1
|
Yan Y, Yang Z, Chen L. High-quality models for assessing the effects of environmental pollutants on the nervous system: 3D brain organoids. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 284:116876. [PMID: 39146594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The prevalence of environmental problems and the increasing risk of human exposure to environmental pollutants have become a global concern. The increasing environmental pollution is one of the main reasons for the rising incidence of most neurological-related diseases in recent years. However, the ethical constraints of direct human research and the racial limitations of animal models have slowed the progress of research in this area. The purpose of this study is to review the neurotoxicity of different environmental pollutants on the brain using brain organoids as a new model and to conclude that brain organoids may play a key role in assessing the mechanisms by which environmental pollutants affect neurogenesis and cause neurological pathogenesis. To accurately determine the negative effects of environmental pollutants on the nervous system, self-organizing brain organoids that are highly similar to the developing brain have become a new model system for studying the effects of environmental pollutants on human brain development and disease. This study uses brain organoids as a model to summarize the neurotoxicity of different environmental pollutants on the nervous system, including structural changes in brain organoids, inhibition of neuronal differentiation and migration, impairment of mitochondrial function, damage to cellular cilia, and influence on signaling pathways. In conclusion, exposure to environmental pollutants may cause different neurotoxicity to the nervous system. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to use brain organoids to ameliorate neurological disorders caused by environmental pollution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yan
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ziye Yang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Liqun Chen
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lin YC, Fan KC, Wu CD, Pan WC, Chen JC, Chao YP, Lai YJ, Chiu YL, Chuang YF. Yearly change in air pollution and brain aging among older adults: A community-based study in Taiwan. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 190:108876. [PMID: 39002330 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, and recent evidence suggests that improving air quality could attenuate cognitive decline and reduce dementia risk. However, studies have yet to explore the effects of improved air quality on brain structures. This study aims to investigate the impact of air pollution reduction on cognitive functions and structural brain differences among cognitively normal older adults. METHODS Four hundred and thirty-one cognitively normal older adults were from the Epidemiology of Mild Cognitive Impairment study in Taiwan (EMCIT), a community-based cohort of adults aged 60 and older, between year 2017- 2021. Annual concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, O3, and PM10 at participants' residential addresses during the 10 years before enrollment were estimated using ensemble mixed spatial models. The yearly rate of change (slope) in air pollutants was estimated for each participant. Cognitive functions and structural brain images were collected during enrollment. The relationships between the rate of air pollution change and cognitive functions were examined using linear regression models. For air pollutants with significant findings in relation to cognitive function, we further explored the association with brain structure. RESULTS Overall, all pollutant concentrations, except O3, decreased over the 10-year period. The yearly rates of change (slopes) in PM2.5 and NO2 were correlated with better attention (PM2.5: r = -0.1, p = 0.047; NO2: r = -0.1, p = 0.03) and higher white matter integrity in several brain regions. These regions included anterior thalamic radiation, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. CONCLUSIONS Greater rate of reduction in air pollution was associated with better attention and attention-related white matter integrity. These results provide insight into the mechanism underlying the relationship between air pollution, brain health, and cognitive aging among older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Cen Lin
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Chen Fan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Koahsiung Medical University, Koahsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chi Pan
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Departments of Population & Public Health Sciences and Neurology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yi-Ping Chao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Jun Lai
- Division of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ling Chiu
- Department of Medical Research, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Program in Biomedical Informatics and Graduate Institute of Medicine, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Fang Chuang
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Health Program, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan; Health Innovation Center, National Yang Ming Chao Tung Univeristy, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cotter DL, Morrel J, Sukumaran K, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Schwartz J, Herting MM. Prenatal and childhood air pollution exposure, cellular immune biomarkers, and brain connectivity in early adolescents. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100799. [PMID: 39021436 PMCID: PMC11252082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100799] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ambient air pollution is a neurotoxicant with hypothesized immune-related mechanisms. Adolescent brain structural and functional connectivity may be especially vulnerable to ambient pollution due to the refinement of large-scale brain networks during this period, which vary by sex and have important implications for cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. In the current study we explored associations between air pollutants, immune markers, and structural and functional connectivity in early adolescence by leveraging cross-sectional sex-stratified data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ Study®. Methods Pollutant concentrations of fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone were assigned to each child's primary residential address during the prenatal period and childhood (9-10 years-old) using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Data collected at 11-13 years-old included resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode, frontoparietal, and salience networks and limbic regions of interest, intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion of available white matter tracts, and markers of cellular immune activation. Using partial least squares correlation, a multivariate data-driven method that identifies important variables within latent dimensions, we investigated associations between 1) pollutants and structural and functional connectivity, 2) pollutants and immune markers, and 3) immune markers and structural and functional connectivity, in each sex separately. Results Air pollution exposure was related to white matter intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion at ages 11-13 years, but the direction of associations varied by sex. There were no associations between pollutants and resting-state functional connectivity at ages 11-13 years. Childhood exposure to nitrogen dioxide was negatively correlated with white blood cell count in males. Immune biomarkers were positively correlated with white matter intracellular directional diffusion in females and both white matter intracellular directional and isotropic diffusion in males. Lastly, there was a reliable negative correlation between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and default mode network resting-state functional connectivity in females, as well as a compromised immune marker profile associated with lower resting-state functional connectivity between the salience network and the left hippocampus in males. In post-hoc exploratory analyses, we found that the PLSC-identified white matter tracts and resting-state networks related to processing speed and cognitive control performance from the NIH Toolbox. Conclusions We identified novel links between childhood nitrogen dioxide and cellular immune activation in males, and brain network connectivity and immune markers in both sexes. Future research should explore the potentially mediating role of immune activity in how pollutants affect neurological outcomes as well as the potential consequences of immune-related patterns of brain connectivity in service of improved brain health for all.
Collapse
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
| | - Jessica Morrel
- 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
| | - Kirthana Sukumaran
- 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
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 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
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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.
Collapse
|
8
|
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 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02557-x. [PMID: 38658771 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02557-x] [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: 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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Buthmann JL, Uy JP, Miller JG, Yuan JP, Coury SM, Ho TC, Gotlib IH. Neighborhood disadvantage and parenting predict longitudinal clustering of uncinate fasciculus microstructural integrity and clinical symptomatology in adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101368. [PMID: 38547783 PMCID: PMC11056613 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101368] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Parenting behaviors and neighborhood environment influence the development of adolescents' brains and behaviors. Simultaneous trajectories of brain and behavior, however, are understudied, especially in these environmental contexts. In this four-wave study spanning 9-18 years of age (N=224 at baseline, N=138 at final assessment) we used longitudinal k-means clustering to identify clusters of participants with distinct trajectories of uncinate fasciculus (UF) fractional anisotropy (FA) and anxiety symptoms; we examined behavioral outcomes and identified environmental factors that predicted cluster membership. We identified three clusters of participants: 1) high UF FA and low symptoms ("low-risk"); 2) low UF FA and high symptoms ("high-risk"); and 3) low UF FA and low symptoms ("resilient"). Adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to be in the resilient than high-risk cluster if they also experienced maternal warmth. Thus, neighborhood disadvantage may confer neural risk for psychopathology that can be buffered by maternal warmth, highlighting the importance of considering multiple environmental influences in understanding emotional and neural development in youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J L Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - J P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - J P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - S M Coury
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - I H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang J, Chen Z, Shan D, Wu Y, Zhao Y, Li C, Shu Y, Linghu X, Wang B. Adverse effects of exposure to fine particles and ultrafine particles in the environment on different organs of organisms. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 135:449-473. [PMID: 37778818 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Particulate pollution is a global risk factor that seriously threatens human health. Fine particles (FPs) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) have small particle diameters and large specific surface areas, which can easily adsorb metals, microorganisms and other pollutants. FPs and UFPs can enter the human body in multiple ways and can be easily and quickly absorbed by the cells, tissues and organs. In the body, the particles can induce oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis, furthermore causing great adverse effects. Epidemiological studies mainly take the population as the research object to study the distribution of diseases and health conditions in a specific population and to focus on the identification of influencing factors. However, the mechanism by which a substance harms the health of organisms is mainly demonstrated through toxicological studies. Combining epidemiological studies with toxicological studies will provide a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the impact of PM on the health of organisms. In this review, the sources, compositions, and morphologies of FPs and UFPs are briefly introduced in the first part. The effects and action mechanisms of exposure to FPs and UFPs on the heart, lungs, brain, liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, joints and reproductive system are systematically summarized. In addition, challenges are further pointed out at the end of the paper. This work provides useful theoretical guidance and a strong experimental foundation for investigating and preventing the adverse effects of FPs and UFPs on human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Dan Shan
- Department of Medical, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300041, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preventive Medicine Education (Tianjin Medical University), Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yue Shu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaoyu Linghu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Baiqi Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin 300070, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preventive Medicine Education (Tianjin Medical University), Tianjin 300070, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
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.
Collapse
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
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
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.
Collapse
|
14
|
Ter Borg S, Koopman N, Verkaik-Kloosterman J. An Evaluation of Food and Nutrient Intake among Pregnant Women in The Netherlands: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2023; 15:3071. [PMID: 37447397 DOI: 10.3390/nu15133071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the health of the (unborn) child. This systematic review provides an updated overview of the available food and nutrient intake data for pregnant women in The Netherlands and an evaluation based on the current recommendations. Embase, MEDLINE, and national institute databases were used. Articles were selected if they had been published since 2008 and contained data on food consumption, nutrient intake, or the status of healthy pregnant women. A qualitative comparison was made with the 2021 Dutch Health Council recommendations and reference values. A total of 218 reports were included, representing 54 individual studies. Dietary assessments were primarily performed via food frequency questionnaires. Protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and magnesium intakes seemed to be adequate. For folate and vitamin D, supplements were needed to reach the recommended intake. The reasons for concern are the low intakes of fruits, vegetables, and (fatty) fish, and the intakes of alcohol, sugary drinks, and salt. For several foods and nutrients, no or limited intake data were found. High-quality, representative, and recent data are needed to evaluate the nutrient intake of pregnant women in order to make accurate assessments and evaluations, supporting scientific-based advice and national nutritional policies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sovianne Ter Borg
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3721 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Nynke Koopman
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3721 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cotter DL, Campbell CE, Sukumaran K, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman DA, Ahmadi H, Chen JC, Herting MM. Effects of ambient fine particulates, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone on maturation of functional brain networks across early adolescence. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 177:108001. [PMID: 37307604 PMCID: PMC10353545 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is linked to neurodevelopmental delays, but its association with longitudinal changes in brain network development has yet to be investigated. We aimed to characterize the effect of PM2.5, O3, and NO2 exposure at ages 9-10 years on changes in functional connectivity (FC) over a 2-year follow-up period, with a focus on the salience (SN), frontoparietal (FPN), and default-mode (DMN) brain networks as well as the amygdala and hippocampus given their importance in emotional and cognitive functioning. METHODS A sample of children (N = 9,497; with 1-2 scans each for a total of 13,824 scans; 45.6% with two brain scans) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® were included. Annual averages of pollutant concentrations were assigned to the child's primary residential address using an ensemble-based exposure modeling approach. Resting-state functional MRI was collected on 3T MRI scanners. First, developmental linear mixed-effect models were performed to characterize typical FC development within our sample. Next, single- and multi-pollutant linear mixed-effect models were constructed to examine the association between exposure and intra-network, inter-network, and subcortical-to-network FC change over time, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, income, parental education, handedness, scanner type, and motion. RESULTS Developmental profiles of FC over the 2-year follow-up included intra-network integration within the DMN and FPN as well as inter-network integration between the SN-FPN; along with intra-network segregation in the SN as well as subcortical-to-network segregation more broadly. Higher PM2.5 exposure resulted in greater inter-network and subcortical-to-network FC over time. In contrast, higher O3 concentrations resulted in greater intra-network, but less subcortical-to-network FC over time. Lastly, higher NO2 exposure led to less inter-network and subcortical-to-network FC over the 2-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION Taken together, PM2.5, O3, and NO2 exposure in childhood relate to distinct changes in patterns of network maturation over time. This is the first study to show outdoor ambient air pollution during childhood is linked to longitudinal changes in brain network connectivity development.
Collapse
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
| | - Claire E Campbell
- 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
| | - Kirthana Sukumaran
- 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
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, 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.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Grossklaus R, Liesenkötter KP, Doubek K, Völzke H, Gaertner R. Iodine Deficiency, Maternal Hypothyroxinemia and Endocrine Disrupters Affecting Fetal Brain Development: A Scoping Review. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15102249. [PMID: 37242131 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This scoping review critically discusses the publications of the last 30 years on the impact of mild to moderate iodine deficiency and the additional impact of endocrine disrupters during pregnancy on embryonal/fetal brain development. An asymptomatic mild to moderate iodine deficiency and/or isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia might affect the development of the embryonal/fetal brain. There is sufficient evidence underlining the importance of an adequate iodine supply for all women of childbearing age in order to prevent negative mental and social consequences for their children. An additional threat to the thyroid hormone system is the ubiquitous exposure to endocrine disrupters, which might exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency in pregnant women on the neurocognitive development of their offspring. Ensuring adequate iodine intake is therefore essential not only for healthy fetal and neonatal development in general, but it might also extenuate the effects of endocrine disruptors. Individual iodine supplementation of women of childbearing age living in areas with mild to moderate iodine deficiency is mandatory as long as worldwide universal salt iodization does not guarantee an adequate iodine supply. There is an urgent need for detailed strategies to identify and reduce exposure to endocrine disrupters according to the "precautional principle".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Grossklaus
- Department of Food Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, D-10589 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Klaus Doubek
- Professional Association of Gynecologists, D-80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Henry Völzke
- Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, D-17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Roland Gaertner
- Medical Clinic IV, University of Munich, D-80336 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wiegersma AM, Boots A, Langendam MW, Limpens J, Shenkin SD, Korosi A, Roseboom TJ, de Rooij SR. Do prenatal factors shape the risk for dementia?: A systematic review of the epidemiological evidence for the prenatal origins of dementia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023:10.1007/s00127-023-02471-7. [PMID: 37029828 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02471-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Prenatal factors such as maternal stress, infection and nutrition affect fetal brain development and may also influence later risk for dementia. The purpose of this systematic review was to provide an overview of all studies which investigated the association between prenatal factors and later risk for dementia. METHODS We systematically searched MEDLINE and Embase for original human studies reporting on associations between prenatal factors and dementia from inception to 23 November 2022. Prenatal factors could be any factor assessed during pregnancy, at birth or postnatally, provided they were indicative of a prenatal exposure. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. We followed PRISMA guidelines for reporting. RESULTS A total of 68 studies met eligibility criteria (including millions of individuals), assessing maternal age (N = 30), paternal age (N = 22), birth order (N = 15), season of birth (N = 16), place of birth (N = 13), prenatal influenza pandemic (N = 1) or Chinese famine exposure (N = 1), birth characteristics (N = 3) and prenatal hormone exposure (N = 4). We observed consistent results for birth in a generally less optimal environment (e.g. high infant mortality area) being associated with higher dementia risk. Lower and higher birth weight and prenatal famine exposure were associated with higher dementia risk. The studies on season of birth, digit ratio, prenatal influenza pandemic exposure, parental age and birth order showed inconsistent results and were hampered by relatively high risk of bias. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that some prenatal factors, especially those related to a suboptimal prenatal environment, are associated with an increased dementia risk. As these associations may be confounded by factors such as parental socioeconomic status, more research is needed to examine the potential causal role of the prenatal environment in dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aline Marileen Wiegersma
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Aging & Later Life, Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Amber Boots
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Aging & Later Life, Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda W Langendam
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Methodology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline Limpens
- Medical Library, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susan D Shenkin
- Geriatric Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Aging & Later Life, Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Aging & Later Life, Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Holm SM, Balmes JR, Gunier RB, Kogut K, Harley KG, Eskenazi B. Cognitive Development and Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure in the CHAMACOS Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:37007. [PMID: 36913239 PMCID: PMC10010399 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because fine particulate matter [PM, with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5)] is a ubiquitous environmental exposure, small changes in cognition associated with PM2.5 exposure could have great societal costs. Prior studies have demonstrated a relationship between in utero PM2.5 exposure and cognitive development in urban populations, but it is not known whether these effects are similar in rural populations and whether they persist into late childhood. OBJECTIVES In this study, we tested for associations between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and both full-scale and subscale measures of IQ among a longitudinal cohort at age 10.5 y. METHODS This analysis used data from 568 children enrolled in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS), a birth cohort study in California's agricultural Salinas Valley. Exposures were estimated at residential addresses during pregnancy using state of the art, modeled PM2.5 surfaces. IQ testing was performed by bilingual psychometricians in the dominant language of the child. RESULTS A 3-μg/m3 higher average PM2.5 over pregnancy was associated with -1.79 full-scale IQ points [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.98, -0.58], with decrements specifically in Working Memory IQ (WMIQ) and Processing Speed IQ (PSIQ) subscales [WMIQ -1.72 (95% CI: -2.98, -0.45) and PSIQ -1.19 (95% CI: -2.54, 0.16)]. Flexible modeling over the course of pregnancy illustrated mid-to-late pregnancy (months 5-7) as particularly susceptible times, with sex differences in the timing of susceptible windows and in which subscales were most affected [Verbal Comprehension IQ (VCIQ) and WMIQ in males; and PSIQ in females]. DISCUSSION We found that small increases in outdoor PM2.5 exposure in utero were associated with slightly lower IQ in late childhood, robust to many sensitivity analyses. In this cohort there was a larger effect of PM2.5 on childhood IQ than has previously been observed, perhaps due to differences in PM composition or because developmental disruption could alter the cognitive trajectory and thus appear more pronounced as children get older. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10812.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Holm
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco San Francisco, California, USA
| | - John R. Balmes
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Robert B. Gunier
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Katherine Kogut
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Kim G. Harley
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Essers E, Binter AC, Neumann A, White T, Alemany S, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood, APOE ε4 status and Alzheimer polygenic risk score, and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114595. [PMID: 36257450 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114595] [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: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is associated with impaired neurodevelopment, altered structural brain morphology in children, and neurodegenerative disorders. Differential susceptibility to air pollution may be influenced by genetic features. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype or the polygenic risk score (PRS) for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) modify the association between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood and structural brain morphology in preadolescents. METHODS We included 1186 children from the Generation R Study. Concentrations of fourteen air pollutants were calculated at participants' home addresses during pregnancy and childhood using land-use-regression models. Structural brain images were collected at age 9-12 years to assess cortical and subcortical brain volumes. APOE status and PRS for AD were examined as genetic modifiers. Linear regression models were used to conduct single-pollutant and multi-pollutant (using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition algorithm) analyses with a two-way interaction between air pollution and each genetic modifier. RESULTS Higher pregnancy coarse particulate matter (PMcoarse) and childhood polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure was differentially associated with larger cerebral white matter volume in APOE ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers (29,485 mm3 (95% CI 6,189; 52,781) and 18,663 mm3 (469; 36,856), respectively). Higher pregnancy PMcoarse exposure was differentially associated with larger cortical grey matter volume in children with higher compared to lower PRS for AD (19436 mm3 (825, 38,046)). DISCUSSION APOE status and PRS for AD possibly modify the association between air pollution exposure and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. Higher air pollution exposure is associated with larger cortical volumes in APOE ε4 carriers and children with a high PRS for AD. This is in line with typical brain development, suggesting an antagonistic pleiotropic effect of these genetic features (i.e., protective effect in early-life, but neurodegenerative effect in adulthood). However, we cannot discard chance findings. Future studies should evaluate trajectorial brain development using a longitudinal design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esmée Essers
- 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 Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anne-Claire Binter
- 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.
| | - Alexander Neumann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health, and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aaron Reuben
- Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Environmental neuroscience linking exposome to brain structure and function underlying cognition and behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:17-27. [PMID: 35790874 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01669-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in human brain structure, function, and behavior can be attributed to genetic variations, environmental exposures, and their interactions. Although genome-wide association studies have identified many genetic variants associated with brain imaging phenotypes, environmental exposures associated with these phenotypes remain largely unknown. Here, we propose that environmental neuroscience should pay more attention on exploring the associations between lifetime environmental exposures (exposome) and brain imaging phenotypes and identifying both cumulative environmental effects and their vulnerable age windows during the life course. Exposome-neuroimaging association studies face several challenges including the accurate measurement of the totality of environmental exposures varied in space and time, the highly correlated structure of the exposome, and the lack of standardized approaches for exposome-wide association studies. By agnostically scanning the effects of environmental exposures on brain imaging phenotypes and their interactions with genomic variations, exposome-neuroimaging association analyses will improve our understanding of causal factors associated with individual differences in brain structure and function as well as their relations with cognitive abilities and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
24
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
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: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kusters MSW, Essers E, Muetzel R, Ambrós A, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood, cognitive function, and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113891. [PMID: 35839913 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to air pollution may impact neurodevelopment during childhood, but current evidence on the association with cognitive function and mental health is inconclusive and primarily focusses on young children. Therefore, we aim to study the association of exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood, with cognitive function and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. METHODS We used data from 5170 participants of a birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Concentrations of fourteen air pollutants at participant's home addresses were estimated during pregnancy and childhood, using land use regression models. We included four cognitive domains (processing speed, working memory, fluid reasoning and verbal intelligence quotient (IQ)) and an estimated full-scale IQ. Internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems were self- and parent-reported. We used linear regression models to assess the association of each air pollutant, with cognitive function and emotional and behavioral problems, adjusting for socioeconomic status and lifestyle characteristics. Then, we performed multipollutant analyses using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition (DSA) algorithm. RESULTS Air pollution exposure was not associated with full-scale IQ, working memory, or processing speed. Higher exposure to few air pollutants was associated with higher fluid reasoning and verbal IQ scores (e.g. 0.22 points of fluid reasoning (95%CI 0.00; 0.44) per 1 μg/m3 increase in organic carbon during pregnancy). Higher exposure to some air pollutants was also associated with less internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems (e.g. -0.27 internalizing problems (95% CI -0.52; -0.02) per each 5 ng/m3 increase in copper during pregnancy). CONCLUSIONS Higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood was not associated with lower cognitive function or more emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Based on previous literature and biological plausibility, the observed protective associations are probably explained by negative residual confounding, selection bias, or chance and do not represent a causal relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- 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 Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esmée Essers
- 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 Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ryan Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert Ambrós
- 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
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, 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, 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 Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Peterson BS, Bansal R, Sawardekar S, Nati C, Elgabalawy ER, Hoepner LA, Garcia W, Hao X, Margolis A, Perera F, Rauh V. Prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with altered brain structure, function, and metabolism in childhood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1316-1331. [PMID: 35165899 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to air pollution disrupts cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. The brain disturbances associated with prenatal air pollution are largely unknown. METHODS In this prospective cohort study, we estimated prenatal exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and then assessed their associations with measures of brain anatomy, tissue microstructure, neurometabolites, and blood flow in 332 youth, 6-14 years old. We then assessed how those brain disturbances were associated with measures of intelligence, ADHD and anxiety symptoms, and socialization. RESULTS Both exposures were associated with thinning of dorsal parietal cortices and thickening of postero-inferior and mesial wall cortices. They were associated with smaller white matter volumes, reduced organization in white matter of the internal capsule and frontal lobe, higher metabolite concentrations in frontal cortex, reduced cortical blood flow, and greater microstructural organization in subcortical gray matter nuclei. Associations were stronger for PM2.5 in boys and PAH in girls. Youth with low exposure accounted for most significant associations of ADHD, anxiety, socialization, and intelligence measures with cortical thickness and white matter volumes, whereas it appears that high exposures generally disrupted these neurotypical brain-behavior associations, likely because strong exposure-related effects increased the variances of these brain measures. CONCLUSIONS The commonality of effects across exposures suggests PM2.5 and PAH disrupt brain development through one or more common molecular pathways, such as inflammation or oxidative stress. Progressively higher exposures were associated with greater disruptions in local volumes, tissue organization, metabolite concentrations, and blood flow throughout cortical and subcortical brain regions and the white matter pathways interconnecting them. Together these affected regions comprise cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits, which support the regulation of thought, emotion, and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Bansal
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Siddhant Sawardekar
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlo Nati
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eman R Elgabalawy
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lori A Hoepner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Wanda Garcia
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xuejun Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center & New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center & New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frederica Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, New York, NY, USA.,Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Fussell JC, Franklin M, Green DC, Gustafsson M, Harrison RM, Hicks W, Kelly FJ, Kishta F, Miller MR, Mudway IS, Oroumiyeh F, Selley L, Wang M, Zhu Y. A Review of Road Traffic-Derived Non-Exhaust Particles: Emissions, Physicochemical Characteristics, Health Risks, and Mitigation Measures. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:6813-6835. [PMID: 35612468 PMCID: PMC9178796 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of regulatory standards has reduced exhaust emissions of particulate matter from road traffic substantially in the developed world. However, nonexhaust particle emissions arising from the wear of brakes, tires, and the road surface, together with the resuspension of road dust, are unregulated and exceed exhaust emissions in many jurisdictions. While knowledge of the sources of nonexhaust particles is fairly good, source-specific measurements of airborne concentrations are few, and studies of the toxicology and epidemiology do not give a clear picture of the health risk posed. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge, with a strong focus on health-related research, highlighting areas where further research is an essential prerequisite for developing focused policy responses to nonexhaust particles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia C. Fussell
- National
Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental
Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Meredith Franklin
- Department
of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z5, Canada
| | - David C. Green
- National
Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental
Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Mats Gustafsson
- Swedish
National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), SE-581 95, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Roy M. Harrison
- School
of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, U.K.
- Department
of Environmental Sciences / Centre of Excellence in Environmental
Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - William Hicks
- National
Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental
Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Frank J. Kelly
- National
Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental
Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Franceska Kishta
- Centre
for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.
| | - Mark R. Miller
- Centre
for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.
| | - Ian S. Mudway
- National
Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental
Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Farzan Oroumiyeh
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School
of Public Health, University of California,
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Liza Selley
- MRC
Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Gleeson Building, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge,CB2 1QR, U.K.
| | - Meng Wang
- University
at Buffalo, School of Public
Health and Health Professions, Buffalo, New York 14214, United States
| | - Yifang Zhu
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School
of Public Health, University of California,
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [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.
Collapse
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
- Address correspondence to Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez, Ph.D.
| | - 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
- Megan M. Herting, Ph.D.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Burnor E, Cserbik D, Cotter DL, Palmer CE, Ahmadi H, Eckel SP, Berhane K, McConnell R, Chen JC, Schwartz J, Jackson R, Herting MM. Association of Outdoor Ambient Fine Particulate Matter With Intracellular White Matter Microstructural Properties Among Children. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2138300. [PMID: 34882178 PMCID: PMC8662373 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.38300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Outdoor particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) is a ubiquitous environmental neurotoxicant that may affect the developing brain. Little is known about associations between PM2.5 and white matter connectivity. Objectives To assess associations between annual residential PM2.5 exposure and white matter microstructure health in a US sample of children 9 to 10 years of age and to examine whether associations are specific to certain white matter pathways or vary across neuroimaging diffusion markers reflective of intracellular and extracellular microstructural processes. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study, the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, was composed of 21 study sites across the US and used baseline data collected from children 9 to 10 years of age from September 1, 2016, to October 15, 2018. Data analysis was performed from September 15, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Exposures Annual mean PM2.5 exposure estimated by ensemble-based models and assigned to the primary residential addresses at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and tractography were used to delineate white matter tracts. The biophysical modeling technique of restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) was implemented to examine total hindered diffusion and restricted isotropic and anisotropic intracellular diffusion in each tract. Hierarchical mixed-effects models with natural splines were used to analyze the associations between PM2.5 exposure and DWI. Results In a study population of 7602 children (mean [SD] age, 119.1 [7.42] months; 3955 [52.0%] female; 160 [ 21.%] Asian, 1025 [13.5%] Black, 1616 [21.3%] Hispanic, 4025 [52.9%] White, and 774 [10.2%] other [identified by parents as American Indian/Native American or Alaska Native; Native Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, other Pacific Islander; Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, or other Asian; or other race]), associations were seen between annual ambient PM2.5 and hemispheric differences in white matter microstructure. Hemisphere-stratified models revealed significant associations between PM2.5 exposure and restricted isotropic intracellular diffusion in the left cingulum, in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, and bilaterally in the fornix and uncinate fasciculus. In tracts with strong positive associations, a PM2.5 increase from 8 to 12 μg/m3 was associated with increases of 2.16% (95% CI, 0.49%-3.84%) in the left cingulum, 1.95% (95% CI, 0.43%-3.47%) in the left uncinate, and 1.68% (95% CI, 0.01%-3.34%) in the right uncinate. Widespread negative associations were observed between PM2.5 and mean diffusivity. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that annual mean PM2.5 exposure during childhood is associated with increased restricted isotropic diffusion and decreased mean diffusivity of specific white matter tracts, potentially reflecting differences in the composition of white matter microarchitecture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Dora Cserbik
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Devyn L. Cotter
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Clare E. Palmer
- Center for Human Development, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Sandrah P. Eckel
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Raymond Jackson
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
Pregnancy and early childhood are periods with high plasticity in neurological development. Environmental perturbations during these sensitive windows can have lifelong developmental consequences. This review summarizes key findings relevant to the effects of air pollution on neurological development. Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution, both during pregnancy and childhood, is associated with childhood developmental outcomes ranging from changes in brain structures to subclinical deficits in developmental test scores, and, ultimately, developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Although the biological mechanisms of effects remain to be elucidated, multiple pathways are probably involved and include oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or endocrine disruption. Given the alarming global increase in developmental disorders in recent years, and increased human exposures to pollution, it is critical to reduce personal and community-level exposures through tight collaboration of interdisciplinary and multi-level bodies including community partners, physicians, industry partners, policy makers, public health practitioners, and researchers. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Exposure to air pollution is associated with a range of childhood developmental complications. Biological mechanisms may include oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandie Ha
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Health Science Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Particulate Matter and Associated Metals: A Link with Neurotoxicity and Mental Health. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12040425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Particulate air pollution (PM) is a mixture of heterogenous components from natural and anthropogenic sources and contributes to a variety of serious illnesses, including neurological and behavioral effects, as well as millions of premature deaths. Ultrafine (PM0.1) and fine-size ambient particles (PM2.5) can enter the circulatory system and cross the blood–brain barrier or enter through the optic nerve, and then upregulate inflammatory markers and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain. Toxic and neurotoxic metals such as manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and barium (Ba) can adsorb to the PM surface and potentially contribute to the neurotoxic effects associated with PM exposure. Epidemiological studies have shown a negative relationship between exposure to PM-associated Mn and neurodevelopment amongst children, as well as impaired dexterity in the elderly. Inhaled PM-associated Cu has also been shown to impair motor performance and alter basal ganglia in schoolchildren. This paper provides a brief review of the epidemiological and toxicological studies published over the last five years concerning inhaled PM, PM-relevant metals, neurobiology, and mental health outcomes. Given the growing interest in mental health and the fact that 91% of the world’s population is considered to be exposed to unhealthy air, more research on PM and PM-associated metals and neurological health is needed for future policy decisions and strategic interventions to prevent public harm.
Collapse
|
34
|
Guillien A, Cadiou S, Slama R, Siroux V. The Exposome Approach to Decipher the Role of Multiple Environmental and Lifestyle Determinants in Asthma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:1138. [PMID: 33525356 PMCID: PMC7908097 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18031138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is a widespread respiratory disease caused by complex contribution from genetic, environmental and behavioral factors. For several decades, its sensitivity to environmental factors has been investigated in single exposure (or single family of exposures) studies, which might be a narrow approach to tackle the etiology of such a complex multifactorial disease. The emergence of the exposome concept, introduced by C. Wild (2005), offers an alternative to address exposure-health associations. After presenting an overview of the exposome concept, we discuss different statistical approaches used to study the exposome-health associations and review recent studies linking multiple families of exposures to asthma-related outcomes. The few studies published so far on the association between the exposome and asthma-related outcomes showed differences in terms of study design, population, exposome definition and statistical methods used, making their results difficult to compare. Regarding statistical methods, most studies applied successively univariate (Exposome-Wide Association Study (ExWAS)) and multivariate (adjusted for co-exposures) (e.g., Deletion-Substitution-Addition (DSA) algorithm) regression-based models. This latest approach makes it possible to assess associations between a large set of exposures and asthma outcomes. However, it cannot address complex interactions (i.e., of order ≥3) or mixture effects. Other approaches like cluster-based analyses, that lead to the identification of specific profiles of exposure at risk for the studied health-outcome, or mediation analyses, that allow the integration of information from intermediate biological layers, could offer a new avenue in the understanding of the environment-asthma association. European projects focusing on the exposome research have recently been launched and should provide new results to help fill the gap that currently exists in our understanding of the effect of environment on respiratory health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Guillien
- Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, IAB (Institute for Advanced Biosciences), University Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; (S.C.); (R.S.); (V.S.)
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Finch CE, Morgan TE. Developmental Exposure to Air Pollution, Cigarettes, and Lead: Implications for Brain Aging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-042320-044338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Brain development is impaired by maternal exposure to airborne toxins from ambient air pollution, cigarette smoke, and lead. Shared postnatal consequences include gray matter deficits and abnormal behaviors as well as elevated blood pressure. These unexpectedly broad convergences have implications for later life brain health because these same airborne toxins accelerate brain aging. Gene-environment interactions are shown for ApoE alleles that influence the risk of Alzheimer disease. The multigenerational trace of these toxins extends before fertilization because egg cells are formed in the grandmaternal uterus. The lineage and sex-specific effects of grandmaternal exposure to lead and cigarettes indicate epigenetic processes of relevance to future generations from our current and recent exposure to airborne toxins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caleb E. Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0191, USA;,
| | - Todd E. Morgan
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0191, USA;,
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
van den Dries MA, Lamballais S, El Marroun H, Pronk A, Spaan S, Ferguson KK, Longnecker MP, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides and brain morphology and white matter microstructure in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:110047. [PMID: 32805249 PMCID: PMC7657967 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides associate with impaired neurodevelopment in humans and animal models. However, much uncertainty exists about the brain structural alterations underlying these associations. The objective of this study was to determine whether maternal OP pesticide metabolite concentrations in urine repeatedly measured during gestation are associated with brain morphology and white matter microstructure in 518 preadolescents aged 9-12 years. METHOD Data came from 518 mother-child pairs participating in the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Maternal urine concentrations were determined for 6 dialkylphosphates (DAPs) including 3 dimethyl (DM) and 3 diethyl (DE) alkyl phosphate metabolites, collected at early, mid, and late pregnancy. At child's age 9-12 years, magnetic resonance imaging was performed to obtain T1-weighted images for brain volumes and surface-based cortical thickness and cortical surface area, and diffusion tensor imaging was used to measure white matter microstructure through fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Linear regression models were fit for the averaged prenatal exposure across pregnancy. RESULTS DM and DE metabolite concentrations were not associated with brain volumes, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area. However, a 10-fold increase in averaged DM metabolite concentrations across pregnancy was associated with lower FA (B = -1.00, 95%CI = -1.80, -0.20) and higher MD (B = 0.13, 95%CI = 0.04, 0.21). Similar associations were observed for DE concentrations. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first evidence that OP pesticides may alter normal white matter microstructure in children, which could have consequences for normal neurodevelopment. No associations were observed with structural brain morphology, including brain volumes, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michiel A van den Dries
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Generation R Study Group, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands
| | - Sander Lamballais
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Generation R Study Group, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Epidemiology, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Pediatrics, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA, the Netherlands
| | - Anjoeka Pronk
- Department of Risk Analysis for Products in Development, TNO, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Spaan
- Department of Risk Analysis for Products in Development, TNO, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
| | - Kelly K Ferguson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, North Carolina, NC, 27709, USA
| | | | - Henning Tiemeier
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, 3015 CN, the Netherlands; ISGlobal, Barcelona, 08003, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, 08002, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Haghani A, Johnson RG, Woodward NC, Feinberg JI, Lewis K, Ladd-Acosta C, Safi N, Jaffe AE, Sioutas C, Allayee H, Campbell DB, Volk HE, Finch CE, Morgan TE. Adult mouse hippocampal transcriptome changes associated with long-term behavioral and metabolic effects of gestational air pollution toxicity. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:218. [PMID: 32636363 PMCID: PMC7341755 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00907-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational exposure to air pollution increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder and cognitive impairments with unresolved molecular mechanisms. This study exposed C57BL/6J mice throughout gestation to urban-derived nanosized particulate matter (nPM). Young adult male and female offspring were studied for behavioral and metabolic changes using forced swim test, fat gain, glucose tolerance, and hippocampal transcriptome. Gestational nPM exposure caused increased depressive behaviors, decreased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, and increased glucose tolerance in adult male offspring. Both sexes gained fat and body weight. Gestational nPM exposure induced 29 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in adult hippocampus related to cytokine production, IL17a signaling, and dopamine degradation in both sexes. Stratification by sex showed twofold more DEGs in males than females (69 vs 37), as well as male-specific enrichment of DEGs mediating serotonin signaling, endocytosis, Gαi, and cAMP signaling. Gene co-expression analysis (WCGNA) identified a module of 43 genes with divergent responses to nPM between the sexes. Chronic changes in 14 DEGs (e.g., microRNA9-1) were associated with depressive behaviors, adiposity and glucose intolerance. These genes enriched neuroimmune pathways such as HMGB1 and TLR4. Based on cerebral cortex transcriptome data of neonates, we traced the initial nPM responses of HMGB1 pathway. In vitro, mixed glia responded to 24 h nPM with lower HMGB1 protein and increased proinflammatory cytokines. This response was ameliorated by TLR4 knockdown. In sum, we identified transcriptional changes that could be associated with air pollution-mediated behavioral and phenotypic changes. These identified genes merit further mechanistic studies for therapeutic intervention development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amin Haghani
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Richard G Johnson
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas C Woodward
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason I Feinberg
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristy Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nikoo Safi
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrew E Jaffe
- Lieber Institute of Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Constantinos Sioutas
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hooman Allayee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel B Campbell
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Heather E Volk
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Todd E Morgan
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|