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Published on: July 12, 2024
Air pollution, white matter microstructure, and brain volumes: Periods of susceptibility from pregnancy to
Anne-Claire Binter1, Michelle S W Kusters2, Michiel A van den Dries2
1ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
Insights
Early-life air pollution exposure, particularly from conception to age five, impacts children's brain development, affecting white matter microstructure and specific brain volumes. These findings highlight critical developmental windows vulnerable to environmental toxins.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Epidemiology
Background:
- Early-life exposure to air pollution is linked to altered brain development.
- Specific windows of susceptibility during development remain largely unknown.
- Understanding these periods is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify critical periods of susceptibility to air pollution exposure.
- To investigate the association between air pollution and brain development (white matter microstructure and volumes) from conception to preadolescence.
- To analyze specific pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 3515 children in the population-based Generation R Study.
- Estimated daily air pollutant levels (NO2, PM2.5, PM2.5absorbance) using land-use regression models.
- Employed diffusion tensor and structural brain imaging at 9-12 years old, with distributed lag non-linear modeling.
Main Results:
- Identified susceptibility periods from conception to age 5 years for altered white matter microstructure (lower fractional anisotropy, higher mean diffusivity) associated with air pollutants.
- Observed associations between PM2.5 exposure and putamen volume reduction between 4 months and 1.8 years of age.
- Results for white matter microstructure and putamen volume survived multiple testing correction.
Conclusions:
- Conception, pregnancy, infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood represent critical windows of vulnerability to air pollution for brain development.
- Exposure to air pollution during these periods can negatively affect white matter microstructure and putamen volume.
- Further longitudinal studies with repeated brain measurements are needed to understand long-term effects.
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.
