Air Pollution, Early Adversity, and Amygdala: Environmental Correlates of Psychopathology in Preadolescents
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Early life adversity (ELA) and ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) are hypothesized to be environmental risk factors for altered brain structure and psychopathology, but their unique and interactive effects in childhood remain unclear. This study examines the interactive associations of ELA and annual average residential PM 2.5 exposure (total mass and 15 components) on total amygdala and basolateral amygdala subregion volumes and psychopathology symptoms in a subset of children (N=3,601, 45% assigned female at birth, 9-10 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Linear mixed-effects models, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, co-pollutants, and neuroimaging covariates, showed that ELA was associated with greater bifactor model-defined general, specific internalizing, and specific externalizing symptoms of psychopathology. PM 2.5 moderated ELA associations with specific externalizing symptoms, with greater symptoms in those exposed to higher ELA and higher PM 2.5 exposures. Among youth with higher ELA, smaller basolateral paralaminar volumes were linked to greater general and specific externalizing symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of considering psychosocial and physical environmental co-exposures when identifying children at risk for psychopathology.
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Urban air pollution and neurobehavioral trajectories in the ABCD study, Harvard Chan School NIEHS Center for Environmental Health, The role of air pollution in emotional neurodevelopment and risk for psychiatric disorders, Environmental Exposures, Host Factors and Human Disease, NEXUS: Network for Exposomics in the U.S., Multidisciplinary Research Training in Gerontology
OpenAlex ID: W7208831613