Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is strongly associated with adverse cardiopulmonary health effects. Evidence suggests the developing brain may also be a target organ for particulate matter due to translocation either from the respiratory system or through the olfactory nerve. Using a pediatric cohort, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to TRAP during critical windows of brain development is significantly associated with changes in brain structure and organization. Children with high exposure levels at time of birth were associated with reductions in brain volume, cortical thickness, and diffusion abnormalities in white matter at 12 years compared with children at low exposure.
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