Prospective Evaluation of Air Pollution, Cognition, and Autism from Birth Onward

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目旨在确定产前空气污染暴露是否会增加认知迟缓和自闭症特征的风险。越来越多的证据表明，接触空气污染物可能会增加神经发育障碍和自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的风险。我们的研究表明，在妊娠期和生命早期暴露于交通相关的空气污染（TRP）和区域颗粒物（PM）与自闭症和神经发育迟缓的风险有关。其他研究表明，多环芳烃（PAH）暴露对神经发育的影响基于产前生物标志物测量。然而，我们不知道这些联系是否会随着时间的推移而持续存在，也没有确定一个关键的发展时期。在这项研究中，我们建议在两个前瞻性样本中研究产前空气污染暴露与认知能力和ASD的早期纵向测量之间的关系-婴儿自闭症风险标记物，学习早期体征（MARBLES）和早期自闭症风险纵向调查（EARLI）。MARBLES和EARLI都是对怀孕母亲的纵向研究，这些母亲有一个孩子患有自闭症，增加了随后孩子发育异常和自闭症的风险。大约40%来自MARBLES和EARLI的婴儿将患有DD， 1/7将被诊断为ASD，这丰富了我们研究广泛的神经发育结果的能力。我们将利用MARBLES和EARLI宝贵的表型和生物标本资源，对产前空气污染对自闭症特征的影响以及生命前36个月的认知发展轨迹进行首次前瞻性研究。具体目标是：(1)使用最先进的多地点研究建模技术来分配空气污染物暴露，估计TRP和PM，以及测量高速公路柴油废气中硝基多环芳烃暴露的新生物标志物，以及来自车辆和其他来源的气态硝基多环芳烃污染物；(2)使用马伦早期学习量表（MSEL）来研究这些暴露对认知发展轨迹的影响；(3)评估这些暴露对自闭症特征和ASD诊断的影响。由于空气污染物暴露是常见的，并且可以减轻，因此本研究的潜在公共卫生影响很大。此外，在非常年幼的儿童中识别风险因素为早期干预提供了机会，从而仍然有可能减少发育障碍的风险。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project seeks to determine if prenatal air pollution exposures increase the risk of cognitive delays and autistic traits. Emerging evidence suggests that air pollutant exposure may increase risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our research demonstrates that exposure during gestation and early life to traffic related air pollution (TRP) and regional particulate matter (PM) were associated with risk of autism and neurodevelopmental delays. Other studies indicate neurodevelopmental effects based on prenatal biomarker measures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. However, we do not know if these associations persist over time, nor has a critical period of development been pinpointed. In this study we propose to examine the relationship between prenatal air pollution exposure and early longitudinal measures of cognitive ability and ASD in two prospective samples - Markers of Autism Risk in Babies, Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) and Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). MARBLES and EARLI are both longitudinal studies of pregnant mothers, who have had one child with ASD, increasing the risk for abnormal development and ASD in the subsequent child. Approximately 40% of the infant children from MARBLES and EARLI will have a DD and 1/7 will be diagnosed with an ASD, which enriches our ability to study a broad range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. We will leverage the valuable phenotype and biospecimen resources of MARBLES and EARLI for the first prospective study of prenatal air pollution effects on autistic traits and the trajectory of cognitive development over the first thirty-six months of life. Specific aims are: (1) to assign air pollutant exposure using state of the art modeling techniques for multi- site studies estimating TRP and PM as well as measure novel biomarker measurements of nitro-PAH exposure to freeway-based diesel exhaust and gaseous nitro-PAH pollutants from vehicular and other sources; (2) examine the effect of these exposures on the trajectory of cognitive development using repeated administrations of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL); and (3) evaluate the effect of these exposures on autistic traits and ASD diagnoses. Because air pollutant exposure is common and can be mitigated, the potential public health impact of this study is large. Additionally, identification of a risk factor in very young children provides the opportunity for early intervention where reduction of risk for disordered development is still possible.