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Lemire M, Soulières I, Saint-Amour D. The effect of age on executive functions in adults is not sex specific. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2024; 30:489-498. [PMID: 38221864 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617723011487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Numerous studies have shown a decrease in executive functions (EF) associated with aging. However, few investigations examined whether this decrease is similar between sexes throughout adulthood. The present study investigated if age-related decline in EF differs between men and women from early to late adulthood. METHODS A total of 302 participants (181 women) aged between 18 and 78 years old completed four computer-based cognitive tasks at home: an arrow-based Flanker task, a letter-based Visual search task, the Trail Making Test, and the Corsi task. These tasks measured inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, respectively. To investigate the potential effects of age, sex, and their interaction on specific EF and a global EF score, we divided the sample population into five age groups (i.e., 18-30, 31-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-78) and conducted analyses of covariance (MANCOVA and ANCOVA) with education and pointing device as control variables. RESULTS Sex did not significantly affect EF performance across age groups. However, in every task, participants from the three youngest groups (< 55 y/o) outperformed the ones from the two oldest. Results from the global score also suggest that an EF decrease is distinctly noticeable from 55 years old onward. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that age-related decline in EF, including inhibition, attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, becomes apparent around the age of 55 and does not differ between sexes at any age. This study provides additional data regarding the effects of age and sex on EF across adulthood, filling a significant gap in the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilou Lemire
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- CIUSSS NIM Research Center, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Binter AC, Granés L, Bannier E, de Castro M, Petricola S, Fossati S, Vrijheid M, Chevrier C, El Marroun H, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Saint-Amour D, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Urban environment during pregnancy and childhood and white matter microstructure in preadolescence in two European birth cohorts. Environ Pollut 2024; 346:123612. [PMID: 38387546 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that urban environment may influence cognition and behavior in children, but the underlying pollutant and neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We evaluated the association of built environment and urban natural space indicators during pregnancy and childhood with brain white matter microstructure in preadolescents, and examined the potential mediating role of air pollution and road-traffic noise. We used data of the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (n = 2725; 2002-2006) for the primary analyses. Replication of the main findings was attempted on an independent neuroimaging dataset from the PELAGIE birth cohort, France (n = 95; 2002-2006). We assessed exposures to 12 built environment and 4 urban natural spaces indicators from conception up to 9 years of age. We computed 2 white matter microstructure outcomes (i.e., average of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) from 12 white matte tracts) from diffusion tensor imaging data. Greater distance to the nearest major green space during pregnancy was associated with higher whole-brain FA (0.001 (95%CI 0.000; 0.002) per 7 m increase), and higher land use diversity during childhood was associated with lower whole-brain MD (-0.001 (95%CI -0.002; -0.000) per 0.12-point increase), with no evidence of mediation by air pollution nor road-traffic noise. Higher percentage of transport and lower surrounding greenness during pregnancy were associated with lower whole-brain FA, and road-traffic noise mediated 19% and 52% of these associations, respectively. We found estimates in the same direction in the PELAGIE cohort, although confidence intervals were larger and included the null. This study suggests an association between urban environment and white matter microstructure, mainly through road-traffic noise, indicating that greater access to green space nearby might promote white matter development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Laura Granés
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elise Bannier
- Inria, CRNS, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, Empenn U1228, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France; CHU Rennes, Department of Radiology, Rennes, France
| | - Montserrat de Castro
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Sami Petricola
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Serena Fossati
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Saint-Amour D, Lefebvre L, Bertrand Pilon C, Hess RF. Flash Suppression Reveals an Additional Nonvisual Extrastriate Contribution for Amblyopic Suppression. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:41. [PMID: 38416458 PMCID: PMC10910432 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.2.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose A growing body of evidence suggests that anomalous binocular interactions underlie the deficits in amblyopia, but their nature and neural basis are still not fully understood. Methods We examined the behavioral and neural correlates of interocular suppression in 13 adult amblyopes and 13 matched controls using a flash suppression paradigm while recording steady-state visual evoked potentials. The strength of suppression was manipulated by changing the contrast (10%, 20%, 30%, or 100%) of the flash stimulus, or the suppressor, presented either in the dominant (fellow) or nondominant (amblyopic) eye. Results At the behavioral level, interocular suppression in normal observers was found, regardless of the eye origin of the flash onset. However, the pattern of suppression in the amblyopes was not symmetric, meaning that the suppression from the dominant eye was stronger, supporting a putative chronic suppression of the amblyopic eye. Interestingly, the amblyopic eye was able to suppress the dominant eye but only at the highest contrast level. At the electrophysiology level, suppression of the steady-state visual evoked potential responses in both groups in all conditions was similar over the occipital region, but differed over the frontal region. Conclusions Our findings suggest that, although suppression in amblyopia involves an imbalanced interaction between the inputs to the two eyes in the visual cortex, there is also involvement of nonvisual extrastriate areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laura Lefebvre
- Clinique de Neuropsychologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Robert F. Hess
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Krzeczkowski JE, Hall M, Saint-Amour D, Oulhote Y, McGuckin T, Goodman CV, Green R, Muckle G, Lanphear B, Till C. Prenatal fluoride exposure, offspring visual acuity and autonomic nervous system function in 6-month-old infants. Environ Int 2024; 183:108336. [PMID: 38064923 PMCID: PMC10981044 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal fluoride exposure can have adverse effects on children's development; however, associations with visual and cardiac autonomic nervous system functioning are unknown. We examined associations between prenatal fluoride exposure and visual acuity and heart rate variability (HRV) in 6-month-old infants. METHODS We used data from Canadian mother-infant pairs participating in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort. We estimated prenatal fluoride exposure using: i) fluoride concentration in drinking water (mg/L), ii) maternal urinary fluoride adjusted for specific gravity (MUFSG; mg/L) and averaged across pregnancy, and iii) maternal fluoride intake (µg/kg/day) from consumption of water, tea, and coffee, adjusted for maternal body weight (kg). We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between each measure of fluoride exposure and Teller Acuity Card visual acuity scores (n = 435) and assessed HRV (n = 400) using two measures: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the standard deviation of N-N intervals (SDNN) measured at 6-months of age. RESULTS Median (IQR) values for water fluoride, MUFSG, and daily fluoride intake were 0.20 (IQR: 0.13-0.56) mg/L; 0.44 (0.28-0.70) mg/L and 4.82 (2.58-10.83) µg/kg/day, respectively. After adjustment for confounding variables, water fluoride concentration was associated with poorer infant visual acuity (B = -1.51; 95 % CI: -2.14,-0.88) and HRV as indicated by lower RMSSD (B = -1.60; 95 % CI: -2.74,-0.46) but not SDNN. Maternal fluoride intake was also associated with poorer visual acuity (B = -0.82; 95 % CI: -1.35,-0.29) and lower RMSSD (B = -1.22; 95 % CI: -2.15,-0.30). No significant associations were observed between MUFSG and visual acuity or HRV. CONCLUSION Fluoride in drinking water was associated with reduced visual acuity and alterations in cardiac autonomic function in infancy, adding to the growing body of evidence suggesting fluoride's developmental neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Krzeczkowski
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Meaghan Hall
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Faculté de médecine - Département d'ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sina, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taylor McGuckin
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carly V Goodman
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rivka Green
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Canada; École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Till
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Tillaut H, Monfort C, Rouget F, Pelé F, Lainé F, Gaudreau E, Cordier S, Warembourg C, Saint-Amour D, Chevrier C. Prenatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Child Behavior at Age 12: A PELAGIE Mother-Child Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect 2023; 131:117009. [PMID: 37971539 PMCID: PMC10653211 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemical substances spread throughout the environment worldwide. Exposure during pregnancy represents a specific window of vulnerability for child health. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to assess the impact of prenatal exposure to multiple PFAS on emotional and behavioral functions in 12-y-old children. METHOD In the PELAGIE mother-child cohort (France), prenatal exposure to nine PFAS was measured from concentrations in cord serum samples. Behavior was assessed at age 12 y using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the self-reported Dominic Interactive for Adolescents (DIA) for 444 children. Associations were estimated using negative binomial models for each PFAS. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were performed to assess the exposure mixture effect on children's behavior. RESULTS In our study population, 73% of mothers had spent more than 12 y in education. Higher scores on SDQ externalizing subscale were observed with increasing cord-serum concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) [adjusted mean ratio ( aMR ) = 1.18 , 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.34, and aMR = 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.29) for every doubling of concentration, respectively]. Results for the hyperactivity score were similar [aMR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.40) and aMR = 1.18 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.36), respectively]. With regard to major depressive disorder and internalizing subscales, perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) was associated with higher self-reported DIA scores [aMR = 1.14 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.27) and aMR = 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.21), respectively]. In terms of the anxiety subscale, PFDA and PFNA were associated with higher scores [aMR = 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.21) and aMR = 1.10 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.19), respectively]. Concurrent increases in the PFAS concentrations included in the BKMR models showed no change in the SDQ externalizing and DIA internalizing subscales scores. CONCLUSION Prenatal exposure to PFNA and PFOA were associated with increasing scores for measures of externalizing behaviors, specifically hyperactivity. We also identified associations between PFNA and PFDA prenatal exposure levels and increasing scores related to internalizing behaviors (general anxiety and major depressive disorder), which adds to the as yet sparse literature examining the links between prenatal exposure to PFAS and internalizing disorders. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12540.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Tillaut
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - Christine Monfort
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - Florence Rouget
- Irset - UMR_S 1085, Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Rennes, Université de Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Rennes, France
| | - Fabienne Pelé
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - Fabrice Lainé
- CIC 1414, Université de Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, Rennes, France
| | - Eric Gaudreau
- Centre de Toxicologie du Québec (CTQ), Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - Charline Warembourg
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail (Irset) - UMR 1085, Université de Rennes, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm), École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP), Rennes, France
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Fornasier-Bélanger M, Courtemanche Y, Ayotte P, Bélanger RE, Muckle G, Saint-Amour D. Pre- and postnatal exposure to legacy environmental contaminants and sensation seeking in Inuit adolescents from Nunavik. PLOS Glob Public Health 2023; 3:e0002478. [PMID: 37851612 PMCID: PMC10584110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive evidence from cohort studies linking exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to numerous cognitive outcomes in children and adolescents, very few studies addressed reward sensitivity, a key dimension of emotional regulation. The present study aimed to examine associations between pre- and postnatal exposure to these environmental neurotoxicants and sensation seeking, a behavioral feature of reward. A total of 207 Inuit adolescents (mean age = 18.5, SD = 1.2) from Nunavik, Canada, completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-4) and Sensation Seeking- 2 (SS-2), two self-report questionnaires assessing proneness to sensation seeking. Prenatal, childhood and adolescent exposure to Pb, Hg and PCBs were measured in cord blood at birth and blood samples at 11 years of age and at time of testing. Multiple linear regression models were performed, potential confounders including participants' sociodemographic characteristics and nutrient fish intake were considered. Results showed that higher child blood levels of Pb (b = -0.18, p = 0.01) and PCB-153 (b = -0.16, p = 0.06) were associated with lower BSSS-4 total scores, while cord and adolescent blood PCB-153 levels were significantly related to lower SS2 total scores (b = -0.15, p = 0.04; b = -0.24, p = 0.004). Such associations persisted after further adjustment for co-exposure to concurrent contaminants. These associations were influenced by self-report positive affect and marginally moderated by sex. Sex differences were only observed for child PCB exposure, with the association for risk-taking sensation seeking observed only in girls but not in boys. Further research is warranted to assess the extent to which reduced sensation seeking in chronically exposed individuals affects their behaviors, well-being, and emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Mathieu Fornasier-Bélanger
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Richard E. Bélanger
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec (Québec), Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal (Québec), Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal (Québec), Canada
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Champagne-Hamel M, Monfort C, Chevrier C, Saint-Amour D. Screen Time at 6 Years Old and Visual Function in Early Adolescence. Vision (Basel) 2023; 7:63. [PMID: 37873891 PMCID: PMC10594439 DOI: 10.3390/vision7040063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive screen time has been linked to adverse health outcomes in children, including vision-related problems such as myopia. However, very few studies have evaluated the effect of moderate screen exposure on the development of visual functions. This study aimed to examine the association between screen time during middle childhood and color discrimination, contrast sensitivity, and short-range visual acuity in 12-year-old children (n = 305) from the mother-child PELAGIE cohort (France) for the whole sample and for boys and girls separately. Visual functions were assessed using the Freiburg Acuity and Contrast Test and an adapted version of the Cambridge Color Test. Screen exposure was documented using a parent self-report questionnaire. Regression models showed that screen exposure at 6 years of age was significantly associated with higher contrast sensitivity across the entire sample at 12 years of age. However, when controlling for covariates, this association remained statistically significant in girls only. Sex-stratified analyses also showed that moderate screen exposure was linked to improved tritan-axis color vision in boys only. These findings suggest that moderate screen exposure in middle childhood is not harmful to visual function development and as such, provide new insights into the impact of digital technology on children's visual health and development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Monfort
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset—UMR_S 1085, Université Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France; (C.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset—UMR_S 1085, Université Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France; (C.M.); (C.C.)
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 2S9, Canada;
- Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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Packull-McCormick S, Ashley-Martin J, Singh K, Fisher M, Arbuckle TE, Lanphear B, Laird BD, Muckle G, Booij L, Asztalos E, Walker M, Bouchard MF, Saint-Amour D, Boivin M, Borghese M. Prenatal and concurrent blood mercury concentrations and associations with IQ in canadian preschool children. Environ Res 2023; 233:116463. [PMID: 37343750 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal and childhood mercury (Hg) exposures have been associated with negative impacts on child neurodevelopment. It is unclear if associations persist at the low Hg exposures typical in Western countries. OBJECTIVE To examine associations between prenatal/childhood blood Hg concentrations and child IQ in Canadian male and female children while considering the potential modifying role of prenatal fish consumption. METHODS We analyzed data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study. Hg was measured in first trimester (n = 527), cord (n = 430), and child (at 3-4 years of age, n = 355) blood and examined sex-stratified associations between blood Hg and children's Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and General Language Composite (GLC) scores (assessed with WPPSI-III). Prenatal Hg analyses were further stratified by prenatal fish consumption (low: 0-2, moderate: 3-7, or high: ≥8 times/month). RESULTS Higher cord blood Hg concentrations were associated with lower PIQ (ß = -3.27; 95%CI: 6.44, -0.09) in male children with the lowest prenatal fish consumption. Progressively stronger positive associations were observed with PIQ in male children for moderate (ß = 1.08; 95%CI: 0.10, 2.26) and high (ß = 3.07; 95%CI: 1.95, 4.19) prenatal fish consumption. Cord blood Hg concentrations were positively associated with female children's FSIQ (ß = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.81) and PIQ (ß = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.83); however, when stratified only in the highest fish consumption subgroup. Among female children, higher child blood Hg concentrations were associated with an approximately 1-point increase in FSIQ, VIQ, and GLC. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal exposure to low levels of Hg was associated with lower PIQ scores in male children with low prenatal fish intake. Positive associations between cord and child blood Hg concentrations and IQ were primarily observed in female children and may be due to beneficial effects of prenatal fish intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Packull-McCormick
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada; School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Jillian Ashley-Martin
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Kavita Singh
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Mandy Fisher
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada
| | | | - Brian D Laird
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Université Laval, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Quebec CHU Research Center, QC, G1E 6W2, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Research Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute & Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Rentre, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Asztalos
- Department of Newborn & Developmental Paediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada
| | - Mark Walker
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Maryse F Bouchard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montreal School of Public Health, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | | | | | - Michael Borghese
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
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9
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Tillaut H, Monfort C, Giton F, Warembourg C, Rouget F, Cordier S, Lainé F, Gaudreau E, Garlantézec R, Saint-Amour D, Chevrier C. Persistent Organic Pollutant Exposure and Thyroid Function among 12-Year-Old Children. Neuroendocrinology 2022; 113:1232-1247. [PMID: 36502793 PMCID: PMC10906475 DOI: 10.1159/000528631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) having numerous toxicological properties, including thyroid endocrine disruption. Our aim was to assess the impact of POPs on thyroid hormones among 12-year-old children, while taking puberty into consideration. METHODS Exposure to 7 PCBs, 4 OCPs, and 6 PFASs (in µg/L), and free tri-iodothyronine (fT3, pg/mL), free thyroxine (fT4, ng/dL), and thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH, mIU/L) were assessed through blood-serum measurements at age 12 years in 249 boys and 227 girls of the PELAGIE mother-child cohort (France). Pubertal status was clinically rated using the Tanner stages. For each POP, associations were estimated using linear regression, adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS Among boys, hexachlorobenzene and perfluorodecanoic acid were associated with decreased fT3 (log-scale; β [95% confidence interval] = -0.07 [-0.12,-0.02] and β = -0.03 [-0.06,-0.00], respectively). Intermediate levels of perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and PCB180 were associated, respectively, with increased and decreased fT4. After stratification on pubertal status, PCBs and OCPs were associated with decreased TSH only in the more advanced Tanner stages (3-5) and with decreased fT3 among early Tanner stages (1-2). Among girls, PFHxS was associated with decreased TSH (log-scale; β = -0.15 [-0.29,-0.00]), and perfluorooctanoic acid was associated with decreased fT3 (β2nd_tercile = -0.06 [-0.10,-0.03] and β3rd_tercile = -0.04 [-0.08,-0.00], versus. 1st tercile). DISCUSSION This cross-sectional study highlights associations between some POPs and thyroid function disruption, which appears consistent with the literature. Considering that the associations were sex-specific and moderated by pubertal status in boys, complex endocrine interactions are likely involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Tillaut
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Christine Monfort
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Frank Giton
- AP-HP, Pôle Biologie-Pathologie Henri Mondor, Créteil, France
- Inserm IMRB, Faculté de Santé, Créteil, France
| | - Charline Warembourg
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Florence Rouget
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | | | - Eric Gaudreau
- Centre de Toxicologie du Québec (CTQ), Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), Quebec, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France,
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10
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Migneron-Foisy V, Muckle G, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Jacobson SW, Saint-Amour D. Impact of chronic exposure to legacy environmental contaminants on the corpus callosum microstructure: A diffusion MRI study of Inuit adolescents. Neurotoxicology 2022; 92:200-211. [PMID: 35995272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental contaminants is an important public health concern for the Inuit population of northern Québec, who have been exposed to mercury (Hg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb). During the last 25 years, the Nunavik Child Development Study (NCDS) birth cohort has reported adverse associations between these exposures and brain function outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether contaminant exposure is associated with alterations of the corpus callosum (CC), which plays an important role in various cognitive, motor and sensory function processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was administered to 89 NCDS participants (mean age ± SD = 18.4 ± 1.2). Diffusion-weighted imaging was assessed to characterize the microstructure of the CC white matter in 7 structurally and functionally distinct regions of interest (ROIs) using a tractography-based segmentation approach. The following metrics were computed: fiber tract density, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, current alcohol/drug use and fish nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids and selenium) were conducted to assess the association between diffusion-weighted imaging metrics and Hg, PCB 153 and Pb concentrations obtained at birth in the cord blood and postnatally (mean values from blood samples at 11 and 18 years of age). Exposures were not associated with fiber tract density. Nor were significant associations found with cord and postnatal blood Pb concentrations for FA. However, pre- and postnatal Hg and PCB concentrations were significantly associated with higher FA of several regions of the CC, namely anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium, with the most pronounced effects observed in the splenium. FA results were mainly associated with lower RD. This study shows that exposure to Hg and PCB 153 alters the posterior microstructure of the CC, providing neuroimaging evidence of how developmental exposure to environmental chemicals can impair brain function and behavior in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Migneron-Foisy
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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11
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Léveillé E, Desjardins M, Dumel G, Blais C, Saint-Amour D, Scherzer P, De Beaumont L. Effects of emotion and emotional ambiguity on early visual event-related potentials. Emotion 2022; 23:787-804. [PMID: 35925711 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The modulation of early sensory event-related potentials such as the P1, N1, and N170 by emotion and emotional ambiguity is still controversial. Some studies have found a modulation of one or all of these components by one or both of these factors, whereas others have failed to show such results. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of emotion and ambiguity on the behavioral and electrophysiological responses to a morphed emotion recognition task. Thirty-seven healthy participants (19 men) completed an emotion recognition task where photographs of a male face expressing the six basic emotions morphed with another emotion (in a proportion ranging from 26% to 74%) were randomly presented while electroencephalography was recorded. After each face presentation, participants were asked to identify the facial emotion. We found an emotional effect on the P1, N1, and N170, with greater amplitudes for some emotional facial expressions than for others. However, we found no significant emotional ambiguity effect or interaction between emotion and ambiguity for any of these components. These findings suggest that computation of emotional facial expressions (regardless of their ambiguity) occurs from the early stages of brain processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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12
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Dollion N, Grandgeorge M, Saint-Amour D, Hosein Poitras Loewen A, François N, Fontaine NMG, Champagne N, Plusquellec P. Emotion Facial Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study of the Impact of Service Dogs. Front Psychol 2022; 13:869452. [PMID: 35668968 PMCID: PMC9165718 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.869452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Processing and recognizing facial expressions are key factors in human social interaction. Past research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present difficulties to decode facial expressions. Those difficulties are notably attributed to altered strategies in the visual scanning of expressive faces. Numerous studies have demonstrated the multiple benefits of exposure to pet dogs and service dogs on the interaction skills and psychosocial development of children with ASD. However, no study has investigated if those benefits also extend to the processing of facial expressions. The aim of this study was to investigate if having a service dog had an influence on facial expression processing skills of children with ASD. Two groups of 15 children with ASD, with and without a service dog, were compared using a facial expression recognition computer task while their ocular movements were measured using an eye-tracker. While the two groups did not differ in their accuracy and reaction time, results highlighted that children with ASD owning a service dog directed less attention toward areas that were not relevant to facial expression processing. They also displayed a more differentiated scanning of relevant facial features according to the displayed emotion (i.e., they spent more time on the mouth for joy than for anger, and vice versa for the eyes area). Results from the present study suggest that having a service dog and interacting with it on a daily basis may promote the development of specific visual exploration strategies for the processing of human faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dollion
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ., CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine) - UMR 6552, Rennes, France.,Laboratoire d'Observation et d'Éthologie Humaine du Québec, Montréal Mental Health University Institute, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Est), Montréal, QC, Canada.,School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Mira Foundation Inc., Sainte-Madeleine, QC, Canada
| | - Marine Grandgeorge
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ., CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine) - UMR 6552, Rennes, France
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience Cognitives, NeuroQAM, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anthony Hosein Poitras Loewen
- Department of Psychology, Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience Cognitives, NeuroQAM, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Nathalie M G Fontaine
- School of Criminology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Pierrich Plusquellec
- Laboratoire d'Observation et d'Éthologie Humaine du Québec, Montréal Mental Health University Institute, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Est), Montréal, QC, Canada.,School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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13
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Bastien K, Muckle G, Ayotte P, Courtemanche Y, Dodge NC, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Saint-Amour D. Associations between developmental exposure to environmental contaminants and spatial navigation in late adolescence. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:11-35. [PMID: 36044011 PMCID: PMC9590243 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Inuit communities in Northern Quebec (Canada) are exposed to environmental contaminants, particularly to mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Previous studies reported adverse associations between these neurotoxicants and memory performance. Here we aimed to determine the associations of pre- and postnatal exposures to mercury, lead and PCB-153 on spatial navigation memory in 212 Inuit adolescents (mean age = 18.5 years) using a computer task which requires learning the location of a hidden platform based on allocentric spatial representation. Contaminant concentrations were measured in cord blood at birth and blood samples at 11 years of age and at time of testing. Multivariate regression models showed that adolescent mercury and prenatal PCB-153 exposures were associated with poorer spatial learning, whereas current exposure to PCB-153 was associated with altered spatial memory retrieval at the probe test trial. These findings suggest that contaminants might be linked to different aspects of spatial navigation processing at different stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bastien
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Yohann Courtemanche
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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14
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Pauzé A, Plouffe-Demers MP, Fiset D, Saint-Amour D, Cyr C, Blais C. The relationship between orthorexia nervosa symptomatology and body image attitudes and distortion. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13311. [PMID: 34172763 PMCID: PMC8233361 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), a condition characterized by a fixation on healthy eating, still does not conform to any consensus concerning diagnostic criteria, notably in regard to a possible body image component. This study investigated the relationship between ON symptomatology, measured with the Eating Habit Questionnaire, and body image attitudes and body image distortion in a non-clinical sample. Explicit body image attitudes and distortion were measured using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. Implicit body image attitudes and distortion were assessed using the reverse correlation technique. Correlational analyses showed that ON is associated with both explicit and implicit attitudes and distortion toward body image. More precisely, multivariate analyses combining various body image components showed that ON is mostly associated with explicit overweight preoccupation, explicit investment in physical health and leading a healthy lifestyle, and implicit muscularity distortion. These findings suggest that ON symptomatology is positively associated with body image attitudes and distortion in a non-clinical sample. However, further studies should be conducted to better understand how ON symptomatology relates to body image, especially among clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianne Pauzé
- Département de Psychoéducation et de Psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Succursale Hull, C.P. 1250, Gatineau, QC, J8X 3X7, Canada
| | - Marie-Pier Plouffe-Demers
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Succursale Centre-Ville, C.P. 8888, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Daniel Fiset
- Département de Psychoéducation et de Psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Succursale Hull, C.P. 1250, Gatineau, QC, J8X 3X7, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Succursale Centre-Ville, C.P. 8888, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Caroline Cyr
- Département de Psychoéducation et de Psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Succursale Hull, C.P. 1250, Gatineau, QC, J8X 3X7, Canada
| | - Caroline Blais
- Département de Psychoéducation et de Psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Succursale Hull, C.P. 1250, Gatineau, QC, J8X 3X7, Canada.
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15
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Lamoureux-Tremblay V, Chauret M, Muckle G, Maheu F, Suffren S, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Lepore F, Saint-Amour D. Altered functional activations of prefrontal brain areas during emotional processing of fear in Inuit adolescents exposed to environmental contaminants. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 85:106973. [PMID: 33741477 PMCID: PMC8137647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to mercury, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been associated with emotional dysregulation, but their neuronal correlates have yet to be examined. Inuit from Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada) face internalizing problems and are among the most exposed individuals to these environmental contaminants in the world. The aim of this study was to examine the link between pre- and postnatal exposure to these contaminants and brain fear-circuitry in Inuit adolescents. Facial expression stimuli were presented to participants (mean age = 18.3 years) in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Fear conditioning and extinction tasks included neutral faces as the conditioned threat and safety cues and a fearful face paired with a shrieking scream as the unconditioned stimulus. Functional MRI data were gathered at the conditioning phase (n = 71) and at the extinction phase (n = 62). Mercury, lead and PCB 153 concentrations were measured in blood samples at birth (cord blood) and at the time of the adolescent testing to estimate pre- and postnatal exposure, respectively. For each time point, exposures were categorized in tertiles (low, moderate and high exposed groups). Mixed analyses of variance were conducted for each contaminant of interest controlling for sex, age, socioeconomic status, drug/alcohol use, food insecurity and contaminant co-exposure. Results revealed greater differential activation during the conditioning phase in the right orbitofrontal cortex in participants with moderate and high concentrations of cord blood PCB 153 compared to those in the low exposure group. During the extinction phase, the high prenatal mercury exposed group showed a lower differential activation in the right and left anterior cingulate cortex compared to those in the low-exposed group; whereas there was a higher differential activation in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the high postnatal lead exposed group compared to the moderate- and low-exposed groups. Our study is the first to show alterations in the prefrontal brain areas in fear conditioning and extinction tasks in relation to environmental contaminant exposures. The observed brain correlates may advance our understanding of the emotional problems associated with environmental chemical toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mélissa Chauret
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec-Université Laval, École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Françoise Maheu
- Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Suffren
- Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Franco Lepore
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Research Centre of CHU Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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16
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Pauzé A, Plouffe-Demers MP, Goulet J, Furumoto-Deshaies H, Fiset D, Saint-Amour D, Cyr C, Blais C. Use of Reverse Correlation to Reveal Body Image Disturbance Association with Orthorexia Nervosa. J Vis 2020. [DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.11.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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17
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Tillaut H, Garlantézec R, Warembourg C, Monfort C, Le Gléau F, Rouget F, Multigner L, Cordier S, Saint-Amour D, Chevrier C. Prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and visual contrast sensitivity in 6-year-old children in the PELAGIE mother-child cohort. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 231:113635. [PMID: 33091684 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy has been associated with decreased visual function in offspring. Glycol ethers (GEs) belong to oxygenated solvents and are widely used both in occupational and domestic contexts. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess associations between prenatal GEs exposure and contrast sensitivity in children. METHODS Six GE alkoxy carboxylic acidic metabolites (methoxyacetic acid [MAA], ethoxyacetic acid [EAA], ethoxyethoxyacetic acid [EEAA], butoxyacetic acid [BAA], phenoxyacetic acid [PhAA], and 2-methoxypropionic acid [2-MPA]) were measured in first morning void urine samples collected from 220 early-pregnancy women, in the mother-child PELAGIE cohort (France). Trained investigators administered the Functional Acuity Contrast Test (FACT) to the 6-year-old children, providing scores for 5 spatial frequencies (1.5-18 cycles per degree (cpd)). We standardized biomarker urinary concentrations on urine sampling conditions. Values below the LOD were imputed based on log-normal distribution, generating five datasets for multiple imputation. Linear regression models were adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS GE metabolites were detected in 70-98% of maternal urine samples. Phenoxyacetic acid (PhAA) had the highest median concentration (0.33 mg/L), and 2-methoxypropionic acid (2-MPA) the lowest (0.01 mg/L). Children with higher prenatal PhAA concentrations had poorer FACT scores at various spatial frequencies (fourth vs. first quartile: β18cpd = -0.90 (95% confidence interval CI = -1.64, -0.16), β12cpd = -0.92 (95%CI = -1.55, -0.29) and β1.5cpd = -0.69 (95%CI = -1.19, -0.20)). The 2-MPA log-scale concentration was negatively associated with the FACT score at the 3-cpd stimulus. DISCUSSION PhAA is the metabolite of ethylene glycol monophenyl ether present in many cosmetics. 2-MPA is the metabolite of an isomer of propylene glycol methyl ether commonly present in household and industrial cleaning products. Although evidence of biological plausibility is lacking, the study suggests adverse impact of ubiquitous prenatal exposure to some GE on visual functioning among children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Tillaut
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Rennes University, EHESP, REPERES - EA7449, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Ronan Garlantézec
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - Charline Warembourg
- ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologa y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Christine Monfort
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | | | - Florence Rouget
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - Luc Multigner
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé environnement et travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France.
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Binter AC, Bannier E, Saint-Amour D, Simon G, Barillot C, Monfort C, Cordier S, Pelé F, Chevrier C. Exposure of pregnant women to organophosphate insecticides and child motor inhibition at the age of 10-12 years evaluated by fMRI. Environ Res 2020; 188:109859. [PMID: 32846645 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organophosphate pesticides (OP) are widely used for both agricultural and domestic purposes. Epidemiological studies suggest neurotoxicity in children after exposure to organophosphates pesticides (OP) at low levels but possible mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVES We aimed at investigating the effects of prenatal exposure to OPs on inhibitory control of 10-12 year-old-children assessed by a motor inhibition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS Ninety-five children from the PELAGIE cohort (Brittany-France, from 2002) underwent a fMRI examination during which inhibition was assessed by a Go/No-Go task. Task performance was assessed by average response latency, commission rate and composite performance score (PS). Whole brain activation was estimated by modeling the hemodynamic response related to inhibition demand and successful inhibition. OP exposure was assessed by measuring six dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites in the urine of women in early pregnancy (<19 WG). Concentrations were summed to obtain overall levels of diethylphosphate (DE), dimethylphosphate (DM) and total non-specific metabolites (DAP), standardized to homogenize sampling conditions and categorized into levels of exposure: low (reference), moderate or high. Regression models were adjusted for potential cofounders considered by restriction and statistical criteria. RESULTS Moderate levels of DAP were associated with a decreased commission rate (β = -6.65%, p = 0.04), indicating improved performance. Increasing levels of DM and DE were associated with decreased brain activity in the left inferior and bilateral superior frontal regions during successful inhibition. We did not observe any differential activation related to inhibitory demands. DISCUSSION These results suggest that prenatal OPs may be associated with altered pattern of brain activity in regions related to inhibition among children and need to be confirmed by additional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Binter
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - E Bannier
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, Empenn, ERL U 1228, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - D Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université Du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - G Simon
- ISTS EA 7466, University of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - C Barillot
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, Empenn, ERL U 1228, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - C Monfort
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - S Cordier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - F Pelé
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France; Univ Rennes, Inserm, CIC 1414, Rennes, France
| | - C Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, F-35000, Rennes, France
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Lamoureux-Tremblay V, Muckle G, Maheu F, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Bélanger RE, Saint-Amour D. Risk factors associated with developing anxiety in Inuit adolescents from Nunavik. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2020; 81:106903. [PMID: 32512128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the relation between anxiety among the at-risk population of Inuit adolescents and diverse developmental risk factors including exposure to environmental chemicals, a subject of concern in Nunavik. Anxiety was assessed in 89 Inuit participants (mean age = 18.4 years; range = 16.2-21.9) with the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Potential risk factors for anxiety were documented at birth, 11 years of age and 18 years of age, including blood levels of chemicals (mercury, lead, PCBs) and nutrients, as well as age, sex, estimated IQ, drug and alcohol use, bullying, exposure to domestic violence, food insecurity, crowding and socio-economic status. Results showed that participants scored high on both measures of anxiety, particularly the SCARED, for which the mean score was above the clinical threshold. Multiple regression results show that significant risk predictors obtained from the SCARED scores were female sex (β = 0.32), higher current blood mercury concentration (β = 0.26), food insecurity (β = 0.26) and bullying experiences in the last year (β = 0.21). The significant predictors for the STAI trait anxiety were food insecurity (β = 0.25) and lower estimated IQ (β = -0.31), whereas food insecurity (β = 0.21), lower blood levels of vitamin E (β = -0.25) and higher cord blood mercury concentrations (β = 0.25) were found for STAI situational anxiety. Further regression analyses suggested that the adolescent-related variables were the most important risk factors. Our findings show that Inuit adolescents are at risk for anxiety via multiple contributing factors, particularly current exposure to mercury, food insecurity and female sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gina Muckle
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Françoise Maheu
- Université de Montréal, 90 Avenue Vincent-D'Indy, Outremont, Montréal, Québec H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Drive, Detroit 48201, United States
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Faculté de Médecine, 1050, Avenue de la Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Richard E Bélanger
- Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Université du Québec à Montréal, 320 Sainte-Catherine Est, Pavillon J.A. De Sève, Montréal, Québec H2X 1L7, Canada..
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Saint-Amour D, Muckle G, Gagnon-Chauvin A, Rouget F, Monfort C, Michineau L, Thomé JP, Kadhel P, Multigner L, Cordier S. Visual contrast sensitivity in school-age Guadeloupean children exposed to chlordecone. Neurotoxicology 2020; 78:195-201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Polevoy C, Arbuckle TE, Oulhote Y, Lanphear BP, Cockell KA, Muckle G, Saint-Amour D. Prenatal exposure to legacy contaminants and visual acuity in Canadian infants: a maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals study (MIREC-ID). Environ Health 2020; 19:14. [PMID: 32028962 PMCID: PMC7006412 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-020-0567-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to environmental contaminants can have deleterious effects on child development. While psychomotor, cognitive and behavioural outcomes have been investigated in relation to chronic exposure, the associations with visual functions remains unclear. The present study's aim was to assess the associations of prenatal exposure to legacy persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals with visual acuity in Canadian infants. The potential protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity were also examined. METHODS Participants (mean corrected age = 6.6 months) were part of the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), lead and mercury were measured in maternal blood during pregnancy, as well as in the cord blood. The Teller acuity card test (TAC) (n = 429) and the visual evoked potentials in a sub-group (n = 63) were used to estimate behavioural and electrophysiological visual acuity, respectively. Multivariable linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between exposure to each contaminant and visual acuity measures, while controlling for potential confounders. Breastmilk selenium, which was available for about half of the TAC and VEP samples, was also taken into account in the mercury models as exploratory analyses. RESULTS We observed no significant associations between exposure to any contaminants and TAC. Analyses revealed a negative trend (p values < 0.1) between cord blood lead and mercury and electrophysiological visual acuity, whereas PCB and PBDE showed no association. When adding breastmilk selenium concentration to the mercury models, this association became statistically significant for cord concentrations (β = - 3.41, 95% CI = - 5.96,-0.86), but also for blood levels at 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy (β = - 3.29, 95% CI = - 5.69,-0.88). However, further regression models suggested that this change in estimates might not be due to adjustment for selenium, but instead to a change in the study sample. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that subtle, but detectable alterations of infant electrophysiological visual acuity can be identified in a population prenatally exposed to low mercury concentrations. Compared to behavioural visual acuity testing, electrophysiological assessment may more sensitive in detecting visual neurotoxicity in relation with prenatal exposure to mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Polevoy
- Centre de recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine, QC, Montréal, Canada
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada
| | - T E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Y Oulhote
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public health and health Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - B P Lanphear
- BC Children's Hospital, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - K A Cockell
- Nutrition Research Division, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - G Muckle
- École de psychologie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - D Saint-Amour
- Centre de recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine, QC, Montréal, Canada.
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada.
- Département d'ophtalmologie, Université de Montréal, QC, Montréal, Canada.
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Bastien K, Saint-Amour D. Environmental toxic agents: The impact of heavy metals and organochlorides on brain development. Handb Clin Neurol 2020; 173:423-442. [PMID: 32958188 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants can have deleterious effects on the development of physical, cognitive, and mental health. Extensive laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated how the developing brain is uniquely sensitive to toxic agents. This chapter focuses on the main neurologic impairments linked to prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead, methylmercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, three legacy environmental contaminants whose neurotoxic effects have been extensively studied with respect to cognitive and behavioral development. The main cognitive, emotion regulation, sensory, and motor impairments in association with these contaminants are briefly reviewed, including the underlying neural mechanisms such as neuropathologic damages, brain neurotransmission, and endocrine system alterations. The use of neuroimaging as a novel tool to better understand how the brain is affected by exposure to environmental contaminants is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bastien
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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23
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Binter AC, Bannier E, Simon G, Saint-Amour D, Ferré JC, Barillot C, Monfort C, Cordier S, Chevrier C, Pelé F. Prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and motor inhibition function evaluated by functional MRI at the age of 10 to 12 years in the PELAGIE mother-child cohort. Environ Int 2019; 133:105163. [PMID: 31518935 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnant women are ubiquitously exposed to organic solvents, such as glycol ethers. Several studies suggest potential developmental neurotoxicity following exposure to glycol ethers with a lack of clarity of possible brain mechanisms. OBJECTIVES We investigated the association between urinary levels of glycol ethers of women during early pregnancy and motor inhibition function of their 10- to 12-year-old children by behavioral assessment and brain imaging. METHODS Exposure to glycol ethers was assessed by measuring six metabolites in urine (<19 weeks of gestation) of 73 pregnant women of the PELAGIE mother-child cohort (France). Maternal urinary levels were classified as low, medium, or high. Children underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examinations during which motor inhibition function was assessed with a Go/No-Go task. Analyses were performed using linear regression for task performance and generalized linear mixed-effect models for brain activation, FWER-corrected for multiple testing at the spatial cluster level. Confounders were considered by restriction and a priori adjustment. RESULTS Higher maternal butoxyacetic acid (BAA) urinary concentrations were associated with poorer child performance (β = -1.1; 95% CI: -1.9, -0.2 for high vs low). There was also a trend for ethoxyacetic acid (EAA) towards poorer performance (β = -0.3; 95% CI: -0.7, 0.01). Considering inhibition demand, there were increased activity in occipital regions in association with moderate EAA (left cuneus) and moderate methoxyacetic acid (MAA) (right precuneus). When children succeeded to inhibit, high ethoxyethoxyacetic acid (EEAA) and moderate phenoxyacetic acid (PhAA) levels were associated with differential activity in frontal cortex, involved in inhibition network. DISCUSSION Prenatal urinary levels of two glycol ether metabolites were associated with poorer Go/No-Go task performance. Differential activations were observed in the brain motor inhibition network in relation with successful inhibition, but not with cognitive demand. Nevertheless, there is no consistence between performance indicators and cerebral activity results. Other studies are highly necessary given the ubiquity of glycol ether exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Elise Bannier
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, VISAGES (Vision, action et gestion des informations en santé) - ERL U 1228, F-35000 Rennes, France; CHU Rennes, Radiology Department, Rennes, France
| | - Grégory Simon
- ISTS EA 7466, University of Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Jean-Christophe Ferré
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, VISAGES (Vision, action et gestion des informations en santé) - ERL U 1228, F-35000 Rennes, France; CHU Rennes, Radiology Department, Rennes, France
| | - Christian Barillot
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, VISAGES (Vision, action et gestion des informations en santé) - ERL U 1228, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Christine Monfort
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sylvaine Cordier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Cécile Chevrier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Fabienne Pelé
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France; Univ Rennes, Inserm, CIC 1414, Rennes, France
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Chauret M, Suffren S, Pine DS, Nassim M, Saint-Amour D, Maheu FS. Fear conditioning and extinction in anxious youth, offspring at-risk for anxiety and healthy comparisons: An fMRI study. Biol Psychol 2019; 148:107744. [PMID: 31449835 PMCID: PMC7658721 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctions in fronto-amygdala circuitry have been linked to anxiety. Questions remain regarding the impact of familial-risk and ongoing anxiety on such circuitry function, especially in youth. Using fMRI fear conditioning and extinction paradigms, we examined these relationships in 10-17 year-olds: 22 youth with an anxiety disorder, 22 healthy youth born to parents with past or current anxiety disorders (at risk), and 32 healthy comparisons. Skin conductance responses and subjective fear ratings were also assessed. During conditioning, healthy comparisons showed differential activation (CS + >CS-) in regions of the fronto-amygdala circuitry. In comparison, the at-risk group showed greater activation to the safety cue (CS - >CS+) in the amygdala and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Failure to show differential fear conditioning in the fronto-amygdala circuitry and impairment in extinction learning was specific to anxious youth. These findings expand our ability to track anxiety-related alterations and potential resilience markers to anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Chauret
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada.
| | - Sabrina Suffren
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Daniel S Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Intramural Research Program National, United States
| | - Marouane Nassim
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada
| | - Françoise S Maheu
- Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
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Nguyen TV, Jutras B, Monnier P, Muckle G, Velez M, Arbuckle TE, Saint-Amour D. Prenatal masculinization of the auditory system in infants: The MIREC-ID study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 104:33-41. [PMID: 30784903 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in inner-ear function are detectable in infants, notably through the measurement of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). Prevailing theories posit that prenatal exposure to high levels of androgens in boys may weaken OAEs, and that this phenomenon may predominantly affect the right ear/left hemisphere (Geschwind-Galaburda (GG) hypothesis). Yet, actual tests of these models have been difficult to implement in humans. Here we examined the relationship between markers of fetal androgen exposure collected at birth (anogenital distances (AGD); penile length/width, areolar/scrotal/vulvar pigmentation) and at 6 months of age (2nd to 4th digit ratio (2D:4D)) with two types of OAEs, click-evoked OAEs (CEOAEs) and distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs) (n = 49; 25 boys; 24 girls). We found that, in boys, scrotal pigmentation was inversely associated with the amplitude and reproducibility of CEOAEs in the right ear at 4 kHz, with trends also present in the same ear for mean CEOAE amplitude and CEOAE amplitude at 2 kHz. Penile length was inversely associated with the mean amplitude of DPOAEs in both the right and left ears, as well as with DPOAE amplitude in the right ear at 2 kHz and the reproducibility of CEOAEs in the left ear at 2.8 kHz. Finally, AGD-scrotum in boys was positively associated in boys with the amplitude of DPOAEs in the left ear at 2.8 kHz. Unexpectedly, there were no sex differences in the amplitude or reproducibility of OAEs, nor, in girls, any associations between androgenic markers and auditory function. Nonetheless, these findings, reported for the first time in a sample of human infants, support both the prenatal-androgen-exposure and GG models as explanations for the masculinization of auditory function in male infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre [RI-MUHC), Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Benoît Jutras
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada; School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Patricia Monnier
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre [RI-MUHC), Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec CHU Research Centre, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Maria Velez
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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Jimena Arias D, Hosein A, Saint-Amour D. Assessing Lateral Interaction in the Synesthetic Visual Brain. Vision (Basel) 2019; 3:vision3010007. [PMID: 31735808 PMCID: PMC6802767 DOI: 10.3390/vision3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In grapheme-color synesthesia, letters and numbers evoke abnormal colored perceptions. Although the underlying mechanisms are not known, it is largely thought that the synesthetic brain is characterized by atypical connectivity throughout various brain regions, including the visual areas. To study the putative impact of synesthesia on the visual brain, we assessed lateral interactions (i.e., local functional connectivity between neighboring neurons in the visual cortex) by recording steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) over the occipital region in color-grapheme synesthetes (n = 6) and controls (n = 21) using the windmill/dartboard paradigm. Discrete Fourier Transform analysis was conducted to extract the fundamental frequency and the second harmonics of ssVEP responses from contrast-reversing stimuli presented at 4.27 Hz. Lateral interactions were assessed using two amplitude-based indices: Short-range and long-range lateral interactions. Results indicated that synesthetes had a statistically weaker signal coherence of the fundamental frequency component compared to the controls, but no group differences were observed on lateral interaction indices. However, a significant correlation was found between long-range lateral interactions and the type of synesthesia experience (projector versus associator). We conclude that the occipital activity related to lateral interactions in synesthetes does not substantially differ from that observed in controls. Further investigation is needed to understand the impact of synesthesia on visual processing, specifically in relation to subjective experiences of synesthete individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Jimena Arias
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
| | - Anthony Hosein
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Research Center of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 3P2, Canada
- Research Center of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-514-987-3000 (ext. 7698)
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Dumel G, Bourassa ME, Charlebois-Plante C, Desjardins M, Doyon J, Saint-Amour D, De Beaumont L. Motor Learning Improvement Remains 3 Months After a Multisession Anodal tDCS Intervention in an Aging Population. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:335. [PMID: 30405402 PMCID: PMC6207687 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthy aging is associated with decline of motor function that can generate serious consequences on the quality of life and safety. Our studies aim to explore the 3-month effects of a 5-day multisession anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) protocol applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) during motor sequence learning in elderly. The present sham-controlled aging study investigated whether tDCS-induced motor improvements previously observed 1 day after the intervention persist beyond 3 months. A total of 37 cognitively-intact aging participants performed five consecutive daily 20-min sessions of the serial-reaction time task (SRTT) concomitant with either anodal (n = 18) or sham (n = 19) tDCS over M1. All participants performed the Purdue Pegboard Test and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures of cortical excitability were collected before, 1 day after and 3 months after the intervention. The last follow-up session also included the execution of the trained SRTT. The main findings are the demonstration of durable effects of a 5-day anodal tDCS intervention at the trained skill, while the active intervention did not differ from the sham intervention at both the untrained task and on measures of M1-disinhibition. Thus, the current article revealed for the first time the durability of functional effects of a-tDCS combined with motor training after only 5 days of intervention in an aging population. This finding provides evidence that the latter treatment alternative is effective in achieving our primary motor rehabilitation goal, that is to allow durable motor training effects in an aging population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Dumel
- Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Eve Bourassa
- Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Martine Desjardins
- Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Doyon
- Unité de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Louis De Beaumont
- Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Chirurgie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Cartier C, Warembourg C, Monfort C, Rouget F, Limon G, Durand G, Cordier S, Saint-Amour D, Chevrier C. Children’s contrast sensitivity function in relation to organophosphate insecticide prenatal exposure in the mother-child PELAGIE cohort. Neurotoxicology 2018; 67:161-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Lortie M, Proulx-Bégin L, Saint-Amour D, Cousineau D, Théoret H, Lepage JF. Brief Report: Biological Sound Processing in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 47:1904-1909. [PMID: 28283845 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3093-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
There is debate whether social impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are truly domain-specific, or if they reflect generalized deficits in lower-level cognitive processes. To solve this issue, we used auditory-evoked EEG responses to assess novelty detection (MMN component) and involuntary attentional orientation (P3 component) induced by socially-relevant, human-produced, biological sounds and acoustically-matched control stimuli in children with ASD and controls. Results show that early sensory and novelty processing of biological stimuli are preserved in ASD, but that automatic attentional orientation for biological sounds is markedly altered. These results support the notion that at least some cognitive processes of ASD are specifically altered when it comes to processing social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Lortie
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Léa Proulx-Bégin
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.,Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center and Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Dominique Cousineau
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, Canada
| | - Hugo Théoret
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center and Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Jean-François Lepage
- Department of Pediatrics, Sherbrooke University, CHU Sherbrooke Research Center, 3001, 12e Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5N4, Canada.
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Dumel G, Bourassa MÈ, Charlebois-Plante C, Desjardins M, Doyon J, Saint-Amour D, De Beaumont L. Multisession anodal transcranial direct current stimulation induces motor cortex plasticity enhancement and motor learning generalization in an aging population. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 129:494-502. [PMID: 29223355 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present aging study investigated the impact of a multisession anodal-tDCS protocol applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) during motor sequence learning on generalization of motor learning and plasticity-dependent measures of cortical excitability. METHODS A total of 32 cognitively-intact aging participants performed five consecutive daily 20-min sessions of the serial-reaction time task (SRTT) concomitant with either anodal (n = 16) or sham (n = 16) tDCS over M1. Before and after the intervention, all participants performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) measures of cortical excitability were collected. RESULTS Relative to sham, participants assigned to the anodal-tDCS intervention revealed significantly greater performance gains on both the trained SRTT and the untrained PPT as well as a greater disinhibition of long-interval cortical inhibition (LICI). Generalization effects of anodal-tDCS significantly correlated with LICI disinhibition. CONCLUSION Anodal-tDCS facilitates motor learning generalisation in an aging population through intracortical disinhibition effects. SIGNIFICANCE The current findings demonstrate the potential clinical utility of a multisession anodal-tDCS over M1 protocol as an adjuvant to motor training in alleviating age-associated motor function decline. This study also reveals the pertinence of implementing brain stimulation techniques to modulate age-associated intracortical inhibition changes in order to facilitate motor function gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Dumel
- Centre de recherche de l'hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400, boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec H4J1C5, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X3P2, Canada.
| | - Marie-Ève Bourassa
- Centre de recherche de l'hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400, boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec H4J1C5, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X3P2, Canada
| | - Camille Charlebois-Plante
- Centre de recherche de l'hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400, boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec H4J1C5, Canada
| | - Martine Desjardins
- Centre de recherche de l'hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400, boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec H4J1C5, Canada; Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X3P2, Canada
| | - Julien Doyon
- Unité de neuroimagerie fonctionnelle, Centre de recherche de l'institut de gériatrie de Montréal, 4545, chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, Québec H3W1W4, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, Québec H2X3P2, Canada
| | - Louis De Beaumont
- Centre de recherche de l'hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400, boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, Québec H4J1C5, Canada; Département de Chirurgie, Université de Montréal, 2900, boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, Québec H3T1J4, Canada
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Migneron-Foisy V, Bouchard MF, Freeman EE, Saint-Amour D. Myopia and Exposure to Organophosphate and Pyrethroid Pesticides in the General United States Population. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 58:4915-4924. [DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-20493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Migneron-Foisy
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada 2Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maryse F. Bouchard
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada 3Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ellen E. Freeman
- School of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada 2Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada 5Department of Ophtalmology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Lao Y, Dion LA, Gilbert G, Bouchard MF, Rocha G, Wang Y, Leporé N, Saint-Amour D. Mapping the basal ganglia alterations in children chronically exposed to manganese. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41804. [PMID: 28155922 PMCID: PMC5290534 DOI: 10.1038/srep41804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic manganese (Mn) exposure is associated with neuromotor and neurocognitive deficits, but the exact mechanism of Mn neurotoxicity is still unclear. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in-vivo analysis of brain structures has become possible. Among different sub-cortical structures, the basal ganglia (BG) has been investigated as a putative anatomical biomarker in MR-based studies of Mn toxicity. However, previous investigations have yielded inconsistent results in terms of regional MR signal intensity changes. These discrepancies may be due to the subtlety of brain alterations caused by Mn toxicity, coupled to analysis techniques that lack the requisite detection power. Here, based on brain MRI, we apply a 3D surface-based morphometry method on 3 bilateral basal ganglia structures in school-age children chronically exposed to Mn through drinking water to investigate the effect of Mn exposure on brain anatomy. Our method successfully pinpointed significant enlargement of many areas of the basal ganglia structures, preferentially affecting the putamen. Moreover, these areas showed significant correlations with fine motor performance, indicating a possible link between altered basal ganglia neurodevelopment and declined motor performance in high Mn exposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lao
- CIBORG laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Laurie-Anne Dion
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Gilbert
- Department of radiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,MR Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maryse F Bouchard
- Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre and Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Rocha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Yalin Wang
- School of Computing, Informatics, Decision Systems and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Natasha Leporé
- CIBORG laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Perreault S, Rassi S, Saint-Amour D, Ospina L, Samson Y. PDCT-05. STEADY-STATE VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS TO BETTER ASSESS VISUAL FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH OPTIC PATHWAY GLIOMAS. Neuro Oncol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/now212.609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Rassi SZ, Saint-Amour D, Wittich W. Drug-Induced Deficits in Color Perception: Implications for Vision Rehabilitation Professionals. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0145482x1611000608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Zakaib Rassi
- Doctoral researcher, Department of Psychology, Université du Quéebec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Associate professor, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Centre-Ville, Montréal, Canada
| | - Walter Wittich
- Assistant professor, CRIR/Centre de réadaptation MAB-Mackay du CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal; School of Optometry, University of Montreal, 3744, rue Jean-Brillant, room 260-7, Montréal, Québec, H3T 1P1, Canada
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Abstract
Purpose: Several recent studies have demonstrated that following short-term monocular deprivation in normal adults, the patched eye, rather than the unpatched eye, becomes stronger in subsequent binocular viewing. However, little is known about the site and nature of the underlying processes. In this study, we examine the underlying mechanisms by measuring steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) as an index of the neural contrast response in early visual areas. Methods: The experiment consisted of three consecutive stages: a pre-patching EEG recording (14 minutes), a monocular patching stage (2.5 hours) and a post-patching EEG recording (14 minutes; started immediately after the removal of the patch). During the patching stage, a diffuser (transmits light but not pattern) was placed in front of one randomly selected eye. During the EEG recording stage, contrast response functions for each eye were measured. Results: The neural responses from the patched eye increased after the removal of the patch, whilst the responses from the unpatched eye remained the same. Such phenomena occurred under both monocular and dichoptic viewing conditions. Conclusions: We interpret this eye dominance plasticity in adult human visual cortex as homeostatic intrinsic plasticity regulated by an increase of contrast-gain in the patched eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhou
- McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Daniel H Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | - Mathieu Simard
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Robert F Hess
- McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
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Hébert-Lalonde N, Carmant L, Major P, Roy MS, Lassonde M, Saint-Amour D. Electrophysiological Evidences of Visual Field Alterations in Children Exposed to Vigabatrin Early in Life. Pediatr Neurol 2016; 59:47-53. [PMID: 27105764 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed central and peripheral visual field processing in children with epilepsy who were exposed to vigabatrin during infancy. METHODS Steady-state visual evoked potentials and pattern electroretinograms to field-specific radial checkerboards flickering at two cycle frequencies (7.5 and 6 Hz for central and peripheral stimulations, respectively) were recorded from Oz and at the eye in seven school-age children (10.1 ± 3.5 years) exposed to vigabatrin early in life, compared with children early exposed to other antiepileptic drugs (n = 9) and healthy children (n = 8). The stimulation was made of two concentric circles (0 to 5 and 30 to 60 degrees of angle) and presented at four contrast levels (96%, 64%, 32%, and 16%). RESULTS Ocular responses were similar in all groups for central but not for the peripheral stimulations, which were significantly lower in the vigabatrin-exposed group at high contrast level. This peripheral retinal response was negatively correlated to vigabatrin exposure duration. Cortical responses to central stimulations, including contrast response functions in the children with epilepsy in both groups, were lower than those in normally developing children. CONCLUSIONS Alteration of ocular processing was found only in the vigabatrin-exposed children. Central cortical processing, however, was impaired in both epileptic groups, with more pronounced effects in vigabatrin-exposed children. Our study suggests that asymptomatic long-term visual toxicity may still be present at school age, even several years after discontinuation of drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Hébert-Lalonde
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lionel Carmant
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Major
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Maryse Lassonde
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Ophtalmology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Cartier C, Warembourg C, Le Maner-Idrissi G, Lacroix A, Rouget F, Monfort C, Limon G, Durand G, Saint-Amour D, Cordier S, Chevrier C. Organophosphate Insecticide Metabolites in Prenatal and Childhood Urine Samples and Intelligence Scores at 6 Years of Age: Results from the Mother-Child PELAGIE Cohort (France). Environ Health Perspect 2016; 124:674-80. [PMID: 26394442 PMCID: PMC4858392 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies suggest that exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OP) during pregnancy impairs neurodevelopment in children. OBJECTIVES We evaluated associations between biomarkers of prenatal and postnatal OP exposure and cognitive function of 6-year-olds in a French longitudinal birth cohort. METHODS In 2002-2006, the PELAGIE mother-child cohort enrolled pregnant women from Brittany. For a random subcohort, we measured nonspecific dialkylphosphate metabolites (DAP) of OP in one maternal urine sample, collected before 19 weeks' gestation, and in one urine sample collected from their 6-year-old children. Six subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition (WISC-IV) were administered when the children were 6 years of age to evaluate cognitive function (n = 231). Linear regression models controlling for factors including maternal intelligence and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment score were used. RESULTS WISC-IV scores were not significantly associated with prenatal or childhood total DAP metabolites. WISC verbal comprehension score was significantly higher in association with the highest maternal urinary concentrations of diethylphosphate (DE) metabolites (5.5; 95% CI: 0.8, 10.3 for > 13.2 nmol/L vs. < LOQ), whereas WISC working memory score was significantly lower in association with the highest urinary concentrations of DE metabolites at age 6 years (-3.6; 95% CI: -7.8, -0.6 for > 11.1 nmol/L vs. < LOD). CONCLUSION We found no evidence that prenatal OP exposure adversely affected cognitive function in 6-year-olds, perhaps because of the population's socioeconomic status, which was higher than in previous studies, though other causal and noncausal explanations are also possible. The negative association between WISC score and concurrent DE urinary concentrations requires replication by longitudinal studies investigating childhood OP exposure. CITATION Cartier C, Warembourg C, Le Maner-Idrissi G, Lacroix A, Rouget F, Monfort C, Limon G, Durand G, Saint-Amour D, Cordier S, Chevrier C. 2016. Organophosphate insecticide metabolites in prenatal and childhood urine samples and intelligence scores at 6 years of age: results from the mother-child PELAGIE cohort (France). Environ Health Perspect 124:674-680; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409472.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Cartier
- INSERM U1085-IRSET, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Gaïd Le Maner-Idrissi
- Centre de Recherches en Psychologie, Cognition et communication (CRPCC EA 1285), Université Rennes 2, Rennes, France
| | - Agnès Lacroix
- Centre de Recherches en Psychologie, Cognition et communication (CRPCC EA 1285), Université Rennes 2, Rennes, France
| | - Florence Rouget
- INSERM U1085-IRSET, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
- ”Bien Naître en Ille et Vilaine” network, Rennes, France
| | | | | | | | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de recherche et département d’ophtalmologie, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Cécile Chevrier
- INSERM U1085-IRSET, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
- Address correspondence to C. Chevrier, INSERM U1085-IRSET, Avenue du Prof. Léon Bernard, CS74312, 35043 RENNES Cedex. Telephone: (33) 223236126. E-mail:
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Saint-Amour D, Lacourse K, Simard M, Lipppé S. Entropy estimation of resting-state EEG variability in amblyopia. J Vis 2015. [DOI: 10.1167/15.12.654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Baker DH, Simard M, Saint-Amour D, Hess RF. Steady-state contrast response functions provide a sensitive and objective index of amblyopic deficits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2015; 56:1208-16. [PMID: 25634977 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.14-15611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Visual deficits in amblyopia are neural in origin, yet are difficult to characterize with functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI). Our aim was to develop an objective electroencephalography (EEG) paradigm that can be used to provide a clinically useful index of amblyopic deficits. METHODS We used steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) to measure full contrast response functions in both amblyopic (n = 10, strabismic or mixed amblyopia, mean age: 44 years) and control (n = 5, mean age: 31 years) observers, both with and without a dichoptic mask. RESULTS At the highest target contrast, the ratio of amplitudes across the weaker and stronger eyes was highly correlated (r = 0.76) with the acuity ratio between the eyes. We also found that the contrast response function in the amblyopic eye had both a greatly reduced amplitude and a shallower slope, but that surprisingly dichoptic masking was weaker than in controls. The results were compared with the predictions of a computational model of amblyopia and suggest a modification to the model whereby excitatory (but not suppressive) signals are attenuated in the amblyopic eye. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that SSVEPs offer a sensitive and objective measure of the ocular imbalance in amblyopia and could be used to assess the efficacy of amblyopia therapies currently under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Simard
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Robert F Hess
- McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
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Doualot A, Simard M, Saint-Amour D. Attention modulation of stimulus rivalry under swapping paradigm. Iperception 2014; 5:147-52. [PMID: 25469220 PMCID: PMC4249984 DOI: 10.1068/i0621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus rivalry refers to the sustained periods of perceptual dominance that occur when different visual stimuli are swapped at a regular rate between eyes. This phenomenon is thought to involve mainly eye-independent mechanisms. Although several studies have reported that attention can increase image predominance in conventional binocular rivalry, it is unknown whether attention can specifically modulate stimulus rivalry. We addressed this question and manipulated the spatial characteristic of the stimuli to assess whether such an attention modulation could depend on visual processing hierarchy. The results showed that selective attention of stimulus rivalry significantly increased the predominance of the attended stimulus, regardless of the stimulus' spatial characteristics. No effect was observed on the swapping percept. The findings are discussed in the context of recent models attempting to characterize stimulus rivalry between eye-dependent and eye-independent levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Doualot
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada; e-mail:
| | - Mathieu Simard
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal QC H3C 3P8, Canada; e-mail:
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada, Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada, and Department of Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; e-mail:
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41
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Oulhote Y, Mergler D, Barbeau B, Bellinger DC, Bouffard T, Brodeur MÈ, Saint-Amour D, Legrand M, Sauvé S, Bouchard MF. Neurobehavioral function in school-age children exposed to manganese in drinking water. Environ Health Perspect 2014; 122:1343-50. [PMID: 25260096 PMCID: PMC4256698 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Manganese neurotoxicity is well documented in individuals occupationally exposed to airborne particulates, but few data are available on risks from drinking-water exposure. OBJECTIVE We examined associations of exposure from concentrations of manganese in water and hair with memory, attention, motor function, and parent- and teacher-reported hyperactive behaviors. METHODS We recruited 375 children and measured manganese in home tap water (MnW) and hair (MnH). We estimated manganese intake from water ingestion. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated associations between neurobehavioral functions and MnH, MnW, and manganese intake from water. We evaluated exposure-response relationships using generalized additive models. RESULTS After adjusting for potential confounders, a 1-SD increase in log10 MnH was associated with a significant difference of -24% (95% CI: -36, -12%) SD in memory and -25% (95% CI: -41, -9%) SD in attention. The relations between log10 MnH and poorer memory and attention were linear. A 1-SD increase in log10 MnW was associated with a significant difference of -14% (95% CI: -24, -4%) SD in memory, and this relation was nonlinear, with a steeper decline in performance at MnW > 100 μg/L. A 1-SD increase in log10 manganese intake from water was associated with a significant difference of -11% (95% CI: -21, -0.4%) SD in motor function. The relation between log10 manganese intake and poorer motor function was linear. There was no significant association between manganese exposure and hyperactivity. CONCLUSION Exposure to manganese in water was associated with poorer neurobehavioral performances in children, even at low levels commonly encountered in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Oulhote
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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42
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Cartier C, Muckle G, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Dewailly É, Ayotte P, Chevrier C, Saint-Amour D. Prenatal and 5-year p,p′-DDE exposures are associated with altered sensory processing in school-aged children in Nunavik: A visual evoked potential study. Neurotoxicology 2014; 44:8-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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43
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Censi S, Simard M, Mottron L, Saint-Amour D, Bertone A. Assessing lateral interactions within the early visual areas of adults with autism. J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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44
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Arias D, Simard M, Saint-Amour D. Synesthesia and Lateral Inhibition: A Case Study. J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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45
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Lazzouni L, Saint-Amour D. Modulation of orientation discrimination in artificial scotoma zone with transcranial direct current stimulation. J Vis 2014. [DOI: 10.1167/14.10.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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46
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Bouchard MF, Oulhote Y, Sagiv SK, Saint-Amour D, Weuve J. Polychlorinated biphenyl exposures and cognition in older U.S. adults: NHANES (1999-2002). Environ Health Perspect 2014; 122:73-8. [PMID: 24275543 PMCID: PMC3888566 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1306532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitously present in humans because of their resistance to degradation and accumulation in fatty tissues. Data on neurotoxic effects in older adults are limited. OBJECTIVE We examined the cross-sectional association between serum PCB concentrations and cognitive function in older adults from the general U.S. population. METHODS We analyzed data from 708 respondents, 60-84 years of age, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002). We used the summed concentrations of 12 lipid-standardized PCB congeners as the measure of exposure and assessed cognitive function with the Digit-Symbol Coding test. We adjusted analyses for age, education, race/ethnicity, and poverty/income ratio. RESULTS The median concentration of lipid-standardized PCBs in serum was 271 ng/g (interquartile range, 193-399 ng/g). We found a significant interaction between dioxin-like PCB concentration and age in association with cognitive score (p=0.04). Among older individuals (70-84 years of age), a 100-ng/g increase in serum concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs was associated with a significantly lower cognitive score (-2.7 points; 95% CI: -5.1, -0.2; p=0.04); however, in younger individuals (60-69 years of age), there was a nonsignificant positive association (2.9 points; 95% CI: -1.8, 7.7; p=0.32). Among the older participants, the negative association was more pronounced in women than in men. CONCLUSION Our findings support the hypothesis that PCB exposure has adverse cognitive effects even at levels generally considered to pose low or no risk, perhaps affecting mainly those of advanced age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryse F Bouchard
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Université du Québec à Montréal Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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47
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Foxe JJ, Molholm S, Del Bene VA, Frey HP, Russo NN, Blanco D, Saint-Amour D, Ross LA. Severe multisensory speech integration deficits in high-functioning school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their resolution during early adolescence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 25:298-312. [PMID: 23985136 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Under noisy listening conditions, visualizing a speaker's articulations substantially improves speech intelligibility. This multisensory speech integration ability is crucial to effective communication, and the appropriate development of this capacity greatly impacts a child's ability to successfully navigate educational and social settings. Research shows that multisensory integration abilities continue developing late into childhood. The primary aim here was to track the development of these abilities in children with autism, since multisensory deficits are increasingly recognized as a component of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype. The abilities of high-functioning ASD children (n = 84) to integrate seen and heard speech were assessed cross-sectionally, while environmental noise levels were systematically manipulated, comparing them with age-matched neurotypical children (n = 142). Severe integration deficits were uncovered in ASD, which were increasingly pronounced as background noise increased. These deficits were evident in school-aged ASD children (5-12 year olds), but were fully ameliorated in ASD children entering adolescence (13-15 year olds). The severity of multisensory deficits uncovered has important implications for educators and clinicians working in ASD. We consider the observation that the multisensory speech system recovers substantially in adolescence as an indication that it is likely amenable to intervention during earlier childhood, with potentially profound implications for the development of social communication abilities in ASD children.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Foxe
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Department of Psychology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA Department of Biology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Department of Psychology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA Department of Biology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Victor A Del Bene
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Hans-Peter Frey
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC)
| | - Natalie N Russo
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Daniella Blanco
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), Department of Psychology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA Department of Biology, The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Centre de Recherche, CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Côte-Sainte-Catherine Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada H3T 1C5 Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8 and
| | - Lars A Ross
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neuroscience, The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), The Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
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48
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Saint-Amour D, Lefebvre L, Simard M, Farivar R, Hess RF. Evidences of bidirectional eye suppression in amblyopia. J Vis 2013. [DOI: 10.1167/13.9.552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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49
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Censi S, Simard M, Mottron L, Saint-Amour D, Bertone A. Assessing lateral interactions within the early visual areas of adults with autism. J Vis 2013. [DOI: 10.1167/13.9.837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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50
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Arbuckle TE, Fraser WD, Fisher M, Davis K, Liang CL, Lupien N, Bastien S, Velez MP, von Dadelszen P, Hemmings DG, Wang J, Helewa M, Taback S, Sermer M, Foster W, Ross G, Fredette P, Smith G, Walker M, Shear R, Dodds L, Ettinger AS, Weber JP, D'Amour M, Legrand M, Kumarathasan P, Vincent R, Luo ZC, Platt RW, Mitchell G, Hidiroglou N, Cockell K, Villeneuve M, Rawn DFK, Dabeka R, Cao XL, Becalski A, Ratnayake N, Bondy G, Jin X, Wang Z, Tittlemier S, Julien P, Avard D, Weiler H, Leblanc A, Muckle G, Boivin M, Dionne G, Ayotte P, Lanphear B, Séguin JR, Saint-Amour D, Dewailly E, Monnier P, Koren G, Ouellet E. Cohort profile: the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals research platform. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2013; 27:415-25. [PMID: 23772943 DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study was established to obtain Canadian biomonitoring data for pregnant women and their infants, and to examine potential adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to priority environmental chemicals on pregnancy and infant health. METHODS Women were recruited during the first trimester from 10 sites across Canada and were followed through delivery. Questionnaires were administered during pregnancy and post-delivery to collect information on demographics, occupation, life style, medical history, environmental exposures and diet. Information on the pregnancy and the infant was abstracted from medical charts. Maternal blood, urine, hair and breast milk, as well as cord blood and infant meconium, were collected and analysed for an extensive list of environmental biomarkers and nutrients. Additional biospecimens were stored in the study's Biobank. The MIREC Research Platform encompasses the main cohort study, the Biobank and follow-up studies. RESULTS Of the 8716 women approached at early prenatal clinics, 5108 were eligible and 2001 agreed to participate (39%). MIREC participants tended to smoke less (5.9% vs. 10.5%), be older (mean 32.2 vs. 29.4 years) and have a higher education (62.3% vs. 35.1% with a university degree) than women giving birth in Canada. CONCLUSIONS The MIREC Study, while smaller in number of participants than several of the international cohort studies, has one of the most comprehensive datasets on prenatal exposure to multiple environmental chemicals. The biomonitoring data and biological specimen bank will make this research platform a significant resource for examining potential adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tye E Arbuckle
- Population Studies Division, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa.
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