# Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASD

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $518,416

## Abstract

Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASD
ABSTRACT
The goal of this study is to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the developing
brain, cognitive and adaptive function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dramatic changes in brain
structure and function are well known in early life. The unfolding of autistic behaviors across the first few years
of childhood is accompanied by age-specific brain changes that differ between children with ASD and those
with typical developmental trajectories. Epidemiologic studies, including our own, suggest that air pollution
exposure may increase the risk of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the effect of
prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on brain structure and white matter integrity during early childhood
has not been studied, though increasing numbers of epidemiologic studies support the presence of
neurodevelopmental effects. Here we propose to examine the relationship between prenatal and early life air
pollution exposure and longitudinal measures of brain structure and white matter integrity, cognitive and
adaptive function, and ASD and related traits in the NIH-funded, Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) Network
Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS). IBIS is a unique network of four clinical sites that enroll infants at high or low
familial risk for ASD, allowing for contrast of familial genetic influences. Standardized neuroimaging protocols,
along with cognitive, behavior, and ASD assessments, were and are being conducted over regular intervals,
creating a rich resource for the study of environmental exposures on the developing brain. We will leverage
this valuable resource for the first prospective study of prenatal and early life air pollution effects on very early
brain development. Specific aims are: (1) to examine the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution exposure
on early longitudinal brain development; (2) to evaluate the effect of prenatal and early life air pollution
exposure on the early trajectory of cognitive development and adaptive function; and (3) to assess the effect of
prenatal and early life air pollution exposure on the development of ASD and dimensional characteristics of
autism. Because air pollutant exposure is common and can be mitigated, the potential public health impact of
this study is large. Additionally, identification of a risk factor in very young children provides the opportunity for
early intervention where reduction of risk for disordered development is still possible.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10023183
- **Project number:** 5R01ES026961-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** HEATHER E VOLK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $518,416
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-30 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10023183

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10023183, Investigating Air Pollution Effects on the Developing Brain and ASD (5R01ES026961-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10023183. Licensed CC0.

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