSeptember 11 Terrorist AttacksAdultFemaleHumansMaleMediation AnalysisMiddle AgedNew York CityDustCognitive impairmentDisaster responseNuisance dust maskOccupational exposureSurgical maskWorld Trade Center

Identifiers

PMID39961373
PMCPMC12629101

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.