# Particle Pollution Impact on Prefrontal Cortex Function During Adolescence

> **NIH NIH R15** · SISTEMA UNIVERSITARIO ANA G. MENDEZ, INCORPORADO · 2024 · $366,692

## Abstract

This is an application for the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused
Institutions to carry out a toxicological study to gain insights about the biological basis by which particle pollution
can alter brain function during adolescence and its potential impact in mental health disorders. Ambient
particulate matter (PM) is the leading environmental health risk factor and largest driver of air pollution’s burden
of disease worldwide. Epidemiological studies have found associations between exposure to particle pollution
and adverse neurocognitive outcomes. However, there is a gap in knowledge about the windows of vulnerability
and mechanisms by which PM negatively impact the central nervous system (CNS) and its clinical implications.
To this extent, the overall goal of this application is to evaluate the neurocognitive effects of particle pollution
throughout adolescence. During this life stage, key processes in postnatal brain development of regions such as
the prefrontal cortex might render adolescents susceptible to environmental insults. About 50% of mental health
disorders have an onset during adolescence, many of which persist throughout the lifespan with long-lasting
impact in the well- being of individuals and their families. Our preliminary studies suggest that the prefrontal
cortex is a target for particle pollution. Structural and functional alterations in the prefrontal cortex underlie many
mental health disorders. Since neuroinflammation is the most prominent effect observed in animal models
exposed to particle pollution, we hypothesize that PM exposure will impair prefrontal cortex function by inducing
inflammatory responses in the central nervous system. To address this hypothesis, we will 1) Assess prefrontal
cortex function throughout adolescence in mice exposed to diesel exhaust particles and 2) Characterize the
spatiotemporal dynamics of cellular and molecular pro-inflammatory mediators in the prefrontal cortex of juvenile
mice exposed to different concentrations of diesel exhaust particles. The approach is innovative as it represents
a departure from current research by shifting focus on adolescence as a window of susceptibility for the adverse
health effects of particle pollution; and the prefrontal cortex as a target for PM-induced neurotoxicity. In addition,
as part of the AREA grant, we will engage low-income Hispanic students in all aspect of the proposed research.
To this extent, the proposed study will contribute knowledge about the environmental risk factors and biological
mechanisms impacting mental health disorders with onset during adolescence; and will expose
underrepresented undergraduate students to biomedical and environmental health research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10795480
- **Project number:** 1R15ES035973-01
- **Recipient organization:** SISTEMA UNIVERSITARIO ANA G. MENDEZ, INCORPORADO
- **Principal Investigator:** LOYDA BEATRIZ MENDEZ
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $366,692
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10795480

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10795480, Particle Pollution Impact on Prefrontal Cortex Function During Adolescence (1R15ES035973-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10795480. Licensed CC0.

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