Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASDThe goal of this study is to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the developingbrain, cognitive and adaptive function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dramatic changes in brainstructure and function are well known in early life. The unfolding of autistic behaviors across the first few yearsof childhood is accompanied by age-specific brain changes that differ between children with ASD and thosewith typical developmental trajectories. Epidemiologic studies, including our own, suggest that air pollutionexposure may increase the risk of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the effect ofprenatal and early life air pollution exposure on brain structure and white matter integrity during early childhoodhas not been studied, though increasing numbers of epidemiologic studies support the presence ofneurodevelopmental effects. Here we propose to examine the relationship between prenatal and early life airpollution exposure and longitudinal measures of brain structure and white matter integrity, cognitive andadaptive function, and ASD and related traits in the NIH-funded, Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) NetworkInfant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS). IBIS is a unique network of four clinical sites that enroll infants at high or lowfamilial 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 leveragethis valuable resource for the first prospective study of prenatal and early life air pollution effects on very earlybrain development. Specific aims are: (1) to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposureon early longitudinal brain development; (2) to evaluate the effect of prenatal and early life air pollutionexposure on the early trajectory of cognitive development and adaptive function; and (3) to assess the effect ofprenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the development of ASD and dimensional characteristics ofautism. Because air pollutant exposure is common and can be mitigated, the potential public health impact ofthis study is large. Additionally, identification of a risk factor in very young children provides the opportunity forearly intervention where reduction of risk for disordered development is still possible.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
