How mercury and selenium together may affect teen brain development and later mental health
Assessment of the joint influence of methylmercury and selenium upon postnatal brain development and risk for psychiatric disorders
This work looks at whether low-level mercury exposure during adolescence combined with different selenium diets can harm brain cells linked to mood and behavior in teens and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Hawaii at Manoa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251924 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how chronic, low-dose mercury exposure during adolescence interferes with antioxidant selenoenzymes and harms key brain cells that balance excitation and inhibition. They will focus on fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons and follow molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes into young adulthood using lab models and targeted measurements. The team will compare different dietary selenium levels to see if selenium lessens mercury-related redox, calcium, and mitochondrial problems. Behavioral tests will look for changes that resemble psychiatric symptoms seen in humans.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People of adolescent or young-adult age who are concerned about past or ongoing mercury exposure or its possible effects on mood and behavior would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose psychiatric conditions are clearly unrelated to environmental exposures or who are well beyond young adulthood may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to dietary or environmental steps that lower the risk of mood and other psychiatric problems tied to adolescent mercury exposure.
How similar studies have performed: Prior lab and animal studies show mercury can disrupt selenoenzymes and cause oxidative stress that harms inhibitory neurons, but linking low-dose adolescent exposure to adult psychiatric-like outcomes is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Honolulu, United States
- University of Hawaii at Manoa — Honolulu, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pitts, Matthew William — University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Study coordinator: Pitts, Matthew William
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.