Different PFAS were associated with different brain regions
The new study was set within the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, a longitudinal birth cohort established at the University of Turku in 2011. Some of the mothers donated a blood sample during pregnancy, and their blood PFAS levels were measured by mass spectrometry at Örebro University in Sweden. Their children came back for a follow-up visit at 5 years old, and they underwent multimodal magnetic resonance brain imaging at Turku University Hospital. The final analysis included 51 mother–child pairs.
The researchers found that maternal PFAS were linearly associated with many aspects of their children’s brain structure. The three main brain regions involved were the corpus callosum, the brain’s largest white matter tract; the surface area and volume of the posterior grey matter volume, in the occipital lobe; and the hypothalamus, which regulates our body’s homeostasis and endocrine function. None of the associations were any different in boys and girls.
Additionally, some PFAS were associated not only with brain structure, but also brain functional connectivity based on functional MRI scans.
“We were able to measure seven different PFAS in this study, and found that individual compounds had specific associations with offspring brain structure, and in some cases two different PFAS had opposite relationships with the same brain region,” explains Professor Tuulia Hyötyläinen from Örebro University.
The PFAS could be divided into two groups based on their chemical structure – whether they contain a carboxylic acid or a sulphonic acid functional group. In most cases, except for in the hypothalamus, the carboxylate-containing PFAS were the ones that were more strongly associated with brain outcomes in children.
“At the moment, it is unclear whether PFAS are directly affecting brain development, although it’s known that they pass the placenta and the blood-brain barrier to accumulate in the brain, and can disturb developing brain cells. It’s also unclear whether these associations are harmful, beneficial, or neutral, and future studies will be needed to determine the functional implications of our findings,” explains Professor Hasse Karlsson from the University of Turku.
Reference: Barron A, Dickens AM, Tuulari JJ, et al. Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances predicts multimodal brain structural and functional outcomes in children aged 5 years: a birth cohort study. Lancet Planet Health. 2025:101309. doi: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.101309
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