Seasonal farm pesticide effects on thinking and mood in teens and young adults
Official title: Cyclical Alterations In Neurocognitive Performance And Mood Over Two Years In Relation To Pesticide Spray Seasons Among Adolescent And Young Adult Participants Of The Espina Study.
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11300242 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at whether pesticide spray seasons are linked to temporary changes in thinking skills and mood in teens and young adults from the ESPINA group.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2016 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $502,346 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES025792-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300242 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults enrolled in the ESPINA cohort or living in agricultural areas with seasonal pesticide spraying who can attend repeated study visits and provide biological samples.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live near agricultural spray zones or who cannot commit to repeated testing and sample collection are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
This project follows about 550 adolescents and young adults from the ESPINA cohort over two years to see if their cognition and mood change during local pesticide spray seasons. Researchers will repeat cognitive tests and mood questionnaires during and outside spray periods and collect biological samples and exposure timing information. The team will link short-term exposure markers to any temporary declines in attention, memory, or increases in anxiety and impulsive behaviors. Findings aim to identify when young people may be most vulnerable and suggest ways to reduce exposure or protect health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify times when pesticide exposure temporarily harms thinking or mood in young people and inform strategies to reduce exposure or protect them.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links organophosphate exposures to cognitive changes and some mood effects, but repeatedly measuring short-term cycles across spray seasons in this age group is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Suarez, Jose Ricardo — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Suarez, Jose Ricardo
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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.