The association of prenatal manganese exposure with problem-solving skills and its mediation by the building blocks of executive function

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Neurotoxicology
• Personal Author:
  Oppenheimer, Anna V ; Bellinger, David C ; Coull, Brent A ; Weisskopf, Marc G ; Korrick, Susan A
• Description:
  Background:
  
  Problem-solving skills build upon three core executive functions: inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. There is evidence of adverse associations of prenatal exposure to manganese (Mn) with core executive functions, but less is known about Mn associations with problem-solving or potential mediators of this association.
  
  Objectives:
  
  This study aimed to investigate the association of prenatal Mn exposure with problem-solving and to identify potential neuropsychological mechanisms through which this association may be mediated.
  
  Methods:
  
  Study participants were 410 adolescents from the New Bedford Cohort (NBC) who have undergone periodic evaluations since their birth (1993–1998) to mothers residing near a Massachusetts Superfund site. We investigated the association of cord blood Mn with problem-solving measured by the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Sorting and Tower subtests (scores scaled to a mean ± SD of 10 ± 3) using multivariable linear regression. Inhibition and cognitive flexibility were also measured by the D-KEFS; working memory was measured with the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, 2nd edition. Regression-based causal mediation analysis was used to assess the proportion of the Mn-problem-solving association mediated by inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility individually and jointly.
  
  Results:
  
  NBC adolescents (mean age 15.5 years) were socio-demographically diverse with 31% in a low-income household at birth and had cord blood Mn concentrations similar to other general population samples. Mn was associated with Sorting but not Tower scores. Specifically, a doubling of cord blood Mn concentrations was associated with −0.59 points lower (95% CI: −1.16, −0.03) Sort Recognition score. In mediation analyses, there was suggestive evidence that inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility combined mediated 30% of the total effect of Mn on Sorting. When analyzed individually, working memory mediated a larger proportion (24%) of the effect than inhibition or cognitive flexibility.
  
  Discussion:
  
  We observed adverse associations of cord blood Mn with problem-solving among adolescents. There was suggestive evidence that the building blocks of executive function jointly, and working memory individually, were potentially important mediators of this association.
• Keywords:
  • Prenatal exposure
  • manganese
  • executive function
  • inhibition
  • working memory
  • cognitive flexibility
  • problem-solving
  • adolescent neurodevelopment
  • mediation
  • Adolescent
  More +
• Source:
  Neurotoxicology. 92:191-199
• Pubmed ID:
  35995271
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10712564
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  T42 OH008416/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/ ; P30 ES000002/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; T42OH008416/ACL/ACL HHSUnited States/ ; P42 ES005947/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; T32 ES007069/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01 ES014864/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  92
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/137171/cdc_137171_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 162.66 KB]
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:20aa8b720be8f147b7bd1001040496aaacebf4b5d4252f09bf96a2153419b5eb