A recent study by Yao and colleagues at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reveals that toxic thirdhand smoke residue can alter anxiety and memory, even at low levels of indirect exposure. Using a genetically diverse population of mice, researchers found that these effects varied widely, with some groups showing increased anxiety, others decreased anxiety, and certain mice experiencing memory loss. These differences were strongly influenced by genetic background and sex, highlighting that susceptibility to thirdhand smoke is not the same for everyone. This study adds to growing evidence that thirdhand smoke can have lasting neurobehavioral effects.
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