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Parenteau AM, Hang S, Swartz JR, Wexler AS, Hostinar CE. Clearing the air: A systematic review of studies on air pollution and childhood brain outcomes to mobilize policy change. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69:101436. [PMID: 39244820 PMCID: PMC11407021 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change, wildfires, and environmental justice concerns have drawn increased attention to the impact of air pollution on children's health and development. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution exposure, as their brains and bodies are still developing. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize available empirical evidence on the associations between air pollution exposure and brain outcomes in developmental samples (ages 0-18 years old). Studies were identified by searching the PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection databases and underwent a two-phase screening process before inclusion. 40 studies were included in the review, which included measures of air pollution and brain outcomes at various points in development. Results linked air pollution to varied brain outcomes, including structural volumetric and cortical thickness differences, alterations in white matter microstructure, functional network changes, metabolic and molecular effects, as well as tumor incidence. Few studies included longitudinal changes in brain outcomes. This review also suggests methodologies for incorporating air pollution measures in developmental cognitive neuroscience studies and provides specific policy recommendations to reduce air pollution exposure and promote healthy brain development by improving access to clean air.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sally Hang
- Psychology Department, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Johnna R Swartz
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Anthony S Wexler
- Air Quality Research Center, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, USA
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Polemiti E, Hese S, Schepanski K, Yuan J, Schumann G. How does the macroenvironment influence brain and behaviour-a review of current status and future perspectives. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:3268-3286. [PMID: 38658771 PMCID: PMC11449798 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The environment influences brain and mental health, both detrimentally and beneficially. Existing research has emphasised the individual psychosocial 'microenvironment'. Less attention has been paid to 'macroenvironmental' challenges, including climate change, pollution, urbanicity, and socioeconomic disparity. Notably, the implications of climate and pollution on brain and mental health have only recently gained prominence. With the advent of large-scale big-data cohorts and an increasingly dense mapping of macroenvironmental parameters, we are now in a position to characterise the relation between macroenvironment, brain, and behaviour across different geographic and cultural locations globally. This review synthesises findings from recent epidemiological and neuroimaging studies, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence between the macroenvironment and the structure and functions of the brain, with a particular emphasis on its implications for mental illness. We discuss putative underlying mechanisms and address the most common exposures of the macroenvironment. Finally, we identify critical areas for future research to enhance our understanding of the aetiology of mental illness and to inform effective interventions for healthier environments and mental health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli Polemiti
- Centre of Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sören Hese
- Institute of Geography, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Jiacan Yuan
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences & CMA-FDU Joint Laboratory of Marine Meteorology & IRDR-ICOE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre of Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Morrel J, Dong M, Rosario MA, Cotter DL, Bottenhorn KL, Herting MM. A Systematic Review of Air Pollution Exposure and Brain Structure and Function during Development. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.09.13.24313629. [PMID: 39314970 PMCID: PMC11419233 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.13.24313629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Objectives Air pollutants are known neurotoxicants. In this updated systematic review, we evaluate new evidence since our 2019 systematic review on the effect of outdoor air pollution exposure on childhood and adolescent brain structure and function as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods Using PubMed and Web of Science, we conducted an updated literature search and systematic review of articles published through March 2024, using key terms for air pollution and functional and/or structural MRI. Two raters independently screened all articles using Covidence and implemented the risk of bias instrument for systematic reviews informing the World Health Organization Global Air Quality Guidelines. Results We identified 222 relevant papers, and 14 new studies met our inclusion criteria. Including six studies from our 2019 review, the 20 publications to date include study populations from the United States, Netherlands, Spain, and United Kingdom. Studies investigated exposure periods spanning pregnancy through early adolescence, and estimated air pollutant exposure levels via personal monitoring, geospatial residential estimates, or school courtyard monitors. Brain MRI occurred when children were on average 6-14.7 years old; however, one study assessed newborns. Several MRI modalities were leveraged, including structural morphology, diffusion tensor imaging, restriction spectrum imaging, arterial spin labeling, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as resting-state and task-based functional MRI. Air pollutants were associated with widespread brain differences, although the magnitude and direction of findings are largely inconsistent, making it difficult to draw strong conclusions. Conclusion Prenatal and childhood exposure to outdoor air pollution is associated with structural and functional brain variations. Compared to our initial 2019 review, publications doubled-an increase that testifies to the importance of this public health issue. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of developmental timing, along with the downstream implications of outdoor air pollution exposure on children's cognitive and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Morrel
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Dong
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Rosario
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Yuan A, Halabicky O, Liu J. Association between air pollution exposure and brain cortical thickness throughout the lifespan: A systematic review. Neuroscience 2024; 559:209-219. [PMID: 39236801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Increasing research has focused on the impact of air pollution on brain health. As the prevalence of air pollution is increasing alongside other environmental harms, the importance of studying the effects of these changes on human health has become more significant. Additionally, gaining insight into how air pollution exposure, measured at different points in the lifespan, can affect brain structure is critical, as this could be a precursor to cognitive decline later in life. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on the association between air pollutant exposure and cortical thickness, a structural change with known associations with later cognition and neurodegenerative disease. After screening, twelve studies were included in this systematic review. Across a majority of studies, results suggest significant associations between increasing air pollution exposure and decreases in cortical thickness, primarily in areas such as prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and temporal regions of the brain. These results did differ somewhat between age groups and different air pollutants, with the most prominent results being found with exposure to PM2.5, the smallest particulate matter size included in the review. In the future, it is important to continue studying cortical thickness as it is essential to brain functioning and can be influential in disease progression. Furthermore, conducting more longitudinal studies in which air pollution is measured as a cumulation throughout the lifespan would help elucidate when exposure is most impactful and when brain structural changes become observable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Yuan
- University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts & Sciences, 249 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Olivia Halabicky
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Jianghong Liu
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, 418 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
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5
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Cory-Slechta DA, Marvin E, Welle K, Goeke C, Chalupa D, Oberdörster G, Sobolewski M. Male-biased vulnerability of mouse brain tryptophan/kynurenine and glutamate systems to adolescent exposures to concentrated ambient ultrafine particle air pollution. Neurotoxicology 2024; 104:20-35. [PMID: 39002649 PMCID: PMC11377152 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Air pollution (AP) exposures have been associated with numerous neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia, all male-biased disorders with onsets from early life to late adolescence/early adulthood. While prior experimental studies have focused on effects of AP exposures during early brain development, brain development actually extends well into early adulthood. The current study in mice sought to extend the understanding of developmental brain vulnerability during adolescence, a later but significant period of brain development and maturation to the ultrafine particulate (UFPs) component of AP, considered its most reactive component. Additionally, it examined adolescent response to UFPs when preceded by earlier developmental exposures, to ascertain the trajectory of effects and potential enhancement or mitigation of adverse consequences. Outcomes focused on shared features associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. For this purpose, C57Bl/6 J mice of both sexes were exposed to ambient concentrated UFPs or filtered air from PND (postnatal day) 4-7 and PND10-13, and again at PND39-42 and 45-49, resulting in 3 exposure postnatal/adolescent treatment groups per sex: Air/Air, Air/UFP, and UFP/UFP. Features common to neurodevelopmental disorders were examined at PND50. Mass exposure concentration from postnatal exposure averaged 44.34 μg/m3 and the adolescent exposure averaged 49.18 μg/m3. Male brain showed particular vulnerability to UFP exposures in adolescence, with alterations in frontal cortical and striatal glutamatergic and tryptophan/serotonergic neurotransmitters and concurrent reductions in levels of astrocytes in corpus callosum and in serum cytokine levels, with combined exposures resulting in significant reductions in corpus callosum myelination and serum corticosterone. Reductions in serum corticosterone in males correlated with reductions in neurotransmitter levels, and reductions in striatal glutamatergic function specifically correlated with reductions in corpus callosum astrocytes. UFP-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels in males were mitigated by prior postnatal exposure, suggesting potential adaptation, whereas reductions in corticosterone and in corpus callosum neuropathological effects were further strengthened by combined postnatal and adolescent exposures. UFP-induced changes in females occurred primarily in striatal dopamine systems and as reductions in serum cytokines only in response to combined postnatal and adolescent exposures. Findings in males underscore the importance of more integrated physiological assessments of mechanisms of neurotoxicity. Further, these findings provide biological plausibility for an accumulating epidemiologic literature linking air pollution to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. As such, they support a need for consideration of the regulation of the UFP component of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
| | - E Marvin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - K Welle
- Mass Spectrometry Resource Laboratory, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - C Goeke
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - D Chalupa
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - G Oberdörster
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - M Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
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Jahanshad N, Lenzini P, Bijsterbosch J. Current best practices and future opportunities for reproducible findings using large-scale neuroimaging in psychiatry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01938-8. [PMID: 39117903 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01938-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Research into the brain basis of psychopathology is challenging due to the heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders, extensive comorbidities, underdiagnosis or overdiagnosis, multifaceted interactions with genetics and life experiences, and the highly multivariate nature of neural correlates. Therefore, increasingly larger datasets that measure more variables in larger cohorts are needed to gain insights. In this review, we present current "best practice" approaches for using existing databases, collecting and sharing new repositories for big data analyses, and future directions for big data in neuroimaging and psychiatry with an emphasis on contributing to collaborative efforts and the challenges of multi-study data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Jahanshad
- Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292, USA.
| | - Petra Lenzini
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Janine Bijsterbosch
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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Herting MM, Bottenhorn KL, Cotter DL. Outdoor air pollution and brain development in childhood and adolescence. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:593-607. [PMID: 39054161 PMCID: PMC11324378 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been linked to adverse health effects, including potential widespread impacts on the CNS. Ongoing brain development may render children and adolescents especially vulnerable to neurotoxic effects of air pollution. While mechanisms remain unclear, promising advances in human neuroimaging can help elucidate both sensitive periods and neurobiological consequences of exposure to air pollution. Herein we review the potential influences of air pollution exposure on neurodevelopment, drawing from animal toxicology and human neuroimaging studies. Due to ongoing cellular and system-level changes during childhood and adolescence, the developing brain may be more sensitive to pollutants' neurotoxic effects, as a function of both timing and duration, with relevance to cognition and mental health. Building on these foundations, the emerging field of environmental neuroscience is poised to further decipher which air toxicants are most harmful and to whom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Cotter DL, Ahmadi H, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Bottenhorn KL, Gauderman WJ, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman DA, Chen JC, Herting MM. Exposure to multiple ambient air pollutants changes white matter microstructure during early adolescence with sex-specific differences. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:155. [PMID: 39090375 PMCID: PMC11294340 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00576-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is ubiquitous, yet questions remain regarding its impact on the developing brain. Large changes occur in white matter microstructure across adolescence, with notable differences by sex. METHODS We investigate sex-stratified effects of annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) at ages 9-10 years on longitudinal patterns of white matter microstructure over a 2-year period. Diffusion-weighted imaging was collected on 3T MRI scanners for 8182 participants (1-2 scans per subject; 45% with two scans) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Restriction spectrum imaging was performed to quantify intracellular isotropic (RNI) and directional (RND) diffusion. Ensemble-based air pollution concentrations were assigned to each child's primary residential address. Multi-pollutant, sex-stratified linear mixed-effect models assessed associations between pollutants and RNI/RND with age over time, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS Here we show higher PM2.5 exposure is associated with higher RND at age 9 in both sexes, with no significant effects of PM2.5 on RNI/RND change over time. Higher NO2 exposure is associated with higher RNI at age 9 in both sexes, as well as attenuating RNI over time in females. Higher O3 exposure is associated with differences in RND and RNI at age 9, as well as changes in RND and RNI over time in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Criteria air pollutants influence patterns of white matter maturation between 9-13 years old, with some sex-specific differences in the magnitude and anatomical locations of affected tracts. This occurs at concentrations that are below current U.S. standards, suggesting exposure to low-level pollution during adolescence may have long-term consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devyn L Cotter
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel A Hackman
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Wang Q, Li S, Cai B, Zhong L, Liu F, Wang X, Chen T. Genetic evidence supports a causal relationship between air pollution and brain imaging-derived phenotypes. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 281:116664. [PMID: 38954909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies have reported associations between air pollutants and brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs); however, whether this relationship is causal remains uncertain. METHODS We conducted bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the causal relationships between 5 types of air pollutants (N=423,796 to 456,380 individuals) and 587 reliable IDPs (N=33,224 individuals). Two-step MR was also conducted to assess whether the identified effects are mediated through the modulation of circulating cytokines (N=8293). RESULTS We found genetic evidence supporting the association of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with mean intra-cellular volume fraction (ICVF) in the left uncinate fasciculus (IVW β=-0.42, 95 % CI -0.62 to -0.23, P=1.51×10-5) and mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left uncinate fasciculus (IVW β=-0.42, 95 % CI -0.62 to -0.21, P=4.89×10-5). In further two-step MR analyses, we did not find evidence that genetic predictions of any circulating cytokines mediated the association between NOx and IDPs. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence for the association between air pollutants and brain IDPs, emphasizing the importance of controlling air pollution to improve brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qitong Wang
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Shuzhu Li
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Benchi Cai
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Lifan Zhong
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China; Hainan Provincial Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, Haikou 570100, China.
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Smolker HR, Reid CE, Friedman NP, Banich MT. The Association between Exposure to Fine Particulate Air Pollution and the Trajectory of Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors during Late Childhood and Early Adolescence: Evidence from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:87001. [PMID: 39106155 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μ m (PM 2.5 ) via air pollution may be a risk factor for psychiatric disorders during adulthood. Yet few studies have examined associations between exposure and the trajectory of symptoms across late childhood and early adolescence. OBJECTIVE The current study evaluated whether PM 2.5 exposure at 9-11 y of age affects both concurrent symptoms as well as the longitudinal trajectory of internalizing and externalizing behaviors across the following 3 y. This issue was examined using multiple measures of exposure and separate measures of symptoms of internalizing disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing disorders (e.g., conduct disorder), respectively. METHODS In a sample of more than 10,000 youth from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, we used a dataset of historical PM 2.5 levels and growth curve modeling to evaluate associations of PM 2.5 exposure with internalizing and externalizing symptom trajectories, as assessed by the Child Behavioral Check List. Three distinct measures of PM 2.5 exposure were investigated: annual average concentration during 2016, number of days in 2016 above the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) 24-h PM 2.5 standards, and maximum 24-h concentration during 2016. RESULTS At baseline, higher number of days with PM 2.5 levels above US EPA standards was associated with higher parent-reported internalizing symptoms in the same year. This association remained significant up to a year following exposure and after controlling for PM 2.5 annual average, maximum 24-h level, and informant psychopathology. There was also evidence of an association between PM 2.5 annual average and externalizing symptom levels at baseline in females only. DISCUSSION Results suggested PM 2.5 exposure during childhood is associated with higher symptoms of internalizing and externalizing disorders at the time of exposure and 1 y later. In addition, effects of PM 2.5 exposure on youth internalizing symptoms may be most impacted by the number of days of exposure above US EPA standards in comparison with annual average and maximum daily exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13427.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry R Smolker
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Colleen E Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Marie T Banich
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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11
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Zundel CG, Ely S, Brokamp C, Strawn JR, Jovanovic T, Ryan P, Marusak HA. Particulate Matter Exposure and Default Mode Network Equilibrium During Early Adolescence. Brain Connect 2024; 14:307-318. [PMID: 38814823 PMCID: PMC11387001 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2023.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Air pollution exposure has been associated with adverse cognitive and mental health outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults, although youth may be particularly susceptible given ongoing brain development. However, the neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying the associations among air pollution, cognition, and mental health remain unclear. We examined the impact of particulate matter (PM2.5) on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the default mode network (DMN) and three key attention networks: dorsal attention, ventral attention, and cingulo-opercular. Methods: Longitudinal changes in rsFC within/between networks were assessed from baseline (9-10 years) to the 2-year follow-up (11-12 years) in 10,072 youth (M ± SD = 9.93 + 0.63 years; 49% female) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD®) study. Annual ambient PM2.5 concentrations from the 2016 calendar year were estimated using hybrid ensemble spatiotemporal models. RsFC was estimated using functional neuroimaging. Linear mixed models were used to test associations between PM2.5 and change in rsFC over time while adjusting for relevant covariates (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, and family income) and other air pollutants (O3, NO2). Results: A PM2.5 × time interaction was significant for within-network rsFC of the DMN such that higher PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a smaller increase in rsFC over time. Further, significant PM2.5 × time interactions were observed for between-network rsFC of the DMN and all three attention networks, with varied directionality. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure was associated with alterations in the development and equilibrium of the DMN-a network implicated in self-referential processing-and anticorrelated attention networks, which may impact trajectories of cognitive and mental health symptoms across adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara G Zundel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Samantha Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Cole Brokamp
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Strawn
- Anxiety Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Patrick Ryan
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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12
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Uy JP, Yuan JP, Colich NL, Gotlib IH. Effects of Pollution Burden on Neural Function During Implicit Emotion Regulation and Longitudinal Changes in Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100322. [PMID: 38957313 PMCID: PMC11217611 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure to environmental pollutants early in life has been associated with increased prevalence and severity of depression in adolescents; however, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In the current longitudinal study, we investigated whether pollution burden in early adolescence (9-13 years) was associated with altered brain activation and connectivity during implicit emotion regulation and changes in depressive symptoms across adolescence. Methods One hundred forty-five participants (n = 87 female; 9-13 years) provided residential addresses, from which we determined their relative pollution burden at the census tract level, and performed an implicit affective regulation task in the scanner. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms at 3 time points, each approximately 2 years apart, from which we calculated within-person slopes of depressive symptoms. We conducted whole-brain activation and connectivity analyses to examine whether pollution burden was associated with alterations in brain function during implicit emotion regulation of positively and negatively valenced stimuli and how these effects were related to slopes of depressive symptoms across adolescence. Results Greater pollution burden was associated with greater bilateral medial prefrontal cortex activation and stronger bilateral medial prefrontal cortex connectivity with regions within the default mode network (e.g., temporoparietal junction, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus) during implicit regulation of negative emotions, which was associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms across adolescence in those exposed to higher pollution burden. Conclusions Adolescents living in communities characterized by greater pollution burden showed altered default mode network functioning during implicit regulation of negative emotions that was associated with increases in depressive symptoms across adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P. Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Justin P. Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Natalie L. Colich
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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13
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Bottenhorn KL, Sukumaran K, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Habre R, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Air pollution from biomass burning disrupts early adolescent cortical microarchitecture development. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 189:108769. [PMID: 38823157 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to outdoor particulate matter (PM2.5) represents a ubiquitous threat to human health, and particularly the neurotoxic effects of PM2.5 from multiple sources may disrupt neurodevelopment. Studies addressing neurodevelopmental implications of PM exposure have been limited by small, geographically limited samples and largely focus either on macroscale cortical morphology or postmortem histological staining and total PM mass. Here, we leverage residentially assigned exposure to six, data-driven sources of PM2.5 and neuroimaging data from the longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®), collected from 21 different recruitment sites across the United States. To contribute an interpretable and actionable assessment of the role of air pollution in the developing brain, we identified alterations in cortical microstructure development associated with exposure to specific sources of PM2.5 using multivariate, partial least squares analyses. Specifically, average annual exposure (i.e., at ages 8-10 years) to PM2.5 from biomass burning was related to differences in neurite development across the cortex between 9 and 13 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Kirthana Sukumaran
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rima Habre
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Spatial Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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14
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Bottenhorn KL, Sukumaran K, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Habre R, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Air pollution from biomass burning disrupts early adolescent cortical microarchitecture development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.21.563430. [PMID: 38798573 PMCID: PMC11118378 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.21.563430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to outdoor particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) represents a ubiquitous threat to human health, and particularly the neurotoxic effects of PM 2.5 from multiple sources may disrupt neurodevelopment. Studies addressing neurodevelopmental implications of PM exposure have been limited by small, geographically limited samples and largely focus either on macroscale cortical morphology or postmortem histological staining and total PM mass. Here, we leverage residentially assigned exposure to six, data-driven sources of PM 2.5 and neuroimaging data from the longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®), collected from 21 different recruitment sites across the United States. To contribute an interpretable and actionable assessment of the role of air pollution in the developing brain, we identified alterations in cortical microstructure development associated with exposure to specific sources of PM 2.5 using multivariate, partial least squares analyses. Specifically, average annual exposure (i.e., at ages 8-10 years) to PM 2.5 from biomass burning was related to differences in neurite development across the cortex between 9 and 13 years of age.
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15
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Smith OV, Penhale SH, Ott LR, Rice DL, Coutant AT, Glesinger R, Wilson TW, Taylor BK. Everyday home radon exposure is associated with altered structural brain morphology in youths. Neurotoxicology 2024; 102:114-120. [PMID: 38703899 PMCID: PMC11139553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
The refinement of brain morphology extends across childhood, and exposure to environmental toxins during this period may alter typical trends. Radon is a highly common radiologic toxin with a well-established role in cancer among adults. However, effects on developmental populations are understudied in comparison. This study investigated whether home radon exposure is associated with altered brain morphology in youths. Fifty-four participants (6-14 yrs, M=10.52 yrs, 48.15% male, 89% White) completed a T1-weighted MRI and home measures of radon. We observed a significant multivariate effect of home radon concentrations, which was driven by effects on GMV. Specifically, higher home radon was associated with smaller GMV (F=6.800, p=.012, ηp2=.13). Conversely, there was a trending radon-by-age interaction on WMV, which reached significance when accounting for the chronicity of radon exposure (F=4.12, p=.049, ηp2=.09). We found that youths with above-average radon exposure showed no change in WMV with age, whereas low radon was linked with normative, age-related WMV increases. These results suggest that everyday home radon exposure may alter sensitive structural brain development, impacting developmental trajectories in both gray and white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- OgheneTejiri V Smith
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Samantha H Penhale
- Clinical and Health Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lauren R Ott
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA
| | - Danielle L Rice
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Anna T Coutant
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Ryan Glesinger
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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16
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Binter AC, Granés L, Bannier E, de Castro M, Petricola S, Fossati S, Vrijheid M, Chevrier C, El Marroun H, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Saint-Amour D, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Urban environment during pregnancy and childhood and white matter microstructure in preadolescence in two European birth cohorts. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 346:123612. [PMID: 38387546 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that urban environment may influence cognition and behavior in children, but the underlying pollutant and neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We evaluated the association of built environment and urban natural space indicators during pregnancy and childhood with brain white matter microstructure in preadolescents, and examined the potential mediating role of air pollution and road-traffic noise. We used data of the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (n = 2725; 2002-2006) for the primary analyses. Replication of the main findings was attempted on an independent neuroimaging dataset from the PELAGIE birth cohort, France (n = 95; 2002-2006). We assessed exposures to 12 built environment and 4 urban natural spaces indicators from conception up to 9 years of age. We computed 2 white matter microstructure outcomes (i.e., average of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) from 12 white matte tracts) from diffusion tensor imaging data. Greater distance to the nearest major green space during pregnancy was associated with higher whole-brain FA (0.001 (95%CI 0.000; 0.002) per 7 m increase), and higher land use diversity during childhood was associated with lower whole-brain MD (-0.001 (95%CI -0.002; -0.000) per 0.12-point increase), with no evidence of mediation by air pollution nor road-traffic noise. Higher percentage of transport and lower surrounding greenness during pregnancy were associated with lower whole-brain FA, and road-traffic noise mediated 19% and 52% of these associations, respectively. We found estimates in the same direction in the PELAGIE cohort, although confidence intervals were larger and included the null. This study suggests an association between urban environment and white matter microstructure, mainly through road-traffic noise, indicating that greater access to green space nearby might promote white matter development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Laura Granés
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elise Bannier
- Inria, CRNS, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, Empenn U1228, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France; CHU Rennes, Department of Radiology, Rennes, France
| | - Montserrat de Castro
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Sami Petricola
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Serena Fossati
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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17
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Lim YH, Bilsteen JF, Mortensen LH, Lanzky LRM, Zhang J, Tuffier S, Brandt J, Ketzel M, Flensborg-Madsen T, Wimmelmann CL, Okholm GT, Hegelund ER, Napolitano GM, Andersen ZJ, Loft S. Lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic achievement: A nationwide cohort study in Denmark. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108500. [PMID: 38430583 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
Recent research suggests a link between air pollution and cognitive development in children, and studies on air pollution and academic achievement are emerging. We conducted a nationwide cohort study in Denmark to explore the associations between lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic performance in 9th grade. The study encompassed 785,312 children born in Denmark between 1989 and 2005, all of whom completed 9th-grade exit examinations. Using linear mixed models with a random intercept for each school, we assessed the relationship between 16 years of exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and gaseous pollutants and Grade Point Averages (GPA) in exit examinations, covering subjects such as Danish literature, Danish writing, English, mathematics, and natural sciences. The study revealed that a 5 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with a decrease of 0.99 (95 % Confidence Intervals: -1.05, -0.92) and 0.46 (-0.50, -0.41) in GPA, respectively. Notably, these negative associations were more pronounced in mathematics and natural sciences compared to language-related subjects. Additionally, girls and children with non-Danish mothers were found to be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution exposure. These results underscore the potential long-term consequences of air pollution on academic achievement, emphasizing the significance of interventions that foster healthier environments for children's cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youn-Hee Lim
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Josephine Funck Bilsteen
- Ministry of Children and Education, National Agency for Education and Quality, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jiawei Zhang
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stéphane Tuffier
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Brandt
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Matthias Ketzel
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark; Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Trine Flensborg-Madsen
- National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Gunhild Tidemann Okholm
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - George Maria Napolitano
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zorana Jovanovic Andersen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steffen Loft
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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18
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Cardenas-Iniguez C, Schachner JN, Ip KI, Schertz KE, Gonzalez MR, Abad S, Herting MM. Building towards an adolescent neural urbanome: Expanding environmental measures using linked external data (LED) in the ABCD study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101338. [PMID: 38195369 PMCID: PMC10837718 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Many recent studies have demonstrated that environmental contexts, both social and physical, have an important impact on child and adolescent neural and behavioral development. The adoption of geospatial methods, such as in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, has facilitated the exploration of many environmental contexts surrounding participants' residential locations without creating additional burdens for research participants (i.e., youth and families) in neuroscience studies. However, as the number of linked databases increases, developing a framework that considers the various domains related to child and adolescent environments external to their home becomes crucial. Such a framework needs to identify structural contextual factors that may yield inequalities in children's built and natural environments; these differences may, in turn, result in downstream negative effects on children from historically minoritized groups. In this paper, we develop such a framework - which we describe as the "adolescent neural urbanome" - and use it to categorize newly geocoded information incorporated into the ABCD Study by the Linked External Data (LED) Environment & Policy Working Group. We also highlight important relationships between the linked measures and describe possible applications of the Adolescent Neural Urbanome. Finally, we provide a number of recommendations and considerations regarding the responsible use and communication of these data, highlighting the potential harm to historically minoritized groups through their misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jared N Schachner
- Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ka I Ip
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | - Kathryn E Schertz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marybel R Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shermaine Abad
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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19
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Campbell CE, Cotter DL, Bottenhorn KL, Burnor E, Ahmadi H, Gauderman WJ, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Hackman D, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Air pollution and age-dependent changes in emotional behavior across early adolescence in the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117390. [PMID: 37866541 PMCID: PMC10842841 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have linked air pollution to increased risk for behavioral problems during development, albeit with inconsistent findings. Additional longitudinal studies are needed that consider how emotional behaviors may be affected when exposure coincides with the transition to adolescence - a vulnerable time for developing mental health difficulties. This study investigates if annual average PM2.5 and NO2 exposure at ages 9-10 years moderates age-related changes in internalizing and externalizing behaviors over a 2-year follow-up period in a large, nationwide U.S. sample of participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Air pollution exposure was estimated based on the residential address of each participant using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Caregivers answered questions from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at the baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up visits, for a total of 3 waves of data; from the CBCL we obtained scores on internalizing and externalizing problems plus 5 syndrome scales (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, and attention problems). Zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine both the main effect of age as well as the interaction of age with each pollutant on behavior while adjusting for various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Against our hypothesis, there was no evidence that greater air pollution exposure was related to more behavioral problems with age over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Campbell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Hackman
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90063, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.
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20
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Polemiti E, Hese S, Schepanski K, Yuan J, Schumann G. How does the macroenvironment influence brain and behaviour - a review of current status and future perspectives. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.09.23296785. [PMID: 37873310 PMCID: PMC10593044 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.09.23296785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The environment influences mental health, both detrimentally and beneficially. Current research has emphasized the individual psychosocial 'microenvironment'. Less attention has been paid to 'macro-environmental' challenges including climate change, pollution, urbanicity and socioeconomic disparity. With the advent of large-scale big-data cohorts and an increasingly dense mapping of macroenvironmental parameters, we are now in a position to characterise the relation between macroenvironment, brain, and behaviour across different geographic and cultural locations globally. This review synthesises findings from recent epidemiological and neuroimaging studies, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence between the macroenvironment and the structure and functions of the brain, with a particular emphasis on its implications for mental illness. We discuss putative underlying mechanisms and address the most common exposures of the macroenvironment. Finally, we identify critical areas for future research to enhance our understanding of the aetiology of mental illness and to inform effective interventions for healthier environments and mental health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli Polemiti
- Centre of Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Soeren Hese
- Institute of Geography, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | | | - Jiacan Yuan
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences & CMA-FDU Joint Laboratory of Marine Meteorology & IRDR-ICOE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre of Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Trombley J. Fine particulate matter exposure and pediatric mental health outcomes: An integrative review. J Nurs Scholarsh 2023; 55:977-1007. [PMID: 36941765 DOI: 10.1111/jnu.12888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Climate change is expected to worsen air pollution globally, which contributes to a multitude of negative health outcomes in humans. AIM The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the relationship between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. METHODS This review utilized Whittemore and Knafl's methodology for conducting an integrative review. After a thorough search of the literature, 17 articles were selected for this review and evaluated utilizing the Johns Hopkins Evidence Based Practice Appraisal Tool. RESULTS Of the 17 articles, all were quantitative observational study designs. The studies were then synthesized into four outcome themes. These themes included emergent and general psychiatric outcomes, neurodevelopmental disorders, stress and anxiety, and depression. DISCUSSION The strongest evidence supports a possible correlation between PM2.5 exposure and adolescent mental health outcomes, although there were some studies that contradicted these associations. While research on this topic is in its early stages, more needs to be conducted to determine causality with any of the associations presented to improve generalizability of the findings. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Nurses must be aware of and part of the solution to address climate change and resulting air pollution, as it is a potentially significant threat to children's mental health in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Trombley
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Herting M, Cotter D, Ahmadi H, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Bottenhorn K, Gauderman WJ, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman D, Chen JC. Sex-specific effects in how childhood exposures to multiple ambient air pollutants affect white matter microstructure development across early adolescence. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3213618. [PMID: 37645919 PMCID: PMC10462194 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3213618/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Ambient air pollution is ubiquitous, yet questions remain as to how it might impact the developing brain. Large changes occur in the brain's white matter (WM) microstructure across adolescence, with noticeable differences in WM integrity in male and female youth. Here we report sex-stratified effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) on longitudinal patterns of WM microstructure from 9-13 years-old in 8,182 (49% female) participants using restriction spectrum imaging. After adjusting for key sociodemographic factors, multi-pollutant, sex-stratified models showed that one-year annual exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with higher, while O3 was associated with lower, intracellular diffusion at age 9. All three pollutants also affected trajectories of WM maturation from 9-13 years-old, with some sex-specific differences in the number and anatomical locations of tracts showing altered trajectories of intracellular diffusion. Concentrations were well-below current U.S. standards, suggesting exposure to these criteria pollutants during adolescence may have long-term consequences on brain development.
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23
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Woo S, Noh Y, Koh SB, Lee SK, Il Lee J, Kim HH, Kim SY, Cho J, Kim C. Associations of ambient manganese exposure with brain gray matter thickness and white matter hyperintensities. Hypertens Res 2023; 46:1870-1879. [PMID: 37185603 DOI: 10.1038/s41440-023-01291-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Manganese (Mn) exposure is associated with increased risks of dementia and cerebrovascular disease. However, evidence regarding the impact of ambient Mn exposure on brain imaging markers is scarce. We aimed to investigate the association between ambient Mn exposure and brain imaging markers representing neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular lesions. We recruited a total of 936 adults (442 men and 494 women) without dementia, movement disorders, or stroke from the Republic of Korea. Ambient Mn concentrations were predicted at each participant's residential address using spatial modeling. Neurodegeneration-related brain imaging markers, such as the regional cortical thickness, were estimated using 3 T brain magnetic resonance images. White matter hyperintensity volume (an indicator of cerebrovascular lesions) was also obtained from a certain number of participants (n = 397). Linear regression analyses were conducted after adjusting for potential confounders. A log-transformed ambient Mn concentration was associated with thinner parietal (β = -0.02 mm; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.05 to -0.01) and occipital cortices (β = -0.03 mm; 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.01) after correcting for multiple comparisons. These associations remained statistically significant in men. An increase in the ambient Mn concentration was also associated with a greater volume of deep white matter hyperintensity in men (β = 772.4 mm3, 95% CI: 36.9 to 1508.0). None of the associations were significant in women. Our findings suggest that ambient Mn exposure may induce cortical atrophy in the general adult population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinyoung Woo
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Noh
- Department of Neurology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Sang-Baek Koh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea
| | - Seung-Koo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Il Lee
- Korea Testing and Research Institute, Gwacheon, Korea
| | - Ho Hyun Kim
- Department of Nano-chemical, biological and environmental engineering Seokyeong University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sun- Young Kim
- Department of Cancer Control and Population Health, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Jaelim Cho
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Changsoo Kim
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Liu F, Liu C, Liu Y, Wang J, Wang Y, Yan B. Neurotoxicity of the air-borne particles: From molecular events to human diseases. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 457:131827. [PMID: 37315411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to PM2.5 is associated with an increased incidence of CNS diseases in humans, as confirmed by numerous epidemiological studies. Animal models have demonstrated that PM2.5 exposure can damage brain tissue, neurodevelopmental issues and neurodegenerative diseases. Both animal and human cell models have identified oxidative stress and inflammation as the primary toxic effects of PM2.5 exposure. However, understanding how PM2.5 modulates neurotoxicity has proven challenging due to its complex and variable composition. This review aims to summarize the detrimental effects of inhaled PM2.5 on the CNS and the limited understanding of its underlying mechanism. It also highlights new frontiers in addressing these issues, such as modern laboratory and computational techniques and chemical reductionism tactics. By utilizing these approaches, we aim to fully elucidate the mechanism of PM2.5-induced neurotoxicity, treat associated diseases, and ultimately eliminate pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China; Jinan Clinical Research Center for Tissue Engineering Skin Regeneration and Wound Repair, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Chunyan Liu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China; Jinan Clinical Research Center for Tissue Engineering Skin Regeneration and Wound Repair, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Yin Liu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Jiahui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China; Jinan Clinical Research Center for Tissue Engineering Skin Regeneration and Wound Repair, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China.
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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25
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Iyanna N, Yolton K, LeMasters G, Lanphear BP, Cecil KM, Schwartz J, Brokamp C, Rasnick E, Xu Y, MacDougall MC, Ryan PH. Air pollution exposure and social responsiveness in childhood: The cincinnati combined childhood cohorts. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 251:114172. [PMID: 37116232 PMCID: PMC10682723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects about 1 in 44 children and environmental exposures may contribute to disease onset. Air pollution has been associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, yet little research has examined its association with autistic-like behaviors. Therefore, our objective was to examine the association between exposure to air pollution, including NO2 and PM2.5, during pregnancy and the first year of life to ASD-like behaviors during childhood. Participants (n = 435) enrolled in the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study and the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment Study were included in the analysis. Daily exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 at the residential addresses of participants were estimated using validated spatiotemporal models and averaged to obtain prenatal and first year exposure estimates. ASD-like behaviors were assessed via the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) questionnaire at age 12. Linear regression models adjusting for confounders were applied to estimate the association between pollutants and SRS scores. After adjusting for covariates, the association between NO2 and PM2.5 and SRS scores remained positive but were no longer statistically significant. Prenatal and first year exposure to NO2 were associated with total SRS T-scores with an estimated 0.4 point increase (95% CI: -0.7, 1.6) per 5.2 ppb increase in NO2 exposure and 0.7 point (95% CI: -0.3, 1.6) per 4.2 ppb increase in NO2 exposure, respectively. For PM2.5, a 2.6 μg/m3 increase in prenatal exposure was associated with a 0.1 point increase (95% CI: -1.1, 1.4) in SRS Total T-scores and a 1.3 μg/m3 increase first year of life was associated with a 1 point increase (95% CI: -0.2, 2.3). In summary, exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 during pregnancy and the first year of life were not significantly associated with higher autistic-like behaviors measured with SRS scores after adjustment of covariates. Additional research is warranted given prior studies suggesting air pollution contributes to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Iyanna
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Grace LeMasters
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Kim M Cecil
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, USA
| | - Cole Brokamp
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Erika Rasnick
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yingying Xu
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Melinda C MacDougall
- Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Patrick H Ryan
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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26
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Yuan A, Halabicky O, Rao H, Liu J. Lifetime air pollution exposure, cognitive deficits, and brain imaging outcomes: A systematic review. Neurotoxicology 2023; 96:69-80. [PMID: 37001821 PMCID: PMC10963081 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
As the amount of air pollution and human exposure has increased, the effects on human health have become an important public health issue. A field of growing interest is how air pollution exposure affects brain structure and function underlying cognitive deficits and if structural and connectivity changes mediate the relationship between the two. We conducted a systematic review to examine the literature on air pollution, brain structure and connectivity, and cognition studies. Eleven studies matched our inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis. Results suggest significant associations between air pollution and decreased volumes of specific brain structures, cortical thickness and surface area such as in the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe, as well as the weakening of functional connectivity pathways, largely the Default Mode (DMN) and Frontal Parietal (FPN) networks, as detected by fMRI. Associations between air pollution and cognitive outcomes were found in most of the studies (n = 9), though some studies showed stronger associations than others. For children & adolescents, these deficiencies largely involved heavy reasoning, problem solving, and logic. For young and middle-aged adults, the associations were mostly seen for executive function and visuospatial cognitive domains. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to consolidate findings on the associations among air pollution, brain structure, and cognitive function. In the future, it will be important to conduct further longitudinal studies that follow children who have been exposed at a young age and examine associations with brain structure and cognition throughout adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Yuan
- University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts & Sciences, 249 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Olivia Halabicky
- University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Hengyi Rao
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Jianghong Liu
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, 418 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
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27
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Nan N, Yan Z, Zhang Y, Chen R, Qin G, Sang N. Overview of PM 2.5 and health outcomes: Focusing on components, sources, and pollutant mixture co-exposure. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 323:138181. [PMID: 36806809 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
PM2.5 varies in source and composition over time and space as a complicated mixture. Consequently, the health effects caused by PM2.5 varies significantly over time and generally exhibit significant regional variations. According to numerous studies, a notable relationship exists between PM2.5 and the occurrence of many diseases, such as respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system diseases, as well as cancer. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the effect of PM2.5 on human health is critical. The toxic effects of various PM2.5 components, as well as the overall toxicity of PM2.5 are discussed in this review to provide a foundation for precise PM2.5 emission control. Furthermore, this review summarizes the synergistic effect of PM2.5 and other pollutants, which can be used to draft effective policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Nan
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, PR China
| | - Zhipeng Yan
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, PR China
| | - Yaru Zhang
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, PR China
| | - Rui Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Occupational Safety and Health, Institute of Urban Safety and Environmental Science, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, Beijing, 100054, PR China; Beijing City University, Beijing, 11418, PR China.
| | - Guohua Qin
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, PR China.
| | - Nan Sang
- College of Environment and Resource, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, PR China
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28
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Bos B, Barratt B, Batalle D, Gale-Grant O, Hughes EJ, Beevers S, Cordero-Grande L, Price AN, Hutter J, Hajnal JV, Kelly FJ, David Edwards A, Counsell SJ. Prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with structural changes in the neonatal brain. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 174:107921. [PMID: 37058974 PMCID: PMC10410199 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse neurologic consequences in childhood. However, the relationship between in utero exposure to air pollution and neonatal brain development is unclear. METHODS We modelled maternal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) at postcode level between date of conception to date of birth and studied the effect of prenatal air pollution exposure on neonatal brain morphology in 469 (207 male) healthy neonates, with gestational age of ≥36 weeks. Infants underwent MR neuroimaging at 3 Tesla at 41.29 (36.71-45.14) weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) as part of the developing human connectome project (dHCP). Single pollutant linear regression and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) were performed to assess the relationship between air pollution and brain morphology, adjusting for confounders and correcting for false discovery rate. RESULTS Higher exposure to PM10 and lower exposure to NO2 was strongly canonically correlated to a larger relative ventricular volume, and moderately associated with larger relative size of the cerebellum. Modest associations were detected with higher exposure to PM10 and lower exposure to NO2 and smaller relative cortical grey matter and amygdala and hippocampus, and larger relaive brainstem and extracerebral CSF volume. No associations were found with white matter or deep grey nuclei volume. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with altered brain morphometry in the neonatal period, albeit with opposing results for NO2 and PM10. This finding provides further evidence that reducing levels of maternal exposure to particulate matter during pregnancy should be a public health priority and highlights the importance of understanding the impacts of air pollution on this critical development window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Bos
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Ben Barratt
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Oliver Gale-Grant
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Emer J Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Sean Beevers
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK; Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Frank J Kelly
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK.
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29
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Xie H, Cao Y, Li J, Lyu Y, Roberts N, Jia Z. Affective disorder and brain alterations in children and adolescents exposed to outdoor air pollution. J Affect Disord 2023; 331:413-424. [PMID: 36997124 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for the development of the brain. However, a limited number of studies have explored how air pollution may associate with affective symptoms in youth. METHODS We performed a comprehensive review of the existing research on the associations between outdoor air pollution and affective disorders, suicidality, and the evidence for brain changes in youth. PRISMA guidelines were followed and PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PsychINFO databases were searched from their inception to June 2022. RESULTS From 2123 search records, 28 papers were identified as being relevant for studying the association between air pollution and affective disorders (n = 14), suicide (n = 5), and neuroimaging-based evidence of brain alterations (n = 9). The exposure levels and neuropsychological performance measures were highly heterogeneous and confounders including traffic-related noise, indoor air pollution, and social stressors were not consistently considered. Notwithstanding, 10 out of the 14 papers provide evidence that air pollution is associated with increased risk of depression symptoms, and 4 out of 5 papers provide evidence that air pollution might trigger suicidal attempts and behaviors. Besides, 5 neuroimaging studies revealed decreased gray-matter volume in the Cortico-Striato-Thalamo-Cortical neurocircuitry, and two found white matter hyperintensities in the prefrontal lobe. CONCLUSIONS Outdoor air pollution is associated with increased risks of affective disorders and suicide in youth, and there is evidence for associated structural and functional brain abnormalities. Future studies should determine the specific effects of each air pollutant, the critical exposure levels, and population susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongsheng Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuan Cao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiafeng Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yichen Lyu
- Department of civil and environmental engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, United States of America
| | - Neil Roberts
- The Queens Medical Research Institute (QMRI), School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zhiyun Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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30
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Sukumaran K, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Burnor E, Bottenhorn KL, Hackman DA, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Ambient fine particulate exposure and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in 9- and 10-year-old children across the United States. iScience 2023; 26:106087. [PMID: 36915692 PMCID: PMC10006642 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies showing the adverse effects of air pollution on neurodevelopment have largely focused on smaller samples from limited geographical locations and have implemented univariant approaches to assess exposure and brain macrostructure. Herein, we implement restriction spectrum imaging and a multivariate approach to examine how one year of annual exposure to daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5), daily nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 8-h maximum ozone (O3) at ages 9-10 years relates to subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in a geographically diverse subsample of children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study℠. Adjusting for confounders, we identified a latent variable representing 66% of the variance between one year of air pollution and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture. PM2.5 was related to greater isotropic intracellular diffusion in the thalamus, brainstem, and accumbens, which related to cognition and internalizing symptoms. These findings may be indicative of previously identified air pollution-related risk for neuroinflammation and early neurodegenerative pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirthana Sukumaran
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Katherine L. Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Daniel A. Hackman
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Corresponding author
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31
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Thompson R, Smith RB, Karim YB, Shen C, Drummond K, Teng C, Toledano MB. Air pollution and human cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160234. [PMID: 36427724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This systematic review summarises and evaluates the literature investigating associations between exposure to air pollution and general population cognition, which has important implications for health, social and economic inequalities, and human productivity. METHODS The engines MEDLINE, Embase Classic+Embase, APA PsycInfo, and SCOPUS were searched up to May 2022. Our inclusion criteria focus on the following pollutants: particulate matter, NOx, and ozone. The cognitive abilities of interest are: general/global cognition, executive function, attention, working memory, learning, memory, intelligence and IQ, reasoning, reaction times, and processing speed. The collective evidence was assessed using the NTP-OHAT framework and random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS Eighty-six studies were identified, the results of which were generally supportive of associations between exposures and worsened cognition, but the literature was varied and sometimes contradictory. There was moderate certainty support for detrimental associations between PM2.5 and general cognition in adults 40+, and PM2.5, NOx, and PM10 and executive function (especially working memory) in children. There was moderate certainty evidence against associations between ozone and general cognition in adults age 40+, and NOx and reasoning/IQ in children. Some associations were also supported by meta-analysis (N = 14 studies, all in adults aged 40+). A 1 μg/m3 increase in NO2 was associated with reduced performance on general cognitive batteries (β = -0.02, p < 0.05) as was a 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure (β = -0.02, p < 0.05). A 1μgm3 increase in PM2.5 was significantly associated with lower verbal fluency by -0.05 words (p = 0.01) and a decrease in executive function task performance of -0.02 points (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Evidence was found in support of some exposure-outcome associations, however more good quality research is required, particularly with older teenagers and young adults (14-40 years), using multi-exposure modelling, incorporating mechanistic investigation, and in South America, Africa, South Asia and Australasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon Thompson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Rachel B Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Yasmin Bou Karim
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chen Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Kayleigh Drummond
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chloe Teng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Mireille B Toledano
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK.
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Odo DB, Yang IA, Dey S, Hammer MS, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Dong GH, Yang BY, Hystad P, Knibbs LD. A cross-sectional analysis of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive development in children aged 3-4 years living in 12 low- and middle-income countries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120916. [PMID: 36563987 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ambient air pollution may affect cognitive functioning and development in children. Unfortunately, there is little evidence available for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where air pollution levels are highest. We analysed the association between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (≤2.5 μm [PM2.5]) and cognitive development indicators in a cross-sectional analysis of children (aged 3-4 years) in 12 LMICs. We linked Demographic and Health Survey data, conducted between 2011 and 2018, with global estimates of PM2.5 mass concentrations to examine annual average exposure to PM2.5 and cognitive development (literacy-numeracy and learning domains) in children. Cognitive development was assessed using the United Nations Children's Fund's early child development indicators administered to each child's mother. We used multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for individual- and area-level covariates, and multi-pollutant models (including nitrogen dioxide and surface-level ozone). We assessed if sex and urban/rural status modified the association of PM2.5 with the outcome. We included 57,647 children, of whom, 9613 (13.3%) had indicators of cognitive delay. In the adjusted model, a 5 μg/m3 increase in annual all composition PM2.5 was associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.22). A 5 μg/m3 increase in anthropogenic PM2.5 was also associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.10). These results were robust to several sensitivity analyses, including multi-pollutant models. Interaction terms showed that urban-dwelling children had greater odds of cognitive delay than rural-dwelling children, while there was no significant difference by sex. Our findings suggest that annual average exposure to PM2.5 in young children was associated with adverse effects on cognitive development, which may have long-term consequences for educational attainment and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Odo
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; College of Health Sciences, Arsi University, Asela, Ethiopia.
| | - Ian A Yang
- Thoracic Program, The Prince Charles Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia; UQ Thoracic Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sagnik Dey
- Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India; Arun Duggal Centre of Excellence for Research in Climate Change and Air Pollution, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Melanie S Hammer
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guang-Hui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo-Yi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Perry Hystad
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, USA
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
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Qiu X, Shi L, Kubzansky LD, Wei Y, Castro E, Li H, Weisskopf MG, Schwartz JD. Association of Long-term Exposure to Air Pollution With Late-Life Depression in Older Adults in the US. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2253668. [PMID: 36763364 PMCID: PMC9918878 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Emerging evidence has suggested harmful associations of air pollutants with neurodegenerative diseases among older adults. However, little is known about outcomes regarding late-life mental disorders, such as geriatric depression. OBJECTIVE To investigate if long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with increased risk of late-life depression diagnosis among older adults in the US. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based longitudinal cohort study consisted of US Medicare enrollees older than 64 years. Data were obtained from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chronic Conditions Warehouse. The participants were continuously enrolled in the Fee-for-Service program and both Medicare Part A and Part B. After the 5-year washout period at entry, a total of 8 907 422 unique individuals were covered over the study period of 2005 to 2016, who contributed to 1 526 690 late-onset depression diagnoses. Data analyses were performed between March 2022 and November 2022. EXPOSURES The exposures consisted of residential long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), measured in micrograms per cubic meter; nitrogen dioxide (NO2), measured in parts per billion; and ozone (O3), measured in parts per billion. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Late-life depression diagnoses were identified via information from all available Medicare claims (ie, hospital inpatient, skilled nursing facility, home health agency, hospital outpatient, and physician visits). Date of the first occurrence was obtained. Hazard ratios and percentage change in risk were estimated via stratified Cox proportional hazards models accounting for climate coexposures, neighborhood greenness, socioeconomic conditions, health care access, and urbanicity level. RESULTS A total of 8 907 422 Medicare enrollees were included in this study with 56.8% being female individuals and 90.2% being White individuals. The mean (SD) age at entry (after washout period) was 73.7 (4.8) years. Each 5-unit increase in long-term mean exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and O3 was associated with an adjusted percentage increase in depression risk of 0.91% (95% CI, 0.02%-1.81%), 0.61% (95% CI, 0.31%- 0.92%), and 2.13% (95% CI, 1.63%-2.64%), respectively, based on a tripollutant model. Effect size heterogeneity was found among subpopulations by comorbidity condition and neighborhood contextual backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study among US Medicare enrollees, harmful associations were observed between long-term exposure to air pollution and increased risk of late-life depression diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Qiu
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Liuhua Shi
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Laura D. Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yaguang Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Edgar Castro
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Haomin Li
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Marc G. Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joel D. Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Abstract
Air pollution is a complex mixture of gases and particulate matter, with adsorbed organic and inorganic contaminants, to which exposure is lifelong. Epidemiological studies increasingly associate air pollution with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, findings supported by experimental animal models. This breadth of neurotoxicity across these central nervous system diseases and disorders likely reflects shared vulnerability of their inflammatory and oxidative stress-based mechanisms and a corresponding ability to produce brain metal dyshomeo-stasis. Future research to define the responsible contaminants of air pollution underlying this neurotoxicity is critical to understanding mechanisms of these diseases and disorders and protecting public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
| | - Alyssa Merrill
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
| | - Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA;
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Wylie AC, Short SJ. Environmental Toxicants and the Developing Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:921-933. [PMID: 36906498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Early life represents the most rapid and foundational period of brain development and a time of vulnerability to environmental insults. Evidence indicates that greater exposure to ubiquitous toxicants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and many phthalates is associated with altered developmental, physical health, and mental health trajectories across the lifespan. Whereas animal models offer evidence of their mechanistic effects on neurological development, there is little research that evaluates how these environmental toxicants are associated with human neurodevelopment using neuroimaging measures in infant and pediatric populations. This review provides an overview of 3 environmental toxicants of interest in neurodevelopment that are prevalent worldwide in the air, soil, food, water, and/or products of everyday life: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and phthalates. We summarize mechanistic evidence from animal models for their roles in neurodevelopment, highlight prior research that has examined these toxicants with pediatric developmental and psychiatric outcomes, and provide a narrative review of the limited number of studies that have examined these toxicants using neuroimaging with pediatric populations. We conclude with a discussion of suggested directions that will move this field forward, including the incorporation of environmental toxicant assessment in large, longitudinal, multimodal neuroimaging studies; the use of multidimensional data analysis strategies; and the importance of studying the combined effects of environmental and psychosocial stressors and buffers on neurodevelopment. Collectively, these strategies will improve ecological validity and our understanding of how environmental toxicants affect long-term sequelae via alterations to brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Center for Health Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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Fowler CH, Bagdasarov A, Camacho NL, Reuben A, Gaffrey MS. Toxicant exposure and the developing brain: A systematic review of the structural and functional MRI literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:105006. [PMID: 36535373 PMCID: PMC9922521 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Youth worldwide are regularly exposed to pollutants and chemicals (i.e., toxicants) that may interfere with healthy brain development, and a surge in MRI research has begun to characterize the neurobiological consequences of these exposures. Here, a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on developmental MRI studies of toxicants with known or suspected neurobiological impact. Associations were reviewed for 9 toxicant classes, including metals, air pollution, and flame retardants. Of 1264 identified studies, 46 met inclusion criteria. Qualitative synthesis revealed that most studies: (1) investigated air pollutants or metals, (2) assessed exposures prenatally, (3) assessed the brain in late middle childhood, (4) took place in North America or Western Europe, (5) drew samples from existing cohort studies, and (6) have been published since 2017. Given substantial heterogeneity in MRI measures, toxicant measures, and age groups assessed, more research is needed on all toxicants reviewed here. Future studies should also include larger samples, employ personal exposure monitoring, study independent samples in diverse world regions, and assess toxicant mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aaron Reuben
- Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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Letellier N, Gutierrez LA, Duchesne J, Chen C, Ilango S, Helmer C, Berr C, Mortamais M, Benmarhnia T. Air quality improvement and incident dementia: Effects of observed and hypothetical reductions in air pollutant using parametric g-computation. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:2509-2517. [PMID: 35142029 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION No evidence exists about the impact of air pollution reduction on incidence of dementia. The aim of this study was to quantify how air quality improvement leads to dementia-incidence benefits. METHODS In the French Three-City cohort (12 years of follow-up), we used parametric g-computation to quantify the expected number of prevented dementia cases under different hypothetical interventions with particulate matter measuring <2.5 μm (PM2.5 ) reductions. RESULTS Among 7051 participants, 789 participants developed dementia. The median PM2.5 reduction between 1990 and 2000 was 12.2 (μg/m3 ). Such a reduction reduced the risk of all-cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 0.95). If all study participants were enjoying a hypothetical reduction of more than 13.10 μg/m3 (median reduction observed in the city of Montpellier), the rate difference was -0.37 (95% CI, -0.57 to -0.17) and the rate ratio was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.50 to 0.84). DISCUSSION These findings highlight the possible substantial benefits of reducing air pollution in the prevention of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Letellier
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science & Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Laure-Anne Gutierrez
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jeanne Duchesne
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Chen Chen
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science & Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sindana Ilango
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, USA
| | - Catherine Helmer
- Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France
| | - Claudine Berr
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,Memory Research and Resources Center, Department of Neurology, Montpellier University Hospital Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier, France
| | - Marion Mortamais
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science & Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
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Zundel CG, Ryan P, Brokamp C, Heeter A, Huang Y, Strawn JR, Marusak HA. Air pollution, depressive and anxiety disorders, and brain effects: A systematic review. Neurotoxicology 2022; 93:272-300. [PMID: 36280190 PMCID: PMC10015654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating data suggest that air pollution increases the risk of internalizing psychopathology, including anxiety and depressive disorders. Moreover, the link between air pollution and poor mental health may relate to neurostructural and neurofunctional changes. We systematically reviewed the MEDLINE database in September 2021 for original articles reporting effects of air pollution on 1) internalizing symptoms and behaviors (anxiety or depression) and 2) frontolimbic brain regions (i.e., hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex). One hundred and eleven articles on mental health (76% human, 24% animals) and 92 on brain structure and function (11% human, 86% animals) were identified. For literature search 1, the most common pollutants examined were PM2.5 (64.9%), NO2 (37.8%), and PM10 (33.3%). For literature search 2, the most common pollutants examined were PM2.5 (32.6%), O3 (26.1%) and Diesel Exhaust Particles (DEP) (26.1%). The majority of studies (73%) reported higher internalizing symptoms and behaviors with higher air pollution exposure. Air pollution was consistently associated (95% of articles reported significant findings) with neurostructural and neurofunctional effects (e.g., increased inflammation and oxidative stress, changes to neurotransmitters and neuromodulators and their metabolites) within multiple brain regions (24% of articles), or within the hippocampus (66%), PFC (7%), and amygdala (1%). For both literature searches, the most studied exposure time frames were adulthood (48% and 59% for literature searches 1 and 2, respectively) and the prenatal period (26% and 27% for literature searches 1 and 2, respectively). Forty-three percent and 29% of studies assessed more than one exposure window in literature search 1 and 2, respectively. The extant literature suggests that air pollution is associated with increased depressive and anxiety symptoms and behaviors, and alterations in brain regions implicated in risk of psychopathology. However, there are several gaps in the literature, including: limited studies examining the neural consequences of air pollution in humans. Further, a comprehensive developmental approach is needed to examine windows of susceptibility to exposure and track the emergence of psychopathology following air pollution exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara G Zundel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Patrick Ryan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Cole Brokamp
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Autumm Heeter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Yaoxian Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Jeffrey R Strawn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Anxiety Disorders Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Binter AC, Kusters MSW, van den Dries MA, Alonso L, Lubczyńska MJ, Hoek G, White T, Iñiguez C, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Air pollution, white matter microstructure, and brain volumes: Periods of susceptibility from pregnancy to preadolescence. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 313:120109. [PMID: 36155148 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution exposure during early-life is associated with altered brain development, but the precise periods of susceptibility are unknown. We aimed to investigate whether there are periods of susceptibility of air pollution between conception and preadolescence in relation to white matter microstructure and brain volumes at 9-12 years old. We used data of 3515 children from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort from Rotterdam, the Netherlands (2002-2006). We estimated daily levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5absorbance) at participants' homes during pregnancy and childhood using land-use regression models. Diffusion tensor and structural brain images were obtained when children were 9-12 years of age, and we calculated fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, and several brain structure volumes. We performed distributed lag non-linear modeling adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. We observed specific periods of susceptibility to all air pollutants from conception to age 5 years in association with lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity that survived correction for multiple testing (e.g., -0.85 fractional anisotropy (95%CI -1.43; -0.27) per 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 between conception and 4 years of age). We also observed certain periods of susceptibility to some air pollutants in relation to global brain and some subcortical brain volumes, but only the association between PM2.5 and putamen survived correction for multiple testing (172 mm3 (95%CI 57; 286) per 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 between 4 months and 1.8 year of age). This study suggested that conception, pregnancy, infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood seem to be susceptible periods to air pollution exposure for the development of white matter microstructure and the putamen volume. Longitudinal studies with repeated brain outcome measurements are needed for understanding the trajectories and the long-term effects of exposure to air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Michelle S W Kusters
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel A van den Dries
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lucia Alonso
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Małgorzata J Lubczyńska
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carmen Iñiguez
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Statistics and Operational Research, Universitat de València, Spain; Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Zhang X, Liu SH, Geron M, Mathilda Chiu YH, Gershon R, Ho E, Huddleston K, Just AC, Kloog I, Coull BA, Enlow MB, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Prenatal exposure to PM 2.5 and childhood cognition: Accounting for between-site heterogeneity in a pooled analysis of ECHO cohorts in the Northeastern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:114163. [PMID: 36030921 PMCID: PMC9675417 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging studies have investigated the adverse health effects of PM2.5 using data from multiple cohorts, and results often are not generalizable across cohorts. We aimed to assess associations between prenatal PM2.5 and childhood cognition in two U.S. cohorts while accounting for between-site heterogeneity. METHODS Analyses included 348 mother-child dyads enrolled in the dual site (New York City and Boston) PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) cohort and in the First Thousand Days of Life (FTDL) study (Northern Virginia) participating in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) national consortium. Residential prenatal PM2.5 exposure was estimated using a validated satellite-based model and childhood cognition was measured using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery at three to eight years of age. We used a log-linear model applied to contingency tables formed by cross-classifying covariates by site to examine between-site heterogeneity using 3rd trimester PM2.5 exposure, age-corrected cognition scores, and covariates potentially causing heterogeneities. Multivariable linear regression models informed by the combinability analysis were used to estimate the coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between 3rd trimester PM2.5 exposure and age-corrected cognition scores (mean = 100, SD = 15). RESULTS The log-linear model indicated that inter-study associations were similar between PRISM-NYC and FTDL, which were different from those in PRISM-Boston. Accordingly, we combined the data of PRISM-NYC and FTDL cohorts. We observed associations between 3rd trimester PM2.5 and cognition scores, findings were varying by site, childsex, and test. For example, a 1 μg/m3 increase of 3rd trimester PM2.5 was associated with -4.35 (95% CI = -8.73, -0.25) mean early childhood cognition scores in females in PRISM-Boston. In the pooled NYC + FTDL site, the association between PM2.5 and childhood cognition may be modified by maternal education and urbanicity. CONCLUSIONS We found associations between prenatal PM2.5 and impaired childhood cognition. Since multi-site analyses are increasingly conducted, our findings suggest the needed awareness of between-site heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Zhang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Shelley H Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariel Geron
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yueh-Hsiu Mathilda Chiu
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Gershon
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emily Ho
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kathi Huddleston
- College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Allan C Just
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Medrano J, Crnosija N, Prather RW, Payne-Sturges D. Bridging the environment and neurodevelopment for children's health: Associations between real-time air pollutant exposures and cognitive outcomes. Front Psychol 2022; 13:933327. [PMID: 36329746 PMCID: PMC9623017 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.933327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Research suggests that children's exposure to pollutants may impact their neurocognitive development. While researchers have found associations between air pollutants and cognitive development, these associations remain underspecified. Further, these exposures occur in the context of the built environment and may be exacerbated by local social vulnerability; in this context, individuals may experience a suite of socioenvironmental stressors that lead to increased cumulative risk exposure. In this pilot study, we tested whether real-time-measured personal exposure to PM2.5 relates to children's executive function and mathematical skills, outcomes that may predict later mathematical performance, general academic performance and even employment outcomes. We recruited 30 families to participate in two rounds in Winter 2020 and Summer 2021. We collected children's demographic data, as well as data about their living environment. In each round, children carried a small device that collected real-time ambient air pollution data for 3 days; parents logged their children's activities each day. On the last day, children completed cognitive assessments indexing their working memory (n-back), inhibitory control (Go/No-Go), nonsymbolic math skills (dot comparison), and arithmetic skills (equation verification). Overall, 29 participants had pollutant readings from both rounds, and 21 had a full dataset. Nonparametric statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in ambient air pollution and cognitive performance over time, Spearman's rho correlation assessment found that PM2.5 was not significantly correlated with cognitive outcomes in R1 and R2. However, the correlations suggested that an increase in PM2.5 was associated with worse working memory, inhibitory control, nonsymbolic skills, and arithmetic skills, at least in R1. We used each participant's zip code-aggregated Social Vulnerability Index, which range from 0 to 1, with higher numbers indicating more social vulnerability. Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests indicated that participants living in higher SVI zip codes (≥0.70; n = 15) were not significantly different from those living in lower SVI zip codes (<0.70; n = 14), in terms of their PM2.5 exposures and cognitive performance in each round. We also found that socioeconomic characteristics mattered, such that children whose parent (s) had at least a Master's degree or earned more than $100,000 a year had lower PM2.5 exposures than children in the other end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Medrano
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Natalie Crnosija
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Richard W Prather
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Devon Payne-Sturges
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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42
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Aguilera R, Leibel S, Corringham T, Bialostozky M, Nguyen MB, Gershunov A, Benmarhnia T. Mediating Role of Fine Particles Abatement on Pediatric Respiratory Health During COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Order in San Diego County, California. GEOHEALTH 2022; 6:e2022GH000637. [PMID: 36545248 PMCID: PMC9756275 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Lower respiratory tract infections disproportionately affect children and are one of the main causes of hospital referral and admission. COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in early 2020 led to substantial reductions in hospital admissions, but the specific contribution of changes in air quality through this natural experiment has not been examined. Capitalizing on the timing of the stay-at-home order, we quantified the specific contribution of fine-scale changes in PM2.5 concentrations to reduced respiratory emergency department (ED) visits in the pediatric population of San Diego County, California. We analyzed data on pediatric ED visits (n = 72,333) at the ZIP-code level for respiratory complaints obtained from the ED at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego County (2015-2020) and ZIP-code level PM2.5 from an ensemble model integrating multiple machine learning algorithms. We examined the decrease in respiratory visits in the pediatric population attributable to the stay-at-home order and quantified the contribution of changes in PM2.5 exposure using mediation analysis (inverse of odds ratio weighting). Pediatric respiratory ED visits dropped during the stay-at-home order (starting on 19 March 2020). Immediately after this period, PM2.5 concentrations, relative to the counterfactual values based in the 4-year baseline period, also decreased with important spatial variability across ZIP codes in San Diego County. Overall, we found that decreases in PM2.5 attributed to the stay-at-home order contributed to explain 4% of the decrease in pediatric respiratory ED visits. We identified important spatial inequalities in the decreased incidence of pediatric respiratory illness and found that brief decline in air pollution levels contributed to a decrease in respiratory ED visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Aguilera
- Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Sydney Leibel
- Departments of Allergy and Immunology and Pediatric Allergy and ImmunologyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity ScienceUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Thomas Corringham
- Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Mario Bialostozky
- Department of Pediatrics Emergency MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Margaret B. Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics Emergency MedicineUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Alexander Gershunov
- Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
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Wang H, Zhang H, Li J, Liao J, Liu J, Hu C, Sun X, Zheng T, Xia W, Xu S, Wang S, Li Y. Prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient particulate matter and early childhood neurodevelopment: A birth cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112946. [PMID: 35167848 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Adverse impacts of prenatal or postnatal ambient particulate matter exposure have been identified on offspring neurodevelopment. However, it is unclear whether the effect in the two exposure periods is different for early childhood neurodevelopment. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the associations of prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient particulate matter with offspring neurodevelopment at 2 years of age and to identify which period was more sensitive to the effects of ambient particulate matter on offspring neurodevelopment. A total of 1331 mother-child pairs from a birth cohort were included in this study from October 2013 to September 2014 in Wuhan, China. The concentrations of ambient daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and particulate matter less than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) at each participant's home address during pregnancy and the first two years after birth were estimated by land-use regression models (LUR). Offspring neurodevelopment was measured by the Chinese revision of Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID-CR) for each child at 2 years of age. Mental developmental index (MDI) and psychomotor developmental index (PDI) from the BSID-CR were used as outcome variables. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to estimate the associations of prenatal and postnatal PM2.5 and PM10 exposure with offspring neurodevelopment. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that both prenatal and early postnatal exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with decreased offspring MDI and PDI scores. Compared with prenatal exposure, the associations of early postnatal exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 with offspring MDI and PDI were stronger. This study indicates that exposure to ambient particulate matters, mainly during early postnatal period and to a lesser extent prenatally, is associated with impaired offspring neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongling Zhang
- Wuchang University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Juxiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqiang Liao
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiangtao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojie Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongzhang Zheng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States
| | - Wei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiqiong Wang
- Wuhan Medical & Healthcare Center for Women and Children, Wuhan 430000, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Cardenas-Iniguez C, Burnor E, Herting MM. Neurotoxicants, the Developing Brain, and Mental Health. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:223-232. [PMID: 35911498 PMCID: PMC9337627 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
While life in urban environments may confer a number of benefits, it may also result in a variety of exposures, with toxic consequences for neurodevelopment and neuropsychological health. Neurotoxicants are any of a large number of chemicals or substances that interfere with normal function and/or compromise adaptation in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. Evidence suggests that neurotoxicant effects have a greater effect when occurring in utero and during early childhood. Recent findings exploring neural-level mechanisms provide a crucial opportunity to explore the ways in which environmental conditions may get "under the skin" to impact a number of psychological behaviors and cognitive processes, ultimately allowing for greater synergy between macro- and microlevel efforts to improve mental health in the presence of neurotoxicant exposures. In this review, we provide an overview of 3 types of neurotoxicants related to the built environment and relevant to brain development during childhood and adolescence: lead exposure, outdoor particulate matter pollution, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We also discuss mechanisms through which these neurotoxicants affect central nervous system function, including recent evidence from neuroimaging literature. Furthermore, we discuss neurotoxicants and mental health during development in the context of social determinants and how differences in the spatial distribution of neurotoxicant exposures result in health disparities that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations. Multifaceted approaches incorporating social systems and their effect on neurotoxicant exposures and downstream mental health will be key to reduce societal costs and improve quality of life for children, adolescents, and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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45
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Wei W, Yan Z, Liu X, Qin Z, Tao X, Zhu X, Song E, Chen C, Ke PC, Leong DT, Song Y. Brain Accumulation and Toxicity Profiles of Silica Nanoparticles: The Influence of Size and Exposure Route. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8319-8325. [PMID: 35576522 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) can make their way to the brain and cause in situ damage, which is a concern for nanomaterial application and airborne particulate matter exposure. Our recent study indicated that respiratory exposure to silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) caused unexpected cardiovascular toxic effects. However, the toxicities of SiO2 NPs in other organs have warranted further investigation. To confirm the accumulation of SiO2 NPs in the brain, we introduced SiO2 NPs with different diameters into mice via intranasal instillation (INI) and intravenous injection (IVI) in parallel. We found that SiO2 NPs may target the brain through both olfactory and systemic routes, but the size of SiO2 NPs and delivery routes both significantly affected their brain accumulation. Surprisingly, while equivalent SiO2 NPs were found in the brain regions, brain lesions were distinctly much higher in INI than in the IVI group. Mechanistically, we showed that SiO2 NPs introduced via INI induced brain apoptosis and autophagy, while the SiO2 NPs introduced via IVI only induced autophagy in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xuting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Zongming Qin
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaoqi Tao
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaokang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Erqun Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chunying Chen
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience and CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China
- Research Unit of Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Pu Chun Ke
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
- Nanomedicine Center, The GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, 136 Kaiyuan Avenue, Guangzhou 510700, China
| | - David Tai Leong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Yang Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
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Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Ayala A. Air Pollution, Ultrafine Particles, and Your Brain: Are Combustion Nanoparticle Emissions and Engineered Nanoparticles Causing Preventable Fatal Neurodegenerative Diseases and Common Neuropsychiatric Outcomes? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:6847-6856. [PMID: 35193357 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution damages the human brain. Fossil fuel burning for transportation energy accounts for a significant fraction of urban air and climate pollution. While current United States (US) standards limit PM ambient concentrations and emissions, they do not regulate explicitly ultrafine particles (UFP ≤ 100 nm in diameter). There is a growing body of evidence suggesting UFP may play a bigger role inflicting adverse health impacts than has been recognized, and in this perspective, we highlight effects on the brain, particularly of young individuals. UFP penetrate the body through nasal/olfactory, respiratory, gastrointestinal, placenta, and brain-blood barriers, translocating in the bloodstream and reaching the glymphatic and central nervous systems. We discuss one case study. The 21.8 million residents in the Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC) are regularly exposed to fine PM (PM2.5) above the US 12 μg/m3 annual average standards. Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) pathologies and nanoparticles (NP ≤ 50 nm in diameter) in critical brain organelles have been documented in MMC children and young adult autopsies. MMC young residents have cognitive and olfaction deficits, altered gait and equilibrium, brainstem auditory evoked potentials, and sleep disorders. Higher risk of AD and vascular dementia associated with residency close to high traffic roadways have been documented. The US is not ready or prepared to adopt ambient air quality or emission standards for UFP and will continue to focus regulations only on the total mass of PM2.5 and PM10. Thus, this approach raises the question: are we dropping the ball? As research continues to answer the remaining questions about UFP sources, exposures, impacts, and controls, the precautionary principle should call us to accelerate and expand policy interventions to abate or eliminate UFP emissions and to mitigate UFP exposures. For residents of highly polluted cities, particularly in the developing world where there is likely older and dirtier vehicles, equipment, and fuels in use and less regulatory oversight, we should embark in a strong campaign to raise public awareness of the associations between high PM pollution, heavy traffic, UFP, NP, and neuropsychiatric outcomes, including dementia. Neurodegenerative diseases evolving from childhood in polluted, anthropogenic, and industrial environments ought to be preventable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas
- University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Universidad del Valle de México, 14370 Mexico City, México
| | - Alberto Ayala
- Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Sacramento, California 95814, United States
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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47
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Pérez-Crespo L, Kusters MSW, López-Vicente M, Lubczyńska MJ, Foraster M, White T, Hoek G, Tiemeier H, Muetzel RL, Guxens M. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution and noise during pregnancy and childhood, and functional brain connectivity in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 164:107275. [PMID: 35580436 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amount of people affected by traffic-related air pollution and noise is continuously increasing, but limited research has been conducted on the association between these environmental exposures and functional brain connectivity in children. OBJECTIVE This exploratory study aimed to analyze the associations between the exposure to traffic-related air pollution and noise during pregnancy and childhood, and functional brain connectivity amongst a wide-swath of brain areas in preadolescents from 9 to 12 years of age. METHODS We used data of 2,197 children from the Generation R Study. Land use regression models were applied to estimate nitrogen oxides and particulate matter levels at participant's homes for several time periods: pregnancy, birth to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and 6 years of age to the age at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment. Existing noise maps were used to estimate road traffic noise exposure at participant's homes for the same time periods. Resting-state functional MRI was obtained at 9-12 years of age. Pair-wise correlation coefficients of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals between 380 brain areas were calculated. Linear regressions were run and corrected for multiple testing. RESULTS Preadolescents exposed to higher levels of NO2, NOx, and PM2.5 absorbance, from birth to 3 years, and from 3 to 6 years of age showed higher correlation coefficients among several brain regions (e.g. from 0.16 to 0.19 higher correlation coefficient related to PM2.5 absorbance exposure, depending on the brain connection). Overall, most identified associations were between brain regions of the task positive and task negative networks, and were mainly inter-network (20 of 26). Slightly more than half of the connections were intra-hemispheric (14 of 26), predominantly in the right hemisphere. Road traffic noise was not associated with functional brain connectivity. CONCLUSIONS This exploratory study found that exposure to traffic-related air pollution during the first years of life was related to higher functional brain connectivity predominantly in brain areas located in the task positive and task negative networks, in preadolescents from 9 to 12 years of age. These results could be an indicator of differential functional connectivity in children exposed to higher levels of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pérez-Crespo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Michelle S W Kusters
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Mónica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Małgorzata J Lubczyńska
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Foraster
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; PHAGEX Research Group, Blanquerna School of Health Science, Universitat Ramon Lull (URL), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Boston, USA.
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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48
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Miller JG, Dennis EL, Heft-Neal S, Jo B, Gotlib IH. Fine Particulate Air Pollution, Early Life Stress, and Their Interactive Effects on Adolescent Structural Brain Development: A Longitudinal Tensor-Based Morphometry Study. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:2156-2169. [PMID: 34607342 PMCID: PMC9113318 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is a major environmental threat to public health; we know little, however, about its effects on adolescent brain development. Exposure to air pollution co-occurs, and may interact, with social factors that also affect brain development, such as early life stress (ELS). Here, we show that severity of ELS and fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) are associated with volumetric changes in distinct brain regions, but also uncover regions in which ELS moderates the effects of PM2.5. We interviewed adolescents about ELS events, used satellite-derived estimates of ambient PM2.5 concentrations, and conducted longitudinal tensor-based morphometry to assess regional changes in brain volume over an approximately 2-year period (N = 115, ages 9-13 years at Time 1). For adolescents who had experienced less severe ELS, PM2.5 was associated with volumetric changes across several gray and white matter regions. Fewer effects of PM2.5 were observed for adolescents who had experienced more severe ELS, although occasionally they were in the opposite direction. This pattern of results suggests that for many brain regions, moderate to severe ELS largely constrains the effects of PM2.5 on structural development. Further theory and research is needed on the joint effects of ELS and air pollution on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Emily L Dennis
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center for Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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49
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Margolis AE, Cohen JW, Ramphal B, Thomas L, Rauh V, Herbstman J, Pagliaccio D. Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Early Life Stress Effects on Hippocampal Subregional Volumes and Associations with Visual-Spatial Reasoning. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:292-300. [PMID: 35978944 PMCID: PMC9380862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Children from economically distressed families and neighborhoods are at risk for stress and pollution exposure and potential neurotoxic sequelae. We examine dimensions of early-life stress affecting hippocampal volumes, how prenatal exposure to air pollution might magnify these effects, and associations between hippocampal volumes and visuospatial reasoning. Methods Fifty-three Hispanic/Latinx and/or Black children of ages 7 to 9 years were recruited from a longitudinal birth cohort for magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive assessment. Exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was measured during the third trimester of pregnancy. Maternal report of psychosocial stress was collected at child age 5 and served as measures of early-life stress. Whole hippocampus and subfield volumes were extracted using FreeSurfer. Wechsler performance IQ measured visuospatial reasoning. Results Maternal perceived stress associated with smaller right hippocampal volume among their children (B = −0.57, t34 = −3.05, 95% CI, −0.95 to −0.19). Prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon moderated the association between maternal perceived stress and right CA1, CA3, and CA4/dentate gyrus volumes (B ≥ 0.68, t33 ≥ 2.17) such that higher prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure magnified negative associations between stress and volume, whereas this was buffered at lower exposure. Right CA3 and CA4/dentate gyrus volumes (B ≥ 0.35, t33 > 2.16) were associated with greater performance IQ. Conclusions Prenatal and early-life exposures to chemical and social stressors are likely compounding. Socioeconomic deprivation and disparities increase risk of these exposures that exert critical neurobiological effects. Developing deeper understandings of these complex interactions will facilitate more focused public health strategies to protect and foster the development of children at greatest risk of mental and physical effects associated with poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Margolis
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Address correspondence to Amy Margolis, Ph.D.
| | - Jacob W. Cohen
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Bruce Ramphal
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Lauren Thomas
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - David Pagliaccio
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
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50
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Cecil KM. Pediatric Exposures to Neurotoxicants: A Review of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Findings. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12030641. [PMID: 35328193 PMCID: PMC8947432 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12030641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals, including lead and manganese, air pollution, pesticides, environmental tobacco smoke, and flame retardants are among the known and suspected environmental neurotoxicant exposures examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based studies of pediatric populations. Many studies feature morphological changes associated with the exposures while others employ magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion imaging, task-based, and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to reveal abnormal metabolic concentrations, white matter disorganization, and atypical patterns of activation. Some studies follow pregnant women and their offspring throughout the lifespan with collection of individual specimens as exposure biomarkers. Others innovatively make use of public databases to obtain relevant exposure biomarkers while taking advantage of these studies in their efforts to monitor developmental features in large, population-based, imaging cohorts. As exposures to neurotoxicants in the womb and throughout childhood have life-long impacts on health and well-being, the importance of these innovative neuroimaging investigations is ever increasing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M Cecil
- Departments of Radiology and Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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