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Principal Investigator: Kim M Cecil
Organization: CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $1,074,630
Funding agency: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
More than one in five adolescents will experience a mental health disorder, including depression and anxiety,
and the prevalence of these conditions is increasing. Among adolescents, depression and anxiety are linked to
increased risk of suicide, a leading cause of death in this age group. Identifying underlying and modifiable
contributors to these conditions is crucial as current research and interventions focus on screening and
treatment rather than prevention. Here, we posit that air pollution, in addition to genetic susceptibility, social
determinants, familial and school issues, and other factors, is a contributor to mental health disorders.
Toxicological studies demonstrate that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) are
neurotoxic, and epidemiologic studies consistently link these pollutants to reduced cognitive abilities and
increased externalizing behaviors. However, few studies have prospectively evaluated the role of air pollution
exposure on mental health disorders in childhood. Recently, we found that childhood air pollution exposure is
associated with increased risk for depression and anxiety at age 12 years. However, the role of air pollution in
the onset and persistence of mental health disorders during adolescence, and changes in brain structure,
organization, and function linked to these outcomes, remain poorly understood. Therefore, we hypothesize that
exposure to air pollution during critical periods of brain development, including adolescence, is associated with
adverse mental health outcomes. We will leverage existing longitudinal data from the Cincinnati Childhood
Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS) and the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment
(HOME) Study, two prospective cohorts located in Cincinnati, Ohio, to address this hypothesis. Both cohorts
have been followed from birth and evaluated with concordant measures of mental health and neuroimaging at
age 12 years. We will conduct new follow-up at age 18 years to assess the onset and persistence of mental
health outcomes through adolescence and apply validated models for PM2.5 and TRAP to characterize air
pollution exposure from conception through age 18 years. We will also acquire novel neuroimaging outcomes,
including brain -aminobutyric acid and glutathione concentrations accompanied by anatomical and functional
magnetic resonance imaging. Our aims are to: 1) determine the association between exposure to PM2.5 and
TRAP during distinct developmental periods and the onset and persistence of mental health outcomes in
adolescence; 2) determine the association between exposure to PM2.5 and TRAP during distinct developmental
periods and neuroimaging outcomes in late adolescence; and 3) determine whether changes in brain volume,
organization, metabolism, and function mediate associations between PM2.5 and TRAP exposure and mental
health outcomes. Examining air pollution as a novel and modifiable risk factor will provide critical data to guide
primary prevention aimed at reducing the burden of mental health disorders in adolescence.
Terms: <0-11 years old><12 year old><12 years of age><12-20 years old><18 year old><18 years of age><21+ years old><4-Aminobutanoic Acid><4-Aminobutyric Acid><4-amino-butanoic acid><AD/HD><ADHD><ASD><Active Follow-up><Acute><Address><Adolescence><Adolescent><Adolescent Youth><Adult><Adult Human><Affect><Age><Air Pollutants><Air Pollution><Allergy><American><Aminalon><Aminalone><Aminobutyric Acids><Anatomic Sites><Anatomic structures><Anatomy><Anxiety><Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder><Autism><Autistic Disorder><Biological><Birth><Brain><Brain Nervous System><Cause of Death><Child><Child Youth><Childhood><Children (0-21)><Conceptions><Data><Development><Diameter><Diesel Exhaust><Disease><Disorder><ED visit><ER visit><Early Infantile Autism><Early identification><Early treatment><Emergency care visit><Emergency department visit><Emergency hospital visit><Emergency room visit><Emotional well being><Encephalon><Environment><Epidemiologic Research><Epidemiologic Studies><Epidemiological Studies><Epidemiology Research><Exposure to><Feels well><Functional MRI><Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging><Future><GABA><Genetic><Genetic Predisposition><Genetic Predisposition to Disease><Genetic Susceptibility><Genetic propensity><Glutathione><Health><Hormonal><Hypersensitivity><Incidence><Infantile Autism><Inherited Predisposition><Inherited Susceptibility><Intermediary Metabolism><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Justice><Kanner's Syndrome><Life><Link><Long-term cohort><Longitudinal cohort><Longterm cohort><Measures><Mediating><Mental Depression><Mental Health><Mental Hygiene><Mental disorders><Mental health disorders><Metabolic Processes><Metabolism><Modeling><Motor Skills><Neuropsychologies><Neuropsychology><Normal mental condition><Normal mental state><Normal psyche><Ohio><Outcome><Oxidative Stress Induction><PM0.1><PM2.5><Particulate Matter><Parturition><Pathway interactions><Policies><Population><Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type Attention-Deficit Disorder><Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type Hyperactivity Disorder><Prevalence><Prevention><Preventive><Primary Prevention><Prospective cohort><Psychiatric Disease><Psychiatric Disorder><Psychological Health><Psychological Well Being><Recurrence><Recurrent><Research><Risk><Risk Factors><Role><School Drop-Outs><School Dropouts><Schools><Sense of well-being><Structure><Student Dropouts><Suicide attempt><System><Teen><Teenagers><Testing><Time><Toxicology><Ultrafine Particulates><Unemployment><Well in self><active followup><adolescence (12-20)><adolescent depression><adolescent mental health><adolescents with depression><adult youth><adulthood><age 12 years><age 18 years><age group><ages><autism spectral disorder><autism spectrum disorder><autistic spectrum disorder><biologic><brain volume><child depression><childhood depression><childhood onset depression><cognitive ability><cohort><critical period><depressed adolescents><depression><depression in adolescence><developmental><diagnostic criteria><disease risk><disorder risk><early adolescence><early therapy><eighteen year old><eighteen years of age><emotional wellbeing><emotional wellness><epidemiologic investigation><epidemiology study><experience><externalizing behavior><fMRI><fine particles><fine particulate matter><follow up><follow-up><followed up><followup><gamma-Aminobutyric Acid><gamma-L-Glu-L-Cys-Gly><gamma-L-Glutamyl-L-Cysteinylglycine><genetic etiology><genetic mechanism of disease><genetic vulnerability><genetically predisposed><hospitalization rates><interventional strategy><jobless><joblessness><juvenile><juvenile human><kids><malleable risk><mental illness><mental well-being><mental wellbeing><mental wellness><meter><modifiable risk><neural imaging><neural inflammation><neuro-imaging><neuroimaging><neuroinflammation><neuroinflammatory><neurological imaging><neuropsychologic><neurotoxic><non fatal attempt><nonfatal attempt><novel><out of work><pathway><pediatric><pediatric depression><pollutant><prenatal><prevent><preventing><prospective><psychiatric illness><psychological disorder><psychological wellbeing><psychological wellness><public health intervention><screening><screenings><self wellness><sense of wellbeing><social><social determinants><social role><sociodeterminant><study population><substance use><substance using><suicidal attempt><suicidal risk><suicide risk><teen years><teenage><traffic-related air pollution><twelve year old><twelve years of age><ultrafine particle><ultrafine particulate matter><unborn><unemployed><young adult><young adulthood><youngster><youth depression><γ-Aminobutyric Acid>