Grantee Research Project Results
2013 Progress Report: Combined Effects of Metals and Stress on Central Nervous System Function
EPA Grant Number: R834578Title: Combined Effects of Metals and Stress on Central Nervous System Function
Investigators: Cory-Slechta, Deborah , Korfmacher Smith, Katrina
Institution: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2014 (Extended to September 30, 2015)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2012 through September 30,2013
Project Amount: $1,250,000
RFA: Understanding the Role of Nonchemical Stressors and Developing Analytic Methods for Cumulative Risk Assessments (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Human Health
Objective:
Prenatal stress can have long-term adverse consequences for offspring, including impairments in cognitive functions. In prior studies, we have observed enhanced effects of developmental exposure to lead when it occurs in combination with prenatal stress. The goals of this grant are to determine whether such enhanced effects occur more broadly to include the cognitive effects of developmental lead exposure. Additionally, it seeks to determine how general such enhanced effects are by examining whether similar enhanced cognitive effects occur for other neurotoxic metals combined with prenatal stress, specifically methyl-mercury and arsenic, both of which, like lead, act on the body’s stress systems. Our community-based participatory research component is geared towards facilitating the translation of cumulative risk and risk factor interactions.
Progress Summary:
Future Activities:
The findings that methylmercury effects can be enhanced and/or unmasked by prenatal stress will now be extended to additional behavioral baselines known to be adversely affected by methylmercury and prenatal stress separately, using mouse models. In addition, the effects of combined methylmercury and prenatal stress in rat dams from the studies described above are being examined and the extent to which alterations in dams drive changes in offspring will be assessed. Finally, the extent to which prenatal stress can enhance the effects of a third neurotoxic metal, arsenic, will be studied. We will continue to develop our prenatal education and health care provider outreach efforts and broader educational messaging.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 43 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
exposure, health effects, human health, sensitive populations, stressor, cumulative effects, public policy, neuroscience, toxicologyProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.