The human brain develops over an extended period; its maturation continues through adolescence and young adulthood. Studying trajectories of brain development in representative samples of the general population is important in order to understand exposures and stressors in the child's and adult's physical and social environment that shape human brain development Early environments may be particularly important in their impact on mental health, learning and behavior in human societies. In this context, it is important - for both theoretical and practical reasons - to measure trajectories of brain development in large population-based epidemiological studies.
Researchers with expertise in environmental epidemiology, neuropsychology, psychiatry and developmental cognitive neuroscience contributed to a 2-day scientific debate convened in Barcelona during October 2014. The debate focused on neuroimaging and neuropsychological approaches for the assessment of brain and cognition in typically developing children and adolescents and the challenges of assessing environmental exposure for studies carried out in the general population. The ultimate goal was to generate a consensus about the importance of population-based studies that integrate information across different levels: molecular (e.g., biochemical, genetic), systems (e.g., structural and functional neuroimaging and cognitive assessments) and populations (e.g., air pollution). The debate covered 3 strategic areas: (a) environmental pollution and population science, (b) measures of brain development and (c) future directions and conclusions.
