학술논문
Effects of chronic home radon exposure on cognitive, behavioral, and mental health in developing children and adolescents.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Taylor BK; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States.; Pulliam H; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Smith OV; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Rice DL; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Johnson HJ; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Coutant AT; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Glesinger R; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Wilson TW; Institute for Human Neuroscience Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States.; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States.
Source
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101550902 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1664-1078 (Print) Linking ISSN: 16641078 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Psychol Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1664-1078
Abstract
Introduction: It is well-established that chronic exposure to environmental toxins can have adverse effects on neuropsychological health, particularly in developing youths. However, home radon, a ubiquitous radiotoxin, has been seldom studied in this context. In the present study, we investigated the degree to which chronic everyday home radon exposure was associated with alterations in transdiagnostic mental health outcomes.
Methods: A total of 59 children and adolescents ages 6- to 14-years-old ( M = 10.47 years, SD = 2.58; 28 males) completed the study. Parents completed questionnaires detailing aspects of attention and executive function. We used a principal components analysis to derive three domains of neuropsychological functioning: 1) task-based executive function skills, 2) self-and emotion-regulation abilities, and 3) inhibitory control. Additionally, parents completed a home radon test kit and provided information on how long their child had lived in the tested home. We computed a radon exposure index per person based on the duration of time that the child had lived in the home and their measured home radon concentration. Youths were divided into terciles based on their radon exposure index score. Using a MANCOVA design, we determined whether there were differences in neuropsychological domain scores across the three groups, controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
Results: There was a significant multivariate effect of radon group on neuropsychological dysfunction (λ = 0.77, F = 2.32, p = 0.038, ηp 2 = 0.12). Examination of univariate effects revealed specific increases in self-and emotion-regulation dysfunction among the youths with the greatest degree of chronic home radon exposure ( F = 7.21, p = 0.002, η p 2 = 0.21). There were no significant differences by group in the other tested domains.
Discussion: The data suggest potential specificity in the neurotoxic effects of everyday home radon exposure in developing youths, with significant aberrations in self-and emotion-regulation faculties. These findings support the need for better public awareness and public health policy surrounding home radon safety and mitigation strategies.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 Taylor, Pulliam, Smith, Rice, Johnson, Coutant, Glesinger and Wilson.)
Methods: A total of 59 children and adolescents ages 6- to 14-years-old ( M = 10.47 years, SD = 2.58; 28 males) completed the study. Parents completed questionnaires detailing aspects of attention and executive function. We used a principal components analysis to derive three domains of neuropsychological functioning: 1) task-based executive function skills, 2) self-and emotion-regulation abilities, and 3) inhibitory control. Additionally, parents completed a home radon test kit and provided information on how long their child had lived in the tested home. We computed a radon exposure index per person based on the duration of time that the child had lived in the home and their measured home radon concentration. Youths were divided into terciles based on their radon exposure index score. Using a MANCOVA design, we determined whether there were differences in neuropsychological domain scores across the three groups, controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
Results: There was a significant multivariate effect of radon group on neuropsychological dysfunction (λ = 0.77, F = 2.32, p = 0.038, η
Discussion: The data suggest potential specificity in the neurotoxic effects of everyday home radon exposure in developing youths, with significant aberrations in self-and emotion-regulation faculties. These findings support the need for better public awareness and public health policy surrounding home radon safety and mitigation strategies.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 Taylor, Pulliam, Smith, Rice, Johnson, Coutant, Glesinger and Wilson.)