In a new study, researchers have established how exposure to lead during early brain development in children can damage it.They found that exposure to lead during the formation of synapses alters the levels of several key proteins involved in neurotransmitter release.Effective brain function depends on the efficient signalling from one neuron to the next, a process that depends on a quick release of neurotransmitters at synapses.It was known that during a child’s early brain development, exposure to lead during synaptogenesis affects the release of these critical neurotransmitters but the reason was unclear.