# Metals Dysregulation, Brain Development, and Autism Spectrum Disorder

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $593,863

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The goal of this study is to examine the effect of prenatal and early life metals exposure on the developing
brain, cognitive and adaptive function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 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. Infant siblings of children with ASD are at
a nearly 5-fold increased risk for ASD, and nearly 60% experience neurodevelopmental delay, making a high
familial risk (HR) model of ASD infants an attractive approach for studying early brain development and
characterizing early life behavior. However, the initial goal of many existing populations with a wealth of
neuroimaging, cognitive, behavior, and ASD data has not often included the effect of the environment. New
methods of environmental exposure assessment are needed to leverage these existing valuable populations.
Using the developmental properties of shed deciduous teeth and laser-based sampling methods, we can
measure both the intensity and timing of exposure from the second trimester to the first year of life for metals
exposure. Heavy metals are both established neurotoxicants and essential nutrients. Here we propose to
examine the relationship between prenatal and early life metals exposure and longitudinal measures of brain
development, cognitive and adaptive function, and ASD risk in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Enriched Risk
(ASD-ER) Environmental Influences on Children's Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort (OD023342). ASD-ER
consists of 13 sites, each having enrolled HR infants with longitudinal follow-up through 36 months of age.
These participants were then contacted and asked to provide shed deciduous teeth. The Specific Aims of this
study are to: (1) examine the effect of prenatal and early life metals exposure on the development of ASD and
dimensional ASD phenotypes; (2) evaluate the effect of prenatal and early life metals exposure on the early
trajectory of cognitive development and adaptive function; and (3) investigate the effect of prenatal and early
life metals exposure on early longitudinal brain development. Because exposure to neurotoxic metals can be
mitigated and that to essential nutrients be augmented, 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:** 10327338
- **Project number:** 5R01ES029511-03
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul Curtin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $593,863
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-03-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10327338

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10327338, Metals Dysregulation, Brain Development, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (5R01ES029511-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10327338. Licensed CC0.

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