Abstract

Background Cognitive impairment is increasingly prevalent in younger populations. The interplay between environmental exposures like noise and genetic susceptibility in dementia etiology remains unclear. This study investigated the combined effects of work-related cumulative noise exposure (WCNE) and genetic polymorphisms on cognitive performance. Objective To examine the relationships among WCNE, genetic factors (APOE rs429358/rs7412 and PS-1 rs165932), and lower cognitive performance (LCP), and to analyze the potential interaction. Methods This study included 523 workers from a health surveillance cohort in western China. WCNE was assessed for each participant. Genotyping was performed for APOE (rs429358/rs7412) and PS-1 (rs165932) polymorphisms. Cognitive function was evaluated via Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The individual and combined effects of WCNE and genetic factors on LCP were analyzed. Results APOE rs429358/rs7412 were not significantly associated with LCP. The PS-1 rs165932T allele (PS-1T) was associated with LCP (p < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for LCP (evaluated by MMSE and MoCA) in the PS-1T group were 2.443 (95% CI: 1.149–5.195) and 2.065 (95% CI: 1.091–3.906), respectively. Age and WCNE had an interaction effect on the LCP for both MMSE and MoCA (p < 0.05), while PS-1T had an effect modification on the relationship between WCNE and LCP (p < 0.05). Conclusions These findings highlight the urgent need to identify and mitigate noise exposure risks in vulnerable populations. These findings also provide evidence for further mechanistic studies exploring how noise, aging, and genetic susceptibility contribute to cognitive impairment through underlying biological mechanisms.