Associations between residential segregation, ambient air pollution, and hippocampal features in recent trauma survivors

Abstract

Background: Residential segregation is associated with differential exposure to air pollution. Hippocampus structure and function are highly susceptible to pollutants and associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Therefore, we investigated associations between residential segregation, air pollutants, hippocampal neurobiology, and PTSD in recent trauma survivors.

Methods: Participants (N = 278; 34% non-Hispanic white, 46% Non-Hispanic Black, 16% Hispanic) completed multimodal neuroimaging two weeks after trauma. Yearly averages of air pollutants (PM2.5 and NO2) and racial/economic segregation (Index of Concentration at the Extremes) were derived from each participant's address. Linear models assessed if air pollutants mediated associations between segregation and hippocampal volume, threat reactivity, or parahippocampal cingulum fractional anisotropy (FA) after covarying for age, sex, income, and 2-week PTSD symptoms. Further models evaluated if pollutants or segregation prospectively predicted PTSD symptoms six months post-trauma.

Results: Non-Hispanic Black participants lived in neighborhoods with significantly greater segregation and air pollution compared to Hispanic and non-Hispanic white participants (ps<.001). There was a significant indirect effect of NO2 between segregation and FA values (β = 0.08, 95% CI[0.01, 0.15]), and an indirect effect of PM2.5 between segregation and threat reactivity (β = -0.08, 95% CI[-0.14, -0.01]). There was no direct effect of segregation on hippocampal features. Pollutants and segregation were not associated with PTSD symptoms .

Conclusion: Residential segregation is associated with greater air pollution exposure, which is in turn associated with variability in hippocampal features among recent trauma survivors. Further research is needed to assess relationships between other environmental factors and trauma and stress-related disorders.