Overview

• The JAMA Neurology study followed 270 children from a New York City birth cohort with cord-blood chlorpyrifos measurements and multimodal MRI assessments at ages 6 to 14.
• Dose-response analyses revealed widespread cortical alterations, reduced white matter volume, altered diffusion metrics and lower cerebral blood flow across multiple brain regions.
• Higher prenatal chlorpyrifos levels correlated with significant deficits in fine motor control, motor speed and motor programming that persisted into adolescence.
• Although indoor residential use was banned by the EPA in 2001, agricultural applications continue to expose farmworkers and communities through residues on produce and environmental drift.
• Researchers propose mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction and urge systematic monitoring of pesticide exposure in pregnant and agricultural populations while warning that similar organophosphates may pose comparable risks.