Perinatal exposure to phthalate mixtures alters structural and functional networks in mouse brain

Motivation: Developmental exposure to phthalates has been identified as a risk-factor for autism although the mechanisms are not well understood. Goal(s): To address this gap, we studied how perinatal phthalate exposure affects brain functional and structural connectivity measured in mice as adults. Approach: We collected resting state BOLD timeseries and calculated tractography from diffusion-weighted images at 9.4T in CD1 mice. Results: We found that global and regional brain network connectivity measures differed between mice exposed to phthalate mixtures during development compared to control mice. Impact: Perinatal phthalate exposure contributes to atypical limbic development visible in fMRI and DTI connectivity. This correlates with autism-relevant social behavior changes which is relevant to understanding how phthalates could contribute to the rise in autism over the last two decades.