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A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Developmental Consequences of Childhood Lead Exposure in Adulthood

Beckwith, Travis J

Abstract Details

2015, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Medicine: Neuroscience/Medical Science Scholars Interdisciplinary.
Lead is a well-known environmental contaminant. The known effects of lead exposure include cognitive and neuropsychological deficits, behavioral abnormalities, organ damage, as well as other developmental consequences. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate behavioral and developmental consequences of childhood lead exposure in adulthood using Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Participants from the Cincinnati Lead Study were utilized for the purposes of this work. Participants received MRI anatomical and diffusion-weighted scans at approximately age 27 years. Previous MRI scans from age 21 years were also utilized. Measurements of adult criminality and psychopathy were obtained from previous research studies in the CLS for retrospective analyses. Voxel-based analyses were used to determine whether measures of criminality and psychopathy were associated with changes in gray and white matter structures. Voxel Based Morphometry was also used to examine whether childhood lead exposure contributes to increased rates of neurodegeneration in adulthood. The results of this dissertation found that measures of criminality were primarily associated with altered patterns of white matter structure and organization in ascending and descending white matter pathways. Furthermore, sex differences suggest that females display negative patterns of myelination in association with criminality, while males display positive associations. Analyses with the psychopathy data suggest that a combination of volumetric loss in the cerebellar white matter and negative patterns of myelination in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes are associated with increased measures of psychopathy. Analysis of sex differences suggest that females display similar patterns as the entire cohort, while males display minimal effects. Finally, the analysis of the influence of childhood lead exposure on the rate of neurodegeneration yielded mixed results. The VBM analysis demonstrated region gray matter loss and white matter increase, but this was not attributable to childhood lead exposure. However, differences in total gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes and percentages suggest an inverse relationship between the amount of volume or percentage change and the amount of childhood lead exposure during certain ages.
James Eliassen, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Kim Cecil, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kim Dietrich, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
James Herman, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Michael Williams, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
381 p.

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Citations

  • Beckwith, T. J. (2015). A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Developmental Consequences of Childhood Lead Exposure in Adulthood [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439309120

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Beckwith, Travis. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Developmental Consequences of Childhood Lead Exposure in Adulthood. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439309120.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Beckwith, Travis. "A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Developmental Consequences of Childhood Lead Exposure in Adulthood." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1439309120

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)