Sex-specific effects in how childhood exposures to multiple ambient air pollutants affect white matter microstructure development across early adolescence.

ABSTRACT: Ambient air pollution is ubiquitous, yet questions remain as to how it might impact the developing brain. Large changes occur in the brain's white matter (WM) microstructure across adolescence, with noticeable differences in WM integrity in male and female youth. Here we report sex-stratified effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) on longitudinal patterns of WM microstructure from 9-13 years-old in 8,182 (49% female) participants using restriction spectrum imaging. After adjusting for key sociodemographic factors, multi-pollutant, sex-stratified models showed that one-year annual exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with higher, while O3 was associated with lower, intracellular diffusion at age 9. All three pollutants also affected trajectori

SUBMITTER: Herting M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10462194 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature