Air Pollution and Development in the Boricua Youth Study

Prenatal Air Pollution and Neurodevelopment: a Longitudinal Neuroimaging Study of Mechanisms and Early Risk for ADHD in Puerto Rican Children

This study seeks to understand the relationship between prenatal maternal air pollution exposure and offspring risk for ADHD and examine two potential -modifiable- mechanisms: prenatal maternal inflammation and offspring sleep problems. We will employ a longitudinal neuroimaging study design and leverage a well-characterized intergenerational cohort of Puerto Ricans to address prior literature's limitations. This will be the first study to use infant neuroimaging to disassociate the effects of prenatal pollution exposure from those of postnatal pollution exposure, adversity and disadvantage, and offspring genetic risk for ADHD.

The NYSPI site is currently paused and has been paused since an institutional pause on human subjects research began in June, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) issued an FWA restriction on NYSPI research that also included a pause of human subjects research as of June 23, 2023.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having been enrolled in the BYS-ECHO birth cohort (parent study).
• Speaks English or Spanish.
• Having a parent that is eligible to participate, based on criterial detailed below, and agrees to participation.
• One parent must speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having serious neurological disorder, excluding ASD (e.g., seizure disorder).
• MRI contraindications (irremovable metal in body like braces, pacemakers).
• Claustrophobia.
• Having a parent that is not competent to consent (e.g., severe intellectual disability would have triggered exclusion) or under 18 years of age.