Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASD

空气污染对大脑发育和ASD的影响 摘要 本研究的目的是检查产前和生命早期空气污染暴露对发育中的 大脑、认知和适应功能以及自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）。大脑的巨大变化 结构和功能在早期生命中是众所周知的。自闭症行为在最初几年的发展 伴随着年龄特异性的大脑变化，ASD儿童和那些患有自闭症的儿童之间存在差异。 有着典型的发展轨迹包括我们自己在内的流行病学研究表明，空气污染 暴露可能会增加ASD和其他神经发育障碍的风险。然而， 产前和生命早期空气污染暴露对儿童早期脑结构和白色物质完整性的影响 还没有被研究，虽然越来越多的流行病学研究支持的存在， 神经发育影响。在这里，我们建议检查产前和生命早期的空气之间的关系 污染暴露和脑结构和白色物质完整性、认知和 适应功能，ASD和相关特征，在NIH资助的自闭症卓越中心（ACE）网络 婴儿脑成像研究（IBIS）。IBIS是一个由四个临床站点组成的独特网络， ASD的家族风险，允许家族遗传影响的对比。标准化的神经成像协议， 沿着认知、行为和ASD评估，过去和现在都在定期进行， 为研究环境暴露对发育中大脑的影响创造了丰富的资源。我们将利用 这是首次对产前和早期生活空气污染对非常早期的影响进行前瞻性研究的宝贵资源。 大脑发育具体目标是：（1）检查产前和生命早期空气污染暴露的影响 （2）评估产前和生命早期空气污染的影响 暴露对认知发展和适应功能的早期轨迹的影响;以及（3）评估 产前和生命早期空气污染暴露对ASD的发展和尺寸特征 自闭症由于空气污染物暴露是常见的，而且可以减轻， 这项研究规模很大。此外，在非常年幼的儿童中确定一个风险因素， 在仍有可能降低发育障碍风险的情况下进行早期干预。

Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASD ABSTRACT The goal of this study is to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the developing brain, cognitive and adaptive function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dramatic changes in brain structure and function are well known in early life. The unfolding of autistic behaviors across the first few years of childhood is accompanied by age-specific brain changes that differ between children with ASD and those with typical developmental trajectories. Epidemiologic studies, including our own, suggest that air pollution exposure may increase the risk of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on brain structure and white matter integrity during early childhood has not been studied, though increasing numbers of epidemiologic studies support the presence of neurodevelopmental effects. Here we propose to examine the relationship between prenatal and early life air pollution exposure and longitudinal measures of brain structure and white matter integrity, cognitive and adaptive function, and ASD and related traits in the NIH-funded, Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) Network Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS). IBIS is a unique network of four clinical sites that enroll infants at high or low familial risk for ASD, allowing for contrast of familial genetic influences. Standardized neuroimaging protocols, along with cognitive, behavior, and ASD assessments, were and are being conducted over regular intervals, creating a rich resource for the study of environmental exposures on the developing brain. We will leverage this valuable resource for the first prospective study of prenatal and early life air pollution effects on very early brain development. Specific aims are: (1) to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on early longitudinal brain development; (2) to evaluate the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the early trajectory of cognitive development and adaptive function; and (3) to assess the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the development of ASD and dimensional characteristics of autism. 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.