1
|
Lane JM, Merced-Nieves FM, Midya V, Liu SH, Martinez-Medina S, Wright RJ, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO. Prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and childhood temporal processing in the PROGRESS Birth Cohort Study: Modification by childhood obesity. Sci Total Environ 2024; 917:170576. [PMID: 38309331 PMCID: PMC10922956 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Children are frequently exposed to various biological trace metals, some essential for their development, while others can be potent neurotoxicants. Furthermore, the inflammatory and metabolic conditions associated with obesity may interact with and amplify the impact of metal exposure on neurodevelopment. However, few studies have assessed the potential modification effect of body mass index (BMI). As a result, we investigated the role of child BMI phenotype on the relationship between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and temporal processing. Leveraging the PROGRESS birth cohort in Mexico City, children (N = 563) aged 6-9 years completed a Temporal Response Differentiation (TRD) task where they had to hold a lever down for 10-14 s. Blood and urinary metal (As, Pb, Cd, and Mn) measurements were collected from mothers in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Child BMI z-scores were dichotomized to normal (between -2 and +0.99) and high (≥1.00). Covariate-adjusted weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to estimate and examine the combined effect of metal biomarkers (i.e., blood and urine) on TRD measures. Effect modification by the child's BMI was evaluated using 2-way interaction terms. Children with a high BMI and greater exposure to the metal mixture during prenatal development exhibited significant temporal processing deficits compared to children with a normal BMI. Notably, children with increased exposure to the metal mixture and higher BMI had a decrease in the percent of tasks completed (β = -10.13; 95 % CI: -19.84, -0.42), number of average holds (β = -2.15; 95 % CI: -3.88, -0.41), longer latency (β = 0.78; 95 % CI: 0.13, 1.44), and greater variability in the standard deviation of the total hold time (β = 2.08; 95 % CI: 0.34, 3.82) compared to normal BMI children. These findings implicate that high BMI may amplify the effect of metals on children's temporal processing. Understanding the relationship between metal exposures, temporal processing, and childhood obesity can provide valuable insights for developing targeted environmental interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamil M Lane
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vishal Midya
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shelley H Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
| | - Sandra Martinez-Medina
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Eick SM, Ortlund K, Aguiar A, Merced-Nieves FM, Woodbury ML, Milne GL, Schantz SL. Associations between oxidative stress biomarkers during pregnancy and infant cognition at 7.5 months. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22457. [PMID: 38388194 PMCID: PMC10901445 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Oxidative stress has been identified as an important biological pathway leading to neurodevelopmental delay. However, studies assessing the effects of oxidative stress on cognitive outcomes during infancy, a critical period of neurodevelopment, are limited. Our analysis included a subset of those enrolled in the Illinois Kids Development Study (N = 144). Four oxidative stress biomarkers (8-isoprostane-PGF2α , 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-8-iso-PGF2α , 2,3-dinor-8-iso-PGF2α , and prostaglandin-F2α ) were measured in second and third trimesters urine and were averaged. Infant cognition was measured using a visual recognition memory task consisting of five blocks, each with one familiarization trial (two identical stimuli) and two test trials (one familiar and one novel stimulus). Outcomes measured included average run duration (a measure of information processing speed), novelty preference (a measure of recognition memory), time to reach familiarization, and shift rate (measures of attention). Linear regression was used to estimate associations between individual oxidative stress biomarkers and each outcome. Increasing 8-isoprostane-PGF2α , 2,3-dinor-8-iso-PGF2α , and prostaglandin-F2α were associated with a decrease in novelty preference (β = -0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.03, 0.00; β = -0.02, 95% CI = -0.04, 0.00; β = -0.01, 95% CI = -0.02, 0.00, respectively), as well as a modest increase in shift rate. These findings suggest that oxidative stress may be associated with poorer recognition memory in early infancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Eick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kaegan Ortlund
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Andréa Aguiar
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Megan L Woodbury
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ginger L Milne
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Merced-Nieves FM, Eitenbichler S, Goldson B, Zhang X, Klein DN, Bosquet Enlow M, Curtin P, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Associations between a metal mixture and infant negative affectivity: Effect modification by prenatal cortisol and infant sex. Child Dev 2024; 95:e47-e59. [PMID: 37610319 PMCID: PMC10840921 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
In-utero exposures interact in complex ways that influence neurodevelopment. Animal research demonstrates that fetal sex moderates the impact of joint exposure to metals and prenatal stress measures, including cortisol, on offspring socioemotional outcomes. Further research is needed in humans. We evaluated the joint association of prenatal exposures to a metal mixture and cortisol with infant negative affectivity, considering sex differences. Analyses included 226 (29% White, Non-Hispanic) mother-infant pairs with data on exposures and negative affectivity assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in 6-month-olds. Results showed that girls whose mothers had higher cortisol had significantly higher scores of Fear and Sadness with greater exposure to the mixture. Examining higher-order interactions may better elucidate the effects of prenatal exposure to metals and cortisol on socioemotional functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Brandon Goldson
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xueying Zhang
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel N Klein
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lewis JV, Knapp EA, Bakre S, Dickerson AS, Bastain TM, Bendixsen C, Bennett DH, Camargo CA, Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Colicino E, D'Sa V, Dabelea D, Deoni S, Dunlop AL, Elliott AJ, Farzan SF, Ferrara A, Fry RC, Hartert T, Howe CG, Kahn LG, Karagas MR, Ma TF, Koinis-Mitchell D, MacKenzie D, Maldonado LE, Merced-Nieves FM, Neiderhiser JM, Nigra AE, Niu Z, Nozadi SS, Rivera-Núñez Z, O'Connor TG, Osmundson S, Padula AM, Peterson AK, Sherris AR, Starling A, Straughen JK, Wright RJ, Zhao Q, Kress AM. Associations between area-level arsenic exposure and adverse birth outcomes: An Echo-wide cohort analysis. Environ Res 2023; 236:116772. [PMID: 37517496 PMCID: PMC10592196 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drinking water is a common source of exposure to inorganic arsenic. In the US, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was enacted to protect consumers from exposure to contaminants, including arsenic, in public water systems (PWS). The reproductive effects of preconception and prenatal arsenic exposure in regions with low to moderate arsenic concentrations are not well understood. OBJECTIVES This study examined associations between preconception and prenatal exposure to arsenic violations in water, measured via residence in a county with an arsenic violation in a regulated PWS during pregnancy, and five birth outcomes: birth weight, gestational age at birth, preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). METHODS Data for arsenic violations in PWS, defined as concentrations exceeding 10 parts per billion, were obtained from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. Participants of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort Study were matched to arsenic violations by time and location based on residential history data. Multivariable, mixed effects regression models were used to assess the relationship between preconception and prenatal exposure to arsenic violations in drinking water and birth outcomes. RESULTS Compared to unexposed infants, continuous exposure to arsenic from three months prior to conception through birth was associated with 88.8 g higher mean birth weight (95% CI: 8.2, 169.5), after adjusting for individual-level confounders. No statistically significant associations were observed between any preconception or prenatal violations exposure and gestational age at birth, preterm birth, SGA, or LGA. CONCLUSIONS Our study did not identify associations between preconception and prenatal arsenic exposure, defined by drinking water exceedances, and adverse birth outcomes. Exposure to arsenic violations in drinking water was associated with higher birth weight. Future studies would benefit from more precise geodata of water system service areas, direct household drinking water measurements, and exposure biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan V Lewis
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Emily A Knapp
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shivani Bakre
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aisha S Dickerson
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Theresa M Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Casper Bendixsen
- Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Marshfield, WI, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Carlos A Camargo
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Viren D'Sa
- Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Sean Deoni
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amy J Elliott
- Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Assiamira Ferrara
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tina Hartert
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Caitlin G Howe
- Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Linda G Kahn
- Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Teng-Fei Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Debra MacKenzie
- Community Environmental Health Program, University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Luis E Maldonado
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Anne E Nigra
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhongzheng Niu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sara S Nozadi
- Community Environmental Health Program, College of Pharmacy, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Zorimar Rivera-Núñez
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Osmundson
- Department of OB/GYN, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Amy M Padula
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alicia K Peterson
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Allison R Sherris
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anne Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Amii M Kress
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pelch KE, Reade A, Kwiatkowski CF, Merced-Nieves FM, Cavalier H, Schultz K, Wolffe T, Varshavsky J. The PFAS-Tox Database: A systematic evidence map of health studies on 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Environ Int 2022; 167:107408. [PMID: 35908389 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large class of synthetic chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial processes. The scientific literature on PFAS has increased dramatically in the last decade. Many stakeholders, including regulators, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and concerned individuals could benefit from an efficient way to access the health and toxicological literature related to PFAS. OBJECTIVE To create a systematic evidence map of the available peer-reviewed health or toxicological research for 29 PFAS. METHODS A protocol for conducting this systematic evidence map was initially published on Zenodo (Pelch et al. 2019c), then peer reviewed and published in Environment International (Pelch et al. 2019d). PubMed database was searched through January 25, 2021. Studies were screened for inclusion and exclusion according to the Populations, Exposures, Comparators, and Outcomes (PECO) statement. Inclusion criteria were intentionally broad and included any human, animal, and/or in vitro study that investigated exposure to one of the 29 PFAS of interest and a human health or toxicological effect. Selected study details were extracted from included studies as described in the protocol. Study appraisal was not conducted. The included studies and extracted meta-data are freely available in the online, interactive systematic evidence map at https://pfastoxdatabase.org. RESULTS Over 15,000 studies were retrieved from the PubMed literature searches. After manual screening, 1,067 studies were identified and included as investigating the health or toxicological effect of one or more PFAS of interest. There were 505 human, 385 animal, and 220 in vitro studies. Summary tables of the extracted data and overall observations are included in this report. CONCLUSIONS The PFAS-Tox Database is a useful tool for searching, filtering, and identifying peer reviewed research on the health and toxicological effects of the included PFAS. In this summary of the evidence map we provide examples of data gaps and clusters revealed by the database, with the goal of helping direct future research efforts, facilitate systematic reviews (e.g. on immune effects, mixtures of PFAS, or effects of short chain PFAS), inform regulatory risk assessments, and improve opportunities for cross-disciplinary coordination. We also discuss how this tool supports scientists, regulatory agencies, and other individuals by increasing awareness and access to current evidence regarding the health effects associated with PFAS exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Pelch
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA; People and Communities Program, Natural Resources Defense Council, 111 Sutter Street, Floor 21, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Anna Reade
- People and Communities Program, Natural Resources Defense Council, 111 Sutter Street, Floor 21, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Carol F Kwiatkowski
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Haleigh Cavalier
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Taylor Wolffe
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; Centre for Fire and Hazards Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Merced-Nieves FM, Chelonis J, Pantic I, Schnass L, Téllez-Rojo MM, Braun JM, Paule MG, Wright RJ, Wright RO, Curtin P. Prenatal trace elements mixture is associated with learning deficits on a behavioral acquisition task among young children. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:53-66. [PMID: 35429215 PMCID: PMC9492626 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Children are exposed to many trace elements throughout their development. Given their ubiquity and potential to have effects on children's neurodevelopment, these exposures are a public health concern. This study sought to identify trace element mixture-associated deficits in learning behavior using operant testing in a prospective cohort. We included 322 participants aged 6-7 years recruited in Mexico City with complete data on prenatal trace elements measurements (third trimester blood lead and manganese levels, and & urine cadmium and arsenic levels), demographic covariates, and the Incremental Repeated Acquisition (IRA), an associative learning task. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to estimate the joint association of the mixture of all four trace elements and IRA performance. Performance was adversely impacted by the mixture, with different elements relating to different aspects of task performance suggesting that prenatal exposure to trace element mixtures yields a broad dysregulation of learning behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Chelonis
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Ivan Pantic
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Schnass
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Merle G Paule
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Merced-Nieves FM, Chelonis J, Pantic I, Schnass L, Téllez-Rojo MM, Braun JM, Paule MG, Wright RJ, Wright RO, Curtin P. Sexually dimorphic associations between prenatal blood lead exposure and performance on a behavioral testing battery in children. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 90:107075. [PMID: 35108597 PMCID: PMC8957713 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between lead (Pb) and neurodevelopment have been studied widely in the context of global measures of cognitive function, such as IQ. Operant test batteries consist of behavioral tasks that can be used to target discrete cognitive and behavioral mechanisms, which contribute to global cognitive faculties. OBJECTIVES The goals of this study were to identify Pb-associated deficits in cognitive development and determine the underlying mechanisms involved, utilizing an operant test battery. We evaluated effect modification by child sex. METHODS This study utilized data from a prospective cohort in Mexico City. We included 549 participants aged 6-to-7 years with complete data on prenatal blood Pb measurements, Operant Test Battery (OTB) tasks, and demographic covariates. General linear models were used to examine the association of Pb levels at each prenatal timepoint and OTB performance. Effect modification by child sex was evaluated using 2-way interaction terms. RESULTS In three of the operant tasks, we observed that higher late-pregnancy blood Pb concentrations were associated with greater response latencies. In the temporal processing task, we observed that higher late-pregnancy Pb exposure was associated with worse overall task performance. Further, in two operant tasks, the effects of Pb were dependent on the sex of the child, such that the effects of Pb were more pronounced in females in the condition position responding task, but stronger in males in the temporal processing task. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that prenatal Pb concentrations yield broad dysregulation of executive functions, which can be attributed to dysregulation of temporal processing. In addition, we observed sex differences in two operant tasks suggesting that some Pb effects on neurocognitive function may be sexually dimorphic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M. Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Chelonis
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, AR, USA
| | - Ivan Pantic
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Schnass
- Division of Community Interventions Research, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Martha M. Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Joseph M. Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Merle G. Paule
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, AR, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sprowles JL, Dzwilewski KL, Merced-Nieves FM, Musaad SM, Schantz SL, Geiger SD. Associations of prenatal phthalate exposure with neurobehavioral outcomes in 4.5- and 7.5-month-old infants. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 92:107102. [PMID: 35588931 PMCID: PMC9271634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and research indicates that prenatal exposure to some phthalates may affect neurodevelopment. In a prospective birth cohort study, five first-morning urine samples collected across pregnancy were pooled and the following phthalate biomarkers assessed: sum of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (ΣDEHP), sum of diisononyl phthalate metabolites (ΣDINP), sum of dibutyl phthalate metabolites (ΣDBP), sum of anti-androgenic metabolites (ΣAA), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), and sum of all phthalate metabolites (ΣAll). The Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ), a standardized parent-reported, age-adapted screening tool, measured communication, personal-social, problem solving, and motor domains in infants at 4.5 and 7.5 months (n = 123). Adjusting for maternal age, annual household income, gestational age at birth, infant age at assessment, and sex, repeated-measures generalized linear regression models were used to examine associations between prenatal phthalate urine biomarker concentrations and domain scores (assuming a Poisson distribution). Beta estimates were exponentiated back to the domain scale for ease of interpretation. Mothers were mostly white and college-educated, and most reported an annual household income of ≥$60,000. Associations of phthalate concentrations with ASQ outcomes are presented as follows: (1) anti-androgenic phthalate metabolites (ΣDEHP, ΣDINP, ΣDBP, and ΣAA), (2) MEP, which is not anti-androgenic, and (3) ΣAll. Overall, anti-androgenic phthalates were associated with higher (i.e., better) scores. However, there were exceptions, including the finding that a one-unit increase in ΣDBP was associated with a 12% increase in problem solving scores in 4.5-month-old females (β = 1.12; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.28; p = 0.067) but a 85% decrease for 7.5-month-old females (β = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.3, 0.99; p = 0.047). In contrast, MEP was associated with poorer scores on several outcomes. Sex- and timepoint-specific estimates demonstrated a one-unit increase in MEP was associated with: a 52% decrease in personal-social scores in 7.5-month-old males (β = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.95; p = 0.02), a 39% decrease in fine motor scores in 7.5-month-old males (β = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.98; p = 0.035), and a 6% decrease in fine motor scores in 4.5-month-old females (β = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.99; p = 0.03). A one-unit increase in ΣAll was associated with a 4% increase in personal-social scores in 4.5-month-old males (β = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.1; p = 0.08) but a 17% decrease in 7.5-month-old males (β = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.99; p = 0.03). These data suggest age- and sex-specific associations of prenatal phthalates with infant neurobehavior. The current findings should be confirmed by longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna L.N. Sprowles
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Corresponding author at: Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA. (J. L. N. Sprowles)
| | - Kelsey L.C. Dzwilewski
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Francheska M. Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Salma M.A. Musaad
- United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Ave., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Susan L. Schantz
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sarah D. Geiger
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA.,Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Khan Annex Room 2013, 1206 S. Fourth St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
Children are constantly exposed to a wide range of environmental factors including essential and non-essential metals. In recent years, the mixtures paradigm has emerged to foster the examination of combined effects that emerge from exposures to multiple elements. In this review, we summarized recent literature studying the relationship between prenatal and childhood metal mixtures with neurodevelopmental outcomes. Our review highlights two basic principles to emerge from this approach. First, recent findings emphasize that the effect of a given exposure is contextual and may be dependent on past or concurrent metal exposures. Second, the timing of exposures is equally critical to the mixture composition in determining neurodevelopmental effects. Our discussion emphasizes how these principles may apply to future exposure-related neurodevelopmental studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Merced-Nieves FM, Dzwilewski KLC, Aguiar A, Lin J, Schantz SL. Associations of prenatal maternal stress with measures of cognition in 7.5-month-old infants. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:960-972. [PMID: 33169388 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown that prenatal stress can negatively impact neurodevelopment, but little is known about its effect on early cognitive development. We assessed the impact of prenatal stress on cognition in 152 7.5-month-old infants using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), maternal telomere length (MTL), and a Stressful Life Events (SLE) Scale. A visual recognition memory task consisting of nine blocks, each with one familiarization trial (two identical stimuli) followed by two test trials (one familiar stimulus, one novel), was administered. Outcomes assessed included: average time looking at stimuli (measure: processing speed), time to reach looking time criterion (measure: attention), and the proportion of time looking at the novel stimulus (measure: recognition memory). We examined the association of each stress measure with each outcome adjusted for infant age and sex, which of the two stimuli in each set was novel, household income, and maternal age, education, and IQ. Higher prenatal stress was associated with shorter looking durations [PSS (β = -1.6, 95% CI: -2.5, -0.58); SLE (β = 0.58, 95% CI: -0.08, 1.24); MTL (β = 1.81, 95% CI: 0.18, 3.44)] and longer time to reach criterion [PSS (β = 9.1, 95% CI: 1.6, 16.6); SLE (β = 12.2, 95% CI: 1.9, 24.1); MTL (β = -23.1, 95% CI: -45.3, -0.9)], suggesting that higher prenatal stress is associated with decreased visual attention in infancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advance Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kelsey L C Dzwilewski
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advance Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Andrea Aguiar
- Beckman Institute for Advance Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advance Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dzwilewski KLC, Merced-Nieves FM, Aguiar A, Korrick SA, Schantz SL. Characterization of performance on an automated visual recognition memory task in 7.5-month-old infants. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2020; 81:106904. [PMID: 32485220 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Infant looking behaviors measured during visual assessment paradigms may be more reliable predictors of long-term cognitive outcomes than standard measures such as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development typically used in environmental epidemiology. Infrared eye tracking technology offers an innovative approach to automate collection and processing of looking behavior data, making it possible to efficiently assess large numbers of infants. The goals of this study were to characterize infant looking behavior measures including side preference, fixation duration, and novelty preference using eye tracking and an automated version of an established visual recognition memory paradigm that includes both human faces and geometric figures as stimuli. An ancillary goal was to assess the feasibility of obtaining a precise measure of looking to the eye region of faces from the eye-tracking data. In this study, 309 7.5-month-old infants from a prospective birth cohort were assessed using a visual recognition memory (VRM) paradigm. Infrared eye tracking was used to record looking time as infants were shown nine blocks of trials with a pair of identical faces or shapes followed by two trials in which the familiar stimulus was paired with a novel one. Infants were assessed in one of four conditions: in conditions A and B, stimulus set 1 were the familiar stimuli and set 2 were novel; in conditions C and D, set 2 were familiar and set 1 novel. The novel stimuli were presented on the right first in conditions A and C and on the left first in conditions B and D. We observed a significant right side preference, which has not been reported before (57% of looking time spent looking at right side stimulus, p-value < 0.0001). Infants showed a preference for the novel stimuli similar to that published in prior studies (57-60% of looking time spent looking at the novel stimulus, p-value < 0.0001), as well as average fixation durations similar to previous studies. Infants also showed a strong preference for the eyes versus the rest of the face (p-value < 0.0001). Novelty preference was significantly higher when set 2 stimuli were novel (p-value < 0.0001), suggesting a preference among infants for set 2 stimuli compared to set 1 stimuli. The pattern of novelty preference across trials was significantly different between infants who saw the novel stimuli on the left first and those who saw them on the right first (p-value < 0.0001) but the overall mean novelty preference was not significantly different between these groups. There were also significant differences in average fixation duration and eyes preference measures across stimuli (p-values < 0.05). These findings show that VRM assessment can be automated for use in large-scale epidemiological studies using infrared eye tracking with looking behavior measure results similar to those obtained with standard non-automated methods, and that side and stimulus preferences are important modifiers of looking behavior that are critical to consider in this type of assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L C Dzwilewski
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America.
| | - Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America.
| | - Andrea Aguiar
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3505 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802, United States of America.
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115, United States of America; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, United States of America.
| | - Susan L Schantz
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3505 Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana, IL 61802, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Merced-Nieves FM, Aguiar A, Dzwilewski KLC, Musaad S, Korrick SA, Schantz SL. Association of prenatal maternal perceived stress with a sexually dimorphic measure of cognition in 4.5-month-old infants. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2020; 77:106850. [PMID: 31812786 PMCID: PMC6980724 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2019.106850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Maternal prenatal stress can adversely impact subsequent child neurodevelopment, but little is known about its effect on cognitive development in infancy. This analysis of 107 infants from a prospective birth cohort assessed whether prenatal stress disrupts sexually dimorphic performance typically observed on a physical reasoning task. Maternal stress was assessed at 8-14 and 33-37 gestational weeks using the Perceived Stress Scale. Stress was defined as: low (scores below the median at both times), medium (scores above the median at one of the two times), and high (scores above the median at both times). At 4.5 months infants saw videos of two events: one impossible and the other possible. In the impossible event a box was placed against a wall without support underneath. In the possible event the box was placed against the wall, supported by the floor. Looking time at each event was recorded via infrared eye-tracking. Previous literature has shown that, at 4.5 months of age, girls typically look significantly longer at the impossible than at the possible event, suggesting that they expect the unsupported box to fall and are surprised when it does not. Boys tend to look equally at the two events suggesting that they do not share this expectation. This sex difference was replicated in the current study. General linear models stratified by sex and adjusted for household income, maternal education, mother's age at birth, infant's age at exam, and order of event presentation revealed that girls whose mothers reported high perceived stress during pregnancy had shorter looking time differences between the impossible and possible events than girls whose mothers reported low perceived stress (β = -7.1; 95% CI: -12.0, -2.2 s; p = 0.006). Similar to boys, girls in the highest stress category spent about the same amount of time looking at each event. For boys, there were no significant looking time differences by maternal stress level. This finding suggests prenatal stress is associated with a delay in the development of physical reasoning in girls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F M Merced-Nieves
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America.
| | - A Aguiar
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - K L C Dzwilewski
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - S Musaad
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - S A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - S L Schantz
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|