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Cortez-Lugo M, Huanca-Laura LX, Hernández-Bonilla D, Alamo-Hernández U, Montes S, García-Feregrino R, Velázquez S, Tristán-López LA. Impact of Cognitive Intervention on Neurocognitive Development of Schoolchildren Exposed to Lead in a Semi-Urban Community in Mexico. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE 2025; 31:65-74. [PMID: 38985527 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000001996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Lead exposure is a severe public health issue that can adversely affect children's neurocognitive development. A semi-urban community in Mexico has been exposed to lead from food cooked in glazed clay pots. A cognitive intervention was conducted from 2015 to 2016 to minimize this negative impact. This intervention aimed to improve the neurocognitive development of the affected children. METHODS A quasi-experimental study with a control group was conducted in children aged 7 to 12 years from 2 communities in Morelos, Mexico. Blood lead levels were determined, and the neurocognitive function was assessed pre- and postintervention with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and Children's Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2. A cognitive intervention was conducted at the school. The difference-in-differences method adjusted for variables known as priori and evaluated the impact of cognitive intervention. RESULTS The differences-in-differences models indicated a significant average increase in scores on the Verbal Comprehension Index (9.58 points), Processing Speed Index (5.33 points), intelligence quotient (5.63 points) level of learning (7.66 points), interference trial (10.12 points), immediate memory span (7.98 points), and recognition accuracy (1.18 points) subtests after the cognitive intervention. CONCLUSION The results suggest that cognitive intervention improves neurocognitive development in schoolchildren exposed to Pb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Cortez-Lugo
- Author Affiliations: National Institute of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico (Dr Cortez-Lugo); Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivian Institute of High-Altitude Biology, La Paz, Bolivia (Ms Huanca-Laura); Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico (Dr Hernández-Bonilla and Ms Alamo-Hernández); Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa-Aztlán, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico (Dr Montes); National Institute of Public Health, Center for Research in Evaluation and Surveys, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico (Ms García-Feregrino); National Institute of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico (Ms Velázquez); and National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Neurochemistry Department, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico (Dr Tristán-López)
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Dai Y, Halabicky OM, Ji X, Liu J. Childhood lead exposure and sleep problems in adolescents: a longitudinal cohort study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2024; 97:959-970. [PMID: 39277560 PMCID: PMC11561101 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-024-02099-3] [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: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Childhood lead exposure is linked to poorer neurobehavioral function in adolescence, but the relationship between lead and adolescent sleep health remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate concurrent and longitudinal associations between lead exposure and multiple sleep health domains in adolescents. METHODS A total of 972 adolescents from China Jintan Child Cohort were included in analyses. The Blood lead levels (BLLs) were assessed in two Waves, at ages 3-5 years (mean 6.50 ± 2.76 μg/dL) and 11-13 years (mean 3.12 ± 1.17 μg/dL). Sleep problems at age 11-13 were parent-reported via the Child Sleep Health Questionnaire (CSHQ) and self-reported by adolescents using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS Both early and later BLLs were associated positively with parental reported sleep problems, including sleep onset delay, night waking, short duration, parasomnias, and disordered breathing. Sex-stratified analyzes showed that most adjusted associations between two-Wave BLLs and sleep outcomes (CSHQ and PSQI) remained statistically significant in males, with a minor increase in the magnitude of these associations. The association between Wave II BLLs and shorter self-reported sleep duration was only statistically significant in female adolescents. Compared to children with consistently low BLLs at both ages, those with persistently high BLLs at both ages had significantly shorter parental-reported sleep duration and worse sleep onset delay. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that both early and later childhood lead exposures link to more adolescent sleep problems, with recent BLLs showing stronger associations with poor adolescent sleep health reported by their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Dai
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 418 Curie Blvd., Room 426, Claire M. Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6096, USA
| | | | - Xiaopeng Ji
- School of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
| | - Jianghong Liu
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 418 Curie Blvd., Room 426, Claire M. Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6096, USA.
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Pennington AF, Smith MR, Chuke SO, Cornwell CR, Allwood PB, Courtney JG. Effects of Blood Lead Levels <10 µg/dL in School-Age Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Pediatrics 2024; 154:e2024067808F. [PMID: 39352036 PMCID: PMC11610497 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-067808f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Lead exposures among school-age children are a major public health issue. Although the harmful effects of lead exposure during the first years of life are well known, there is not as much understanding of the effects of low levels of lead exposure during later childhood. OBJECTIVES To review the effects of blood lead levels (BLLs) <10 µg/dL in school-age children and adolescents. DATA SOURCES We searched Medline, Embase, Global health, CINAHL, Scopus, and Environmental Science Collection databases between January 1, 2000, and May 11, 2023. STUDY SELECTION We included peer-reviewed English-language articles that presented data on the effects of BLLs <10 µg/dL in individuals ages 5 through 18 years. DATA EXTRACTION Data on country, population, analytic design, sample size, age, BLLs, outcomes, covariates, and results were extracted. RESULTS Overall, 115 of 3180 screened articles met the inclusion criteria. The reported mean or median BLL was <5 µg/dL in 98 articles (85%). Of the included articles, 89 (77%) presented some evidence of an association between BLLs <10 µg/dL during school age and detrimental outcomes in a wide range of categories. The strongest evidence of an association was for the outcomes of intelligence quotient and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnoses or behaviors. LIMITATIONS Few articles controlled for BLLs at age <5 years, limiting conclusions about the relation between later BLLs and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS BLLs <10 µg/dL in school-age children and adolescents may be associated with negative outcomes. This review highlights areas that could benefit from additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey F. Pennington
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Madison R. Smith
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Stella O. Chuke
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Cheryl R. Cornwell
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Paul B. Allwood
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Joseph G. Courtney
- Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
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Halabicky OM, Téllez-Rojo MM, Goodrich JM, Dolinoy DC, Mercado-García A, Hu H, Peterson KE. Prenatal and childhood lead exposure is prospectively associated with biological markers of aging in adolescence. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169757. [PMID: 38176546 PMCID: PMC10823594 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169757] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Few studies have related early life lead exposure to adolescent biological aging, a period characterized by marked increases in maturational tempo. We examined associations between prenatal and childhood lead exposure and adolescent biological age (mean 14.5 years) utilizing multiple epigenetic clocks including: intrinsic (IEAA), extrinsic (EEAA), Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Skin-Blood, Wu, PedBE, as well as DNA methylation derived telomere length (DNAmTL). Epigenetic clocks and DNAmTL were calculated via adolescent blood DNA methylation measured by Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips. We constructed general linear models (GLMs) with individual lead measures predicting biological age. We additionally examined sex-stratified models and lead by sex interactions, adjusting for adolescent age and lead levels, maternal smoking and education, and proportion of cell types. We also estimated effects of lead exposure on biological age using generalized estimating equations (GEE). First trimester blood lead was positively associated with a 0.14 increase in EEAA age in the GLMs though not the GEE models (95%CI 0.03, 0.25). First and 2nd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.02 year increase in PedBE age in GLM and GEE models (1st trimester, 95%CI 0.004, 0.03; 2nd trimester, 95%CI 0.01, 0.03). Third trimester and 24 month blood lead levels were associated with a -0.06 and -0.05 decrease in Skin-Blood age, respectively, in GLM models. Additionally, 3rd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.08 year decrease in Hannum age in GLM and GEE models (95%CI -0.15, -0.01). There were multiple significant results in sex-stratified models and significant lead by sex interactions, where males experienced accelerated biological age, compared to females who saw a decelerated biological age, with respect to IEAA, EEAA, Horvath, Hannum, and PedBE clocks. Further research is needed to understand sex-specific relationships between lead exposure and measures of biological aging in adolescence and the trajectory of biological aging into young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- O M Halabicky
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - M M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - J M Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - D C Dolinoy
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - A Mercado-García
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - H Hu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - K E Peterson
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Mei Z, Liu G, Zhao B, He Z, Gu S. Emerging roles of epigenetics in lead-induced neurotoxicity. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 181:108253. [PMID: 37864902 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Lead is a common environmental heavy metal contaminant. Humans are highly susceptible to lead accumulation in the body, which causes nervous system damage and leads to a variety of nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and autism spectrum disorder. Recent research has focused on the mechanisms of lead-induced neurotoxicity at multiple levels, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, which are involved in various lead-induced nervous system diseases. We reviewed the latest articles and summarised the emerging roles of DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs in lead-induced neurotoxicity. Our summary provides a theoretical basis and directions for future research on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lead-induced neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongqin Mei
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Dali University, No. 22, Wanhua Road, Dali, Yunnan 671000, People's Republic of China
| | - Guofen Liu
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Dali University, No. 22, Wanhua Road, Dali, Yunnan 671000, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Zhao
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Dali University, No. 22, Wanhua Road, Dali, Yunnan 671000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zuoshun He
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Dali University, No. 22, Wanhua Road, Dali, Yunnan 671000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shiyan Gu
- Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Dali University, No. 22, Wanhua Road, Dali, Yunnan 671000, People's Republic of China.
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