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This study aimed to assess associations between prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and gray matter volume of key regions of the brain reward circuit, namely the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens (nAcc), the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was conducted in 77 Inuit adolescents (mean age = 18.39) from Nunavik, Canada, who also completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-4) and Sensation Seeking - 2 (SS-2), two self-report questionnaires evaluating the tendency toward sensation seeking, which is a proxy of reward-related behaviors. Exposures to Pb, Hg and PCBs were measured in cord blood at birth, in blood samples at 11 years old and at time of testing (18 years old). Multivariate linear regressions were corrected for multiple comparisons and adjusted for potential confounders, such as participants' sociodemographic characteristics and nutrient fish intake. Results showed that higher cord blood Pb levels predicted smaller gray matter volume in the bilateral nAcc, caudate nucleus, amygdala and OFC as well as in left ACC. A moderating effect of sex was identified, indicating that the Pb-related reduction in volume in the nAcc and caudate nucleus was more pronounced in female. Higher blood Hg levels at age 11 predicted smaller right amygdala independently of sex. No significant associations were found between blood PCBs levels at all three times of exposure. This study provides scientific support for the detrimental effects of prenatal Pb and childhood Hg blood concentrations on gray matter volume in key reward-related brain structures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The Inuit from Nunavik (Northern Québec) are one of the most highly exposed populations to environmental contaminants in North America mainly due to the bioaccumulation of contaminants in fish and marine mammals that constitute an important part of their diet. This follow-up study aimed to assess the impact of exposure to contaminants on visual brain development in school-age Inuit children (mean age=10.9 years). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) were measured in umbilical cord blood and again in blood samples at the time of testing, reflecting pre- and current exposure, respectively. Pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were scalp-recorded at the occipital cortex. Visual stimulation consisted of achromatic gratings presented at four visual contrast levels: 95%, 30%, 12% and 4%. The relation between environmental contaminant body burdens and VEPs was examined by regression analysis controlling for confounding variables, including fish nutrients and other toxicants. No significant association was found for PCB exposure after statistical adjustments. Cord blood mercury level was associated with a reduction of the N75 amplitude at the highest contrast level and with a delay of the N75 latency at the 12% contrast level. Prenatal exposure to lead was associated with a delay of the N150 latency at most contrast levels. This study suggests that heavy metal exposure, in particular during the gestational period, can impair the development of visual processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The event-related potential (ERP) P3b, a cognitive electrophysiological measure that has been linked to working memory processing in many experimental paradigms, was measured in Inuit children from Nunavik (Arctic Québec, Canada) to assess lead (Pb) neurotoxicity. Visual and auditory oddball paradigms were administered at 5 (N =27) and 11 (N =110) years of age, respectively, to elicit this ERP component. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between Pb levels and P3b parameters (peak latency and amplitude). Greater prenatal Pb exposure was related to a decrease in P3b amplitude at 5 years of age, and early childhood Pb exposure was associated with delayed P3b latency at 5 years. No significant association was observed at 11 years. These results, in line with those from previous neurobehavioral studies, suggest that Pb exposure affects cognitive processing in children even though the Pb levels measured in a large majority of our sample were below the threshold value for public health intervention used by federal agencies. This study strengthens the arguments for reducing sources of Pb exposure in Nunavik and for lowering the blood Pb concentrations considered “acceptable” in governmental policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]