Gestational PBDE concentrations and functional connectivity in adolescents: The HOME Study

Gestational polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) exposure is linked with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in children, but scientists do not fully understand how these flame retardants damage the developing brain.

We estimated the association of gestational PBDE serum concentrations and intrinsic functional connectivity in 143 adolescents from the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort enrolling from 2003 to 2006.

We measured maternal serum concentrations of five PBDE congeners and created a summary variable (∑₅BDE) during pregnancy. At age 12 years, we acquired high resolution anatomical and resting state functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging to examine the relationship between gestational concentrations and intrinsic functional connectivity, adjusting for covariates. We assessed behaviors, mental health symptoms, and executive function using self- and caregiver-reports. We examined whether functional connectivity patterns mediated the observed associations between gestational PBDE concentrations and neurobehavioral outcomes.

Higher gestational BDE-153 serum concentrations were associated with higher local correlation in the left inferior lateral occipital cortex. Higher gestational PBDE serum concentrations (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, and the ∑₅BDE) were associated with reduced global correlation in the primary visual cortex. Seed-to-voxel connectivity patterns showed significant mediation for associations between ∑₅BDE and neurobehavioral outcomes.

Higher gestational PBDE serum concentrations were associated with diminished connectivity in the primary visual cortex. Connectivity patterns also mediated the relationship between gestational ∑₅BDE concentrations and neurobehavioral outcomes at age 12. These findings suggest that gestational PBDE exposure alters how the brain processes visual information across global networks.