A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) reports that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution early in life show weaker connections between key brain regions. The findings, published in Environment International, add to evidence that pollution may influence neurodevelopment.
Researchers focused on functional connectivity, a measure of how strongly brain areas coordinate activity within and between networks. These networks support attention, movement control, sensory processing, and other cognitive functions that continue to mature through adolescence.
What the researchers measured
The analysis used data from 3 626 children in the long-running Generation R cohort in Rotterdam. Air pollution exposure at home addresses was estimated for particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, plus nitrogen dioxide and other nitrogen oxides.
Brain scans were taken at rest, first at around age 10 and again at an average age of 14. The team compared pollution exposure from birth to age three with exposure in the year immediately before each neuroimaging assessment.
Signals seen across adolescence
Higher pollution exposure from birth to age three was linked to lower connectivity between the amygdala and cortical networks involved in attention, somatomotor function, and auditory processing. The amygdala plays a central role in emotional processing and threat responses.
Separately, higher recent exposure to PM10 in the year before scanning was associated with reduced connectivity between the salience network and the medial-parietal network. These networks are involved in detecting relevant stimuli and supporting introspection and self-referential thinking.
Authors cautioned that the study identifies associations rather than proving causation, and that further work is needed to clarify biological mechanisms. Still, they noted that some links appeared to persist through adolescence, raising questions about longer-term effects on cognition and emotion.
How this fits with earlier findings
The same research group has also reported associations between prenatal and childhood pollution exposure and changes in brain volume in the Generation R cohort. In that work, higher prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and certain metals was tied to a smaller hippocampus at age 8, followed by signs consistent with compensatory growth later.
Together, the studies reinforce concerns that common urban air pollution exposures may coincide with measurable differences in the developing brain. The researchers argue the results support policies aimed at reducing traffic-related pollution where children live, learn, and play.
Leave a Reply