Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Subsequent Brain Structure Changes Revealed by Voxel-Based Morphometry and Generalized Q-Sampling MRI

Chao-Yu Shen, Jun-Cheng Weng, Jeng-Dau Tsai, Pen-Hua Su, Ming-Chih Chou and Shu-Li Wang
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Chao-Yu Shen: Institute of Medicine and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
Jun-Cheng Weng: Bachelor Program in Artificial Intelligence, Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Jeng-Dau Tsai: Institute of Medicine and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
Pen-Hua Su: Institute of Medicine and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
Ming-Chih Chou: Institute of Medicine and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
Shu-Li Wang: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Previous studies have indicated that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause adverse neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. This study aimed to determine the association between the concentrations of prenatal EDCs and brain structure changes in teenagers by using MRI. We recruited 49 mother–child pairs during the third trimester of pregnancy, and collected and examined the concentration of EDCs—including phthalate esters, perfluorochemicals (PFCs), and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury)—in maternal urine and/or serum. MRI voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) mapping—including generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA), normalized quantitative anisotropy (NQA), and the isotropic value of the orientation distribution function (ISO)—were obtained in teenagers 13–16 years of age in order to find the association between maternal EDC concentrations and possible brain structure alterations in the teenagers’ brains. We found that there are several specific vulnerable brain areas/structures associated with prenatal exposure to EDCs, including decreased focal brain volume, primarily in the frontal lobe; high frontoparietal lobe, temporooccipital lobe and cerebellum; and white matter structural alterations, which showed a negative association with GFA/NQA and a positive association with ISO, primarily in the corpus callosum, external and internal capsules, corona radiata, superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Prenatal exposure to EDCs may be associated with specific brain structure alterations in teenagers.

Keywords: phthalate esters; perfluorochemicals (PFCs); heavy metals; voxel-based morphometry (VBM); generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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