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Kral TRA, Williams CY, Wylie AC, McLaughlin K, Stephens RL, Mills-Koonce WR, Birn RB, Propper CB, Short SJ. Intergenerational effects of racism on amygdala and hippocampus resting state functional connectivity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17034. [PMID: 39043776 PMCID: PMC11266580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66830-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Racism is an insidious problem with far-reaching effects on the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The pervasive negative impact of racism on mental health is well documented. However, less is known about the potential downstream impacts of maternal experiences of racism on offspring neurodevelopment. This study sought to examine evidence for a biological pathway of intergenerational transmission of racism-related trauma. This study examined the effects of self-reported maternal experiences of racism on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in n = 25 neonates (13 female, 12 male) birthed by BIPOC mothers. Amygdala and hippocampus are brain regions involved in fear, memory, and anxiety, and are central nodes in brain networks associated with trauma-related change. We used average scores on the Experiences of Racism Scale as a continuous, voxel-wise regressor in seed-based, whole-brain connectivity analysis of anatomically defined amygdala and hippocampus seed regions of interest. All analyses controlled for infant sex and gestational age at the 2-week scanning session. More maternal racism-related experiences were associated with (1) stronger right amygdala rsFC with visual cortex and thalamus; and (2) stronger hippocampus rsFC with visual cortex and a temporo-parietal network, in neonates. The results of this research have implications for understanding how maternal experiences of racism may alter neurodevelopment, and for related social policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T R A Kral
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - C Y Williams
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - A C Wylie
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - K McLaughlin
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - R L Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - W R Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - R B Birn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA
| | - C B Propper
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - S J Short
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, USA.
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Wylie AC, Short SJ, Fry RC, Mills-Koonce WR, Propper CB. Maternal prenatal lead levels and neonatal brain volumes: Testing moderations by maternal depressive symptoms and family income. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107322. [PMID: 38244816 PMCID: PMC10990786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107322] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
There is considerable evidence that prenatal lead exposure is detrimental to child cognitive and socio-emotional development. Further evidence suggests that the effects of prenatal lead on developmental outcomes may be conditional upon exposure to social stressors, such as maternal depression and low socioeconomic status. However, no studies have examined associations between these co-occurring stressors during pregnancy and neonatal brain volumes. Leveraging a sample of 101 mother-infant dyads followed beginning in mid-pregnancy, we examined the main effects of prenatal urinary lead levels on neonatal lateralized brain volumes (left and right hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, frontal lobes) and total gray matter. We additionally tested for moderations between lead and depressive symptoms and between lead and family income relative to the federal poverty level (FPL) on the same neurodevelopmental outcomes. Analyses of main effects indicated that prenatal lead was significantly (ps < 0.05) associated with reduced right and left amygdala volumes (βs = -0.23- -0.20). The testing and probing of cross-product interaction terms using simple slopes indicated that the negative effect of lead on the left amygdala was conditional upon mothers having low depressive symptoms or high income relative to the FPL. We interpret the results in the context of trajectories of prenatal and postnatal brain development and susceptibility to low levels of prenatal lead in the context of other social stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
| | - W Roger Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cathi B Propper
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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Bulik CM, Micali N, MacDermod CM, Qi B, Munn-Chernoff MA, Thornton LM, White J, Dinkler L, Pisetsky EM, Johnson J, Devine KR, Ortiz SN, Silverman AE, Berthold N, Dumain A, Guintivano J, Halvorsen M, Crowley JJ. ARFID Genes and Environment (ARFID-GEN): study protocol. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:863. [PMID: 37990202 PMCID: PMC10664384 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - Genes and Environment (ARFID-GEN) study is a study of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to risk for developing ARFID in children and adults. METHODS A total of 3,000 children and adults with ARFID from the United States will be included. Parents/guardians and their children with ARFID (ages 7 to 17) and adults with ARFID (ages 18 +) will complete comprehensive online consent, parent verification of child assent (when applicable), and phenotyping. Enrolled participants with ARFID will submit a saliva sample for genotyping. A genome-wide association study of ARFID will be conducted. DISCUSSION ARFID-GEN, a large-scale genetic study of ARFID, is designed to rapidly advance the study of the genetics of eating disorders. We will explicate the genetic architecture of ARFID relative to other eating disorders and to other psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and metabolic disorders and traits. Our goal is for ARFID to deliver "actionable" findings that can be transformed into clinically meaningful insights. TRIAL REGISTRATION ARFID-GEN is a registered clinical trial: clinicaltrials.gov NCT05605067.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Bulik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, PO Box 281, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, US.
| | - Nadia Micali
- Center for Eating and Feeding Disorders Research, Psychiatric Center Ballerup, Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark, Ballerup, Denmark
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Psykiatrisk Center Sct. Hans, Boserupvej 2, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
- Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Casey M MacDermod
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Baiyu Qi
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Melissa A Munn-Chernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Laura M Thornton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer White
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Lisa Dinkler
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, PO Box 281, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emily M Pisetsky
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Jessica Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Katelin R Devine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Shelby N Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ava E Silverman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063, USA
| | - Natasha Berthold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Alexis Dumain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, US
| | - Jerry Guintivano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Matthew Halvorsen
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - James J Crowley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Bulik CM, Micali N, MacDermod CM, Qi B, Munn-Chernoff MA, Thornton LM, White J, Dinkler L, Pisetsky EM, Johnson J, Devine KR, Ortiz SN, Silverman AE, Berthold N, Dumain A, Guintivano J, Halvorsen M, James J. Arfid Genes and Environment (ARFID-GEN): Study Protocol. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3186174. [PMID: 37693386 PMCID: PMC10491341 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3186174/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: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Background The Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Genes and Environment (ARFID-GEN) study is a study of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to risk for developing ARFID in children and adults. Methods A total of 3,000 children and adults with ARFID from the United States will be included. Parents/guardians and their children with ARFID (ages 7 to 17) and adults with ARFID (ages 18+) will complete comprehensive online consent, parent verification of child assent (when applicable), and phenotyping. Enrolled participants with ARFID will submit a saliva sample for genotyping. A genome-wide association study of ARFID will be conducted. Discussion ARFID-GEN, a large-scale genetic study of ARFID, is designed to rapidly advance the study of the genetics of eating disorders. We will explicate the genetic architecture of ARFID relative to other eating disorders and to other psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and metabolic disorders and traits. Our goal is for ARFID to deliver "actionable" findings that can be transformed into clinically meaningful insights. Trial registration ARFID-GEN is a registered clinical trial: clinicaltrials.gov NCT05605067.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadia Micali
- Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark
| | | | - Baiyu Qi
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - J James
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Wylie AC, Short SJ. Environmental Toxicants and the Developing Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:921-933. [PMID: 36906498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Early life represents the most rapid and foundational period of brain development and a time of vulnerability to environmental insults. Evidence indicates that greater exposure to ubiquitous toxicants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and many phthalates is associated with altered developmental, physical health, and mental health trajectories across the lifespan. Whereas animal models offer evidence of their mechanistic effects on neurological development, there is little research that evaluates how these environmental toxicants are associated with human neurodevelopment using neuroimaging measures in infant and pediatric populations. This review provides an overview of 3 environmental toxicants of interest in neurodevelopment that are prevalent worldwide in the air, soil, food, water, and/or products of everyday life: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and phthalates. We summarize mechanistic evidence from animal models for their roles in neurodevelopment, highlight prior research that has examined these toxicants with pediatric developmental and psychiatric outcomes, and provide a narrative review of the limited number of studies that have examined these toxicants using neuroimaging with pediatric populations. We conclude with a discussion of suggested directions that will move this field forward, including the incorporation of environmental toxicant assessment in large, longitudinal, multimodal neuroimaging studies; the use of multidimensional data analysis strategies; and the importance of studying the combined effects of environmental and psychosocial stressors and buffers on neurodevelopment. Collectively, these strategies will improve ecological validity and our understanding of how environmental toxicants affect long-term sequelae via alterations to brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Center for Health Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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