Mónica Guxens: "Our cities need a radical change to protect children's brains"
The Catalan researcher gave her talk entitled Environmental Exposure and Brain Development: What we Know and Forthcoming Challenges in one of the Conversations Environmental Framework Program 2030, within the free open days organized by the Donostia Sustainability Forum.
Schools, hospitals, old people's homes, in short, places where particularly vulnerable people gather, should be protected and taken into account in urban planning, given the effects of exposure to air pollution on the brain, as Mónica Guxens, a doctor and specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health, explained. Guxens is also an ICREA research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, where she heads the INMA Project, a research network that analyses the role of environmental pollutants on child growth and development. The Catalan researcher gave her talk entitled Environmental Exposure and Brain Development: What we Know and Forthcoming Challenges in one of the Conversations Environmental Framework Program 2030, within the free open days organized by the Donostia Sustainability Forum.
As she explained, the fetal stage and early childhood are crucial periods for brain development, at which time the child is particularly vulnerable to environmental exposure. Air pollution, particularly from road traffic, is one of the most concerning due to its high prevalence in the cities. Guxens pointed out that particulate pollutants can reach the brain through the airways or can even cross the placenta during pregnancy. Different studies have shown the relationship between air pollution and negative effects on brain development. For example, a study in Barcelona found that children in schools in high pollution areas showed lower development of the cognitive function compared to children at schools with cleaner air.
As she explained during her lecture, existing scientific evidence points to air pollution – particularly from road traffic – causing different problems in children's brains. Changes to the white matter of the brain, responsible for transmitting information between different areas of the brain, can affect brain connectivity and, therefore, cognitive performance. In general, negative impacts on the cognitive function have been seen, along with problems with inhibitory control, a crucial brain function for decision making, as it allows risks to be assessed and impulses to be controlled. Furthermore, the effects of pollution on the development of the brain structure have been documented.
The importance of urban planning
In turn, another of the studies by her team found that exposure to noise, particularly in areas with fewer green spaces and greater traffic, is associated with poor development of the white matter of the brain. Considering the cities as complex systems – she pointed out – allows all those problems, including exposure to extreme temperatures, to be addressed. Her research has shown that exposure to very high or very low temperatures during the first years of life is related to poor development of the white matter, particularly in children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Accordingly, Mónica Guxens stressed the importance of passing on the research results to the general public and to the policymakers to drive changes in urban planning. Measures such as less traffic in the city centres, encouraging the use of public transport and the creation of green spaces are fundamental to protect the health of the population, particularly of children.
She went on to stress the importance of studying light pollution and exposure to blue light as factors that can affect health. The increasing presence of blue LEDs in cities and the use of electronic devices at night can alter circadian rhythms and negatively affect sleep and cognitive performance.
How to study children's brains
To study the impact of pollution on children's brains, Mónica Guxens and her team use different techniques, from magnetic resonance that show the brain structure and how its areas are connected, to physiological assessment and computer tests to assess their cognitive functions. Furthermore, parents, teachers and the children themselves are asked about their behavior and wellbeing.
The ISGlobal researcher believes it is essential to continue studying the long-term effects of exposure to air pollutants, as the brain plasticity does not guarantee the damage is fully reversible. The research with the INMA project cohorts, which now includes young adults, will allow the impact of early exposure on lifelong mental health and cognitive function to be assessed.
During the talk and subsequent discussion, Mónica Guxens raised the need to create information platforms that are accessible to the general public to learn about public health research. She likewise stressed the importance of researchers, policymakers and society in general working together to drive changes to protect the health of present and future generations.
