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Singer LT, Powers G, Kim JY, Minnes S, Min MO. Cognitive and functional outcomes at age 21 after prenatal cocaine/polydrug exposure and foster/adoptive care. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 96:107151. [PMID: 36623610 PMCID: PMC9992024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been linked to specific cognitive deficits and behavioral outcomes through early adolescence but there is little information on adult outcomes nor on the relationship of environmental interventions, such as foster/adoptive care, to outcomes. METHODS At 21 years, data were available on 325 young adults, [163 PCE and 162 non-exposed (NCE)], primarily African-American, with low SES, who were followed from birth in a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) and surveyed regarding high school completion, problematic substance use, and incarceration/probation history. In the PCE group, 32 remained in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/FA) from early in life (< 4 years) to 17 years. Group differences were examined through t-tests, MANOVA/ MANCOVA with post-hoc analyses, comparing outcomes and environmental correlates of young adults with PCE vs. NCE, as well as outcomes of PCE young adults in non-kinship foster/adoptive care (PCE/ FA) vs. PCE in birth/kinship care and NCE young adults. RESULTS At 21 years, young adults with PCE had lower mean Full Scale (83.7 ± 10.4 vs. 87.3 ± 12.5, p < .01) and Perceptual Reasoning IQs (87.3 ± 11.5 vs. 91.4 ± 13.9, (p < .02), lower high school completion rates (75% vs. 86%, p < .02), and were marginally more likely to have been on probation than NCE young adults, but did not differ in Verbal IQ, self-report of problematic substance use or incarceration. Young adults with PCE in F/A had similar lower IQ scores but had better verbal skills and high school graduation rates that did not differ from NCE young adults (80.6 vs 86.2%, p > .05). They had higher drug exposure at birth and more experiences of maltreatment (p's < 0.05) but their home environment quality was better and lead levels lower (p's < 0.05) than those of young adults with PCE in birth/kinship care. CONCLUSIONS Young adults with PCE had lower Perceptual Reasoning and Full-Scale IQ scores, independent of caregiving placement, compared to non-exposed young adults. Young adults with PCE placed in non-kinship foster/adoptive care had lower lead levels, more stimulating home environments, better vocabulary skills and were more likely to graduate from high school than those in birth/kinship care,but were not different in their self-report of problematic substance use, or experiences of incarceration or probation. Our data suggest that some cognitive deficits observed in young adults with PCE may be biologically based, but that some functional outcomes can be modified through environmental interventions. Our data also reflect the complexity of disentangling the effects of teratologic exposures on long term outcomes across a variety of domains and the need for studies of children in the foster care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn T Singer
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 1090 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States.
| | - Gregory Powers
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - June-Yung Kim
- Department of Social Work, University of North Dakota, Gillette Hall Room 302, 225 Centennial Dr. Stop 7135, Grand Forks, ND 58202-7135, United States.
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - Meeyoung O Min
- College of Social Work, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
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Blake AJ, Ruderman M, Waterman JM, Langley AK. Long-term effects of pre-adoptive risk on emotional and behavioral functioning in children adopted from foster care. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 130:105031. [PMID: 33757644 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children adopted from foster care are at heightened risk for emotional and behavioral challenges, potentially due to early trauma exposure and related risk factors. Research has demonstrated that adoptees with greater pre-adoptive risk exhibit higher rates of internalizing and externalizing problems across childhood and into adulthood. However, these studies have been limited by their use of individual risk factors or sum scores of cumulative risk and their measurement of internalizing and externalizing behaviors separately. OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to examine effects of pre-adoptive risk on long-term functioning in children adopted from foster care. METHOD In a longitudinally-followed sample of 82 adoptees, we utilized latent growth curve modeling to examine effects of two latent indices of pre-adoptive risk, postnatal (i.e., trauma-related) risk and prenatal risk (not including prenatal substance exposure, since it was nearly ubiquitous in this sample), on adoptee internalizing, externalizing, and latent scores of dysregulation across childhood. Additionally, in three separate models, we tested whether baseline levels and change across childhood in internalizing, externalizing, and dysregulation mediated effects of prenatal and postnatal risk on adolescent/young-adult functioning. RESULTS Greater postnatal risk, but not prenatal risk, predicted higher levels of internalizing and dysregulation across childhood. However, only dysregulation mediated the effect of postnatal risk on adolescent/young-adult functioning. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with prior research evidencing long-term effects of postnatal pre-adoptive risk, but not prenatal risk, in adoptees. Furthermore, they suggest that trauma exposure in this population may result in a profile of broad dysregulation that increases risk for maladjustment into adulthood.
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Singer LT, Chambers C, Coles C, Kable J. Fifty Years of Research on Prenatal Substances: Lessons Learned for the Opioid Epidemic. ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE SCIENCE 2020; 1:223-234. [PMID: 34316723 PMCID: PMC8312986 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-020-00021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Current efforts to design research on developmental effects of prenatal opioid exposure can benefit from knowledge gained from 50 years of studies of fetal alcohol and prenatal drug exposures such as cocaine. Scientific advances in neurobiology, developmental psychopathology, infant assessments, genetics, and imaging support the principles of developmental neurotoxicology that guide research in prenatal exposures. Important to research design is accurate assessment of amount, frequency, and timing of exposure which benefits from accurate self-report and biomarkers of exposure. Identifying and control of pre- and postnatal factors that impact development are difficult and dependent on appropriate research design and selection of comparison groups and measurement of confounding, mediating, and moderating variables. Polysubstance exposure has increased due to the number of prescribed and nonprescribed substances used by pregnant women and varying combinations of drugs may have differential effects on the outcome. Multiple experimental and clinical assessments of infant behavior have been developed but predicting outcome before 18-24 months of age remains difficult. With some exceptions, prenatal substance exposure effect sizes have been small, and cognitive and behavioral effects tend to be specific rather than global. Studies require large sample sizes, adequate retention, and support for social services in at-risk samples. The ethical and legal contexts and stigma associated with drug/alcohol use disorder should be considered in order to prevent harm to families in research programs. Recognition of the pervasive use of addictive substances in this nation should lead to broad scientific efforts to understand how substances affect child outcomes and to initiate prevention and intervention where needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn T. Singer
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, WG49, Cleveland, OH 44106-7001, USA
| | - Christina Chambers
- Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Claire Coles
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julie Kable
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Souza-Silva EM, Alves RB, Simon KA, Hueza IM. Crack cocaine smoke on pregnant rats: Maternal evaluation and teratogenic effect. Hum Exp Toxicol 2019; 39:411-422. [PMID: 31789068 DOI: 10.1177/0960327119891219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate maternal toxicity, teratogenic, and placental oxidative effects resulting from the exposure of rats to crack cocaine smoke during pregnancy. Pregnant rats were exposed either to the smoke of crack and ashes (Crack) or to the smoke of ashes alone, nonexposed or pair-fed with the Crack group. Crack group was exposed to the smoke resulting from the burning of 250 mg of crack for 10 min, twice a day, from 7 days prior to mating until cesarian on gestational day 20. Placental oxidative stress and classical parameters of maternal and fetal evaluation were studied, in addition to the morphometric analysis of the fetal metamers. Even in the absence of changes in body weight gain and feed intake, crack altered the reproductive performance of dams. Exposure to the drug promoted late closure of the fetal fontanel. Furthermore, the morphometric study of the brain mass (BM)/skull cap ratio revealed a decrease in the BM of the fetuses exposed to the drug. Exposure to crack has an oxidative potential in fetal development, since exposure to the drug promoted placental lipid peroxidation. Our study showed that daily exposure to crack, even in lower frequency than that performed by users, has a teratogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Souza-Silva
- Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - R B Alves
- Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - K A Simon
- Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - I M Hueza
- Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo (ICAQF-UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
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Tsai SYA, Bendriem RM, Lee CTD. The cellular basis of fetal endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in drug-induced neurodevelopmental deficits. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 10:100145. [PMID: 30937351 PMCID: PMC6430408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.100145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal substance exposure is a growing public health concern worldwide. Although the opioid crisis remains one of the most prevalent addiction problems in our society, abuse of cocaine, methamphetamines, and other illicit drugs, particularly amongst pregnant women, are nonetheless significant and widespread. Evidence demonstrates prenatal drug exposure can affect fetal brain development and thus can have long-lasting impact on neurobehavioral and cognitive performance later in life. In this review, we highlight research examining the most prevalent drugs of abuse and their effects on brain development with a focus on endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress signaling pathways. A thorough exploration of drug-induced cellular stress mechanisms during prenatal brain development may provide insight into therapeutic interventions to combat effects of prenatal drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- S-Y A Tsai
- Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, National Institute on Drug Abuse, The National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Raphael M Bendriem
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Chun-Ting D Lee
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, USA
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Parolin M, Simonelli A, Mapelli D, Sacco M, Cristofalo P. Parental Substance Abuse As an Early Traumatic Event. Preliminary Findings on Neuropsychological and Personality Functioning in Young Drug Addicts Exposed to Drugs Early. Front Psychol 2016; 7:887. [PMID: 27378983 PMCID: PMC4909766 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental substance use is a major risk factor for child development, heightening the risk of drug problems in adolescence and young adulthood, and exposing offspring to several types of traumatic events. First, prenatal drug exposure can be considered a form of trauma itself, with subtle but long-lasting sequelae at the neuro-behavioral level. Second, parents' addiction often entails a childrearing environment characterized by poor parenting skills, disadvantaged contexts and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), leading to dysfunctional outcomes. Young adults born from/raised by parents with drug problems and diagnosed with a Substance Used Disorder (SUD) themselves might display a particularly severe condition in terms of cognitive deficits and impaired personality function. This preliminary study aims to investigate the role of early exposure to drugs as a traumatic event, capable of affecting the psychological status of young drug addicts. In particular, it intends to examine the neuropsychological functioning and personality profile of young adults with severe SUDs who were exposed to drugs early in their family context. The research involved three groups, each consisting of 15 young adults (aged 18–24): a group of inpatients diagnosed with SUDs and exposed to drugs early, a comparison group of non-exposed inpatients and a group of non-exposed youth without SUDs. A neuropsychological battery (Esame Neuropsicologico Breve-2), an assessment procedure for personality disorders (Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200) and the Symptom CheckList-90-Revised were administered. According to present preliminary results, young drug addicts exposed to drugs during their developmental age were characterized by elevated rates of neuropsychological impairments, especially at the expense of attentive and executive functions (EF); personality disorders were also common but did not differentiate them from non-exposed youth with SUDs. Alternative multi-focused prevention and intervention programs are needed for children of drug-misusing parents, addressing EF and adopting a trauma-focused approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micol Parolin
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandra Simonelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova Padua, Italy
| | - Daniela Mapelli
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova Padua, Italy
| | - Marianna Sacco
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova Padua, Italy
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Singer LT, Minnes S, Min MO, Lewis BA, Short EJ. Prenatal cocaine exposure and child outcomes: a conference report based on a prospective study from Cleveland. Hum Psychopharmacol 2015; 30:285-9. [PMID: 26216564 PMCID: PMC4595926 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study aims to describe developmental outcomes from a longitudinal prospective cohort (Cleveland study) of prenatally cocaine-exposed (CE) infants. METHODS Two hundred eighteen CE and 197 nonexposed infants were enrolled at birth and followed through mid-adolescence. Birth CE status was determined by interview and biologic measures. Multiple demographic, drug, and environmental correlates were controlled. Standardized, normative, reliable measures of fetal growth, intelligence quotient (IQ), behavior, executive function, and language were given at each age and risk for substance misuse assessed in adolescence. A subset of children received volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 years and functional MRI at 14 years. The effect of CE was determined through multiple regression analyses controlling for confounders. RESULTS Cocaine exposed had significant negative effects on fetal growth, attention, executive function, language, and behavior, while overall IQ was not affected. CE had significant negative effects on perceptual reasoning IQ and visual-motor skills and predicted lower volume of corpus callosum and decreased gray matter in the occipital and parietal lobes. CE children had higher risk for substance misuse. Confounding risk factors had additive effects on developmental outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal exposure to cocaine was related to poorer perceptual organization IQ, visual-spatial information processing, attention, language, executive function, and behavior regulation through early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Prenatal cocaine exposure differentially affects stress responses in girls and boys: associations with future substance use. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 27:163-80. [PMID: 25036298 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414000716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure may affect developing stress response systems in youth, potentially creating risk for substance use in adolescence. Further, pathways from prenatal risk to future substance use may differ for girls versus boys. The present longitudinal study examined multiple biobehavioral measures, including heart rate, blood pressure, emotion, and salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA), in response to a stressor in 193 low-income 14- to 17-year-olds, half of whom were prenatally cocaine exposed (PCE). Youth's lifetime substance use was assessed with self-report, interview, and urine toxicology/breathalyzer at Time 1 and at Time 2 (6-12 months later). PCE × Gender interactions were found predicting anxiety, anger, and sadness responses to the stressor, with PCE girls showing heightened responses as compared to PCE boys on these indicators. Stress Response × Gender interactions were found predicting Time 2 substance use in youth (controlling for Time 1 use) for sAA and sadness; for girls, heightened sadness responses predicted substance use, but for boys, dampened sAA responses predicted substance use. Findings suggest distinct biobehavioral stress response risk profiles for boys and girls, with heightened arousal for girls and blunted arousal for boys associated with prenatal risk and future substance use outcomes.
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Schuetze P, Molnar DS, Eiden RD. Profiles of Reactivity in Cocaine-Exposed Children. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [PMID: 23204615 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the possibility that specific, theoretically consistent profiles of reactivity could be identified in a sample of cocaine-exposed infants and whether these profiles were associated with a range of infant and/or maternal characteristics. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct groups of infants based on physiological, behavioral and maternal reported measures of reactivity. Five replicable clusters were identified which corresponded to 1) Dysregulated/High Maternal Report Reactors, 2) Low Behavioral Reactors, 3) High Reactors, 4) Optimal Reactors and 5) Dysregulated/Low Maternal Report Reactors. These clusters were associated with differences in prenatal cocaine exposure status, birthweight, maternal depressive symptoms, and maternal negative affect during mother-infant interactions. These results support the presence of distinct reactivity profiles among high risk infants recruited on the basis of prenatal cocaine exposure and demographically similar control group infants not exposed to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Schuetze
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095 ; Research Institute on Addictions, SUNY University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203 ; Department of Pediatrics, SUNY University at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, NY
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Minnes S, Lang A, Singer L. Prenatal tobacco, marijuana, stimulant, and opiate exposure: outcomes and practice implications. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2011; 6:57-70. [PMID: 22003423 PMCID: PMC3188826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abuse of drugs by pregnant women both in the United States and worldwide has raised many questions regarding the effects of prenatal drug exposure on the developing fetus and subsequent child outcomes. Studies using the neurobehavioral teratology model have been undertaken to determine specific prenatal drug effects on cognitive and behavioral development. Here we summarize the findings of studies that have investigated the developmental effects of prenatal exposure to tobacco, marijuana, stimulants, and opiates. These studies consider the timing and amount of prenatal exposure; other drug exposures; maternal characteristics; and other health, nutritional, and environmental factors. We review treatment options for pregnant, substance-dependent women and therapeutic interventions for exposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Minnes
- Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio,CORRESPONDENCE: Sonia Minnes, Case Western Reserve University, 11235 Bellflower Road, Room 304, Cleveland, OH 44106; e-mail:
| | - Adelaide Lang
- Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Lynn Singer
- School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Betancourt LM, Yang W, Brodsky NL, Gallagher PR, Malmud EK, Giannetta JM, Farah MJ, Hurt H. Adolescents with and without gestational cocaine exposure: Longitudinal analysis of inhibitory control, memory and receptive language. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2011; 33:36-46. [PMID: 21256423 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2010.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2009] [Revised: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 08/17/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical studies of gestational cocaine exposure (GCE) show evidence of changes in brain function at the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral levels, to include effects on developing dopaminergic systems. In contrast, human studies have produced less consistent results, with most showing small effects or no effects on developmental outcomes. Important changes in brain structure and function occur through adolescence, therefore it is possible that prenatal cocaine exposure has latent effects on neurocognitive (NC) outcome that do not manifest until adolescence or young adulthood. We examined NC function using a set of 5 tasks designed to tap 4 different systems: inhibitory control, working memory, receptive language, and incidental memory. For each NC task, data were collected longitudinally at ages 12, 14.5 and 17 years and examined using generalized estimating equations. One hundred and nine children completed at least two of the three evaluations. Covariates included in the final model were assessment number, gender, participant age at first assessment, caregiver depression, and two composites from the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), Environmental Stimulation and Parental Nurturance. We found no cocaine effects on inhibitory control, working memory, or receptive language (p=0.18). GCE effects were observed on incidental face memory task (p=0.055), and GCE by assessment number interaction effects were seen on the incidental word memory task (p=0.031). Participant performance on inhibitory control, working memory, and receptive language tasks improved over time. HOME Environmental Stimulation composite was associated with better receptive language functioning. With a larger sample size smaller differences between groups may have been detected. This report shows no evidence of latent effects of GCE on inhibitory control, working memory, or receptive language. GCE effects were observed on the incidental face memory task, and GCE by assessment number interaction effects was seen on the incidental word memory task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Betancourt
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Rose-Jacobs R, Soenksen S, Appugliese DP, Cabral HJ, Richardson MA, Beeghly M, Heeren TC, Frank DA. Early adolescent executive functioning, intrauterine exposures and own drug use. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2011; 33:379-92. [PMID: 21371553 PMCID: PMC3145371 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2011.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Revised: 02/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in adolescents' executive functioning are often attributed either to intrauterine substance exposure or to adolescents' own substance use, but both predictors typically have not been evaluated simultaneously in the same study. This prospective study evaluated whether intrauterine drug exposures, the adolescents' own substance use, and/or their potential interactions are related to poorer executive functioning after controlling for important contextual variables. Analyses were based on data collected on a sample of 137 predominantly African-American/African Caribbean adolescents from low-income urban backgrounds who were followed since their term birth. Intrauterine substance exposures (cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes) and adolescents' substance use were documented using a combination of biological assays and maternal and adolescent self-report. At 12-14 years of age, examiners masked to intrauterine exposures and current substance use assessed the adolescents using the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), an age-referenced instrument evaluating multiple dimensions of executive functioning (EF). Results of covariate-controlled analyses in this study suggest that when intrauterine substance exposures and young adolescents' substance use variables were in the same analysis models, subtle differences in specific EF outcomes were identifiable in this non-referred sample. While further study with larger samples is indicated, these findings suggest that 1) research on adolescent substance use and intrauterine exposure research should evaluate both predictors simultaneously, 2) subtle neurocognitive effects associated with specific intrauterine drug exposures can be identified during early adolescence, and 3) intrauterine substance exposure effects may differ from those associated with adolescents' own drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Rose-Jacobs
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, 88 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
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Lee CT, Chen J, Worden LT, Freed WJ. Cocaine causes deficits in radial migration and alters the distribution of glutamate and GABA neurons in the developing rat cerebral cortex. Synapse 2011; 65:21-34. [PMID: 20506319 PMCID: PMC2965825 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure induces cytoarchitectural changes in the embryonic neocortex; however, the biological mechanisms and type of cortical neurons involved in these changes are not known. Previously, we found that neural progenitor proliferation in the neocortical ventricular zone (VZ) is inhibited by cocaine; here, we examine the changes in cortical neurogenesis and migration of glutamate and GABA neurons induced by prenatal cocaine exposure. Pregnant rats received 20 mg/kg of cocaine intraperitoneally twice at an interval of 12 h during three periods of neocortical neurogenesis. Neocortical area and distribution of developing neurons were examined by counting Tuj1+, glutamate+, or GABA+ cells in different areas of the cerebral cortex. Cocaine decreased neocortical area by reducing the size of the Tuj1+ layer, but only when administered during early periods of neocortical neurogenesis. The number of glutamatergic neurons was increased in the VZ but was decreased in the outer cortical laminae. Although the number of GABA+ neurons in the VZ of both the neocortex and ganglionic eminences was unchanged, GABA+ cells decreased in all other neocortical laminae. Tangential migration of GABA+ cells was also disrupted by cocaine. These findings suggest that in utero cocaine exposure disturbs radial migration of neocortical neurons, possibly because of decreased radial glia guiding support through enhanced differentiation of neocortical VZ progenitors. Cocaine interrupts radial migration of both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons within the neocortex, in addition to the tangential migration of GABAergic neurons from the subcortical telecephalon. This may result in abnormal neocortical cytoarchitecture and concomitant adverse functional effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Lee
- Development and Plasticity Section, Cellular Neurobiology Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE To determine whether young children involved with child welfare (CW) have gross motor (GM) delay; to examine relationships between GM skills and the influence of multiple factors on GM skills. METHODS One hundred seventy-six children involved with CW received GM assessment, physical examinations, and caseworker interviews. Descriptive statistics, correlations, t tests, analysis of variance and covariance, and multiple regression analyses were completed. RESULTS GM scores, lower than population norms, were associated with growth parameters. Children in kinship care had significantly higher GM scores compared with children in foster care and those with in-home protective services when adjusted for differences in time in CW. Abuse/neglect, medical neglect, and parental substance abuse produced lower scores; referral for abandonment produced higher scores. Age was most strongly related to GM outcome, with multiple regression explaining 19% of GM variance. CONCLUSION Children involved with CW have lower mean GM scores than population norms. Several factors specific to CW experiences may influence GM outcome.
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Chaplin TM, Freiburger MB, Mayes LC, Sinha R. Prenatal cocaine exposure, gender, and adolescent stress response: a prospective longitudinal study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2010; 32:595-604. [PMID: 20826209 PMCID: PMC2983086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2010.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Revised: 08/23/2010] [Accepted: 08/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with alterations in arousal regulation in response to stress in young children. However, relations between cocaine exposure and stress response in adolescence have not been examined. We examined salivary cortisol, self-reported emotion, heart rate, and blood pressure (BP) responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in 49 prenatally cocaine and other drug exposed (PCE) and 33 non-cocaine-exposed (NCE) adolescents. PCE adolescents had higher cortisol levels before and after stress exposure than NCE adolescents. PCE girls showed an elevated anxiety response to stress (compared to NCE girls) and PCE boys showed a dampened diastolic BP response (compared to NCE boys). Girls showed higher anger response and lower pre-stress systolic BP than boys. Group differences were found controlling for potential confounding variables and were not moderated by caregiver-child relationship quality (although relationship quality predicted HPA axis and anxiety response). The findings suggest that prenatal drug exposure is associated with altered stress response in adolescence and that gender moderates this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Chaplin
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, USA.
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Richardson GA, Goldschmidt L, Willford J. Continued effects of prenatal cocaine use: preschool development. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2009; 31:325-33. [PMID: 19695324 PMCID: PMC2765398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2009.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2009] [Revised: 08/07/2009] [Accepted: 08/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between prenatal cocaine use and preschooler's physical and cognitive development and behavioral characteristics was examined, controlling for other influences on child development. On average, children were 38.5 months old, women were 29.4 years old, had 12.3 years of education, and 47% were African American. During the first trimester, 18% of the women were frequent cocaine users (> or = 1 line/day). First trimester cocaine exposure predicted decreased head circumference at 3 years and lower scores on the short-term memory subscale of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (SBIS) [74]. There was no significant relationship between prenatal cocaine use and the other SBIS scales. First trimester cocaine use also predicted more total, internalizing, and externalizing behavior problems on the Child Behavior Checklist [3] and higher scores on the fussy/difficult scale of the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire [6]. Children who were exposed to cocaine throughout pregnancy had more behavior problems and were more fussy compared to children of women who never used cocaine prenatally. A repeated measures analysis showed that children of first trimester cocaine users became more fussy over time. These detrimental effects on growth and behavior are consistent with other reports in the literature and with the hypothesis that prenatal cocaine exposure affects development through changes in neurotransmitter systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gale A Richardson
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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Chaplin TM, Fahy T, Sinha R, Mayes LC. Emotional arousal in cocaine exposed toddlers: prediction of behavior problems. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2009; 31:275-82. [PMID: 19465113 PMCID: PMC2743887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2009.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2009] [Revised: 05/14/2009] [Accepted: 05/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may be associated with alterations in children's developing emotional arousal and regulation systems. OBJECTIVE We examined emotional responses to a frustrating task and subsequent behavior problems in 225 2 1/2 year olds (129 Prenatally Cocaine and Other Drug Exposed [PCE], 30 Non Cocaine but other drug Exposed [NCE], 66 Non Drug Exposed [NDE]). METHOD Children's behaviors in a frustrating toy wait task at age 2 1/2 were coded for emotional arousal and regulation behaviors. RESULTS Findings indicated a trend for PCE toddlers to show greater agitated emotional arousal than NCE and NDE toddlers. Further, PCE boys made more references to their caregivers in the task than NDE boys. Higher agitated arousal at age 2 1/2 years was related to greater decreases in externalizing behaviors through age 5 1/2 years. CONCLUSION Findings suggest a link between cocaine exposure and emotional arousal and regulation and highlight the need to understand complex relations between emotion and risk for later psychopathology in exposed youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Chaplin
- Psychiatry Department, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
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Min MO, Singer LT, Kirchner HL, Minnes S, Short E, Hussain Z, Nelson S. Cognitive development and low-level lead exposure in poly-drug exposed children. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2009; 31:225-31. [PMID: 19345261 PMCID: PMC2693288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2009.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2008] [Revised: 12/22/2008] [Accepted: 03/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The impact of early postnatal lead exposure measured at age 4 on children's IQ and academic achievement at and 11 years of age was examined. The sample consisted of 278 inner-city, primarily African American children who were polydrug exposed prenatally. Regression analyses indicated a linear effect of lead exposure on outcomes and no moderating effects of polydrug exposure. An IQ loss of about 4.1-5.4 Full Scale IQ points was estimated for each 10 microg/dL increase in blood lead level at ages 4, 9, and 11 years as a function of blood lead level at age 4. Decrements in scores on tests of non-verbal reasoning were consistently associated with higher lead levels at age 4, while verbal decrements became apparent only at age 11. Lower reading summary scores at 9 and 11 years were consistently associated with higher lead exposure, while decrements in mathematics were not apparent until 11 years. Subgroup analyses on children with blood lead levels <10 microg/dL showed detrimental lead effects even at the 5 microg/dL level, providing additional evidence of adverse effects occurring at blood lead levels below the current 10 microg/dL public health blood lead action level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meeyoung O Min
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cleveland, OH 44106-7164, USA.
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Eyler FD, Warner TD, Behnke M, Hou W, Wobie K, Garvan CW. Executive functioning at ages 5 and 7 years in children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Dev Neurosci 2009; 31:121-36. [PMID: 19372693 PMCID: PMC3155819 DOI: 10.1159/000207500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2008] [Accepted: 10/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the effect of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on executive functioning in 5- and 7-year-old children. In total, 154 pregnant cocaine users, identified by urine toxicology and structured interviews, were matched to 154 nonusers. Children were assessed by certified masked evaluators, and caregivers were interviewed by experienced staff during home visits. In approximately 90% of the surviving sample tested at ages 5 and 7 years, structural equation modeling demonstrated that an increased head circumference at birth (adjusted for gestation) significantly predicted better performance on executive functioning, and that PCE was indirectly related to executive functioning through its significant negative effect on head circumference at birth. At age 5 years, quality of environment also predicted executive functioning, and the R(2) for the total model was 0.24. At 7 years, caregiver functioning predicted quality of environment, which in turn was positively related to executive functioning, and girls had better executive functioning. The total model at age 7 years accounted for 30% of the variance in executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fonda Davis Eyler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, PO Box 100296, Gainesville, FL 32610-0296, USA.
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Abstract
Prenatal care reduces the impact of illicit drug use on perinatal outcomes. Women who misuse substances are often excluded from mainstream society and, on becoming pregnant, feel guilty about their drug misuse and the potential effects this could have on their unborn baby. These women are vulnerable in many ways and agencies must ensure that they are not excluded from antenatal care. The latest enquiry into maternal deaths published in the UK (CEMACH report) highlights how women with socially complex lives who died were far less likely to have sought antenatal care early in pregnancy or to remain in regular contact with maternity services. Of the women who died from any cause, 11% had problems with substance abuse of whom 60% were registered addicts. Gaps in communication between agencies was highlighted as a particular problem.
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Singer LT, Nelson S, Short E, Min MO, Kirchner HL, Lewis B, Russ S, Minnes S. Prenatal cocaine exposure: drug and environmental effects at 9 years. J Pediatr 2008; 153:105-11. [PMID: 18571546 PMCID: PMC2581925 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2007] [Revised: 11/09/2007] [Accepted: 01/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess school-age cognitive and achievement outcomes in children with prenatal cocaine exposure, controlling for confounding drug and environmental factors. STUDY DESIGN At age 9 years, 371 children (192 cocaine exposure [CE]; 179 non-cocaine exposure [NCE]) were assessed for IQ and school achievement in a longitudinal, prospective study from birth. An extensive number of confounding variables were controlled, including quality of caregiving environment, polydrug exposure, blood lead level, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), and foster/adoptive care. RESULTS Prenatal cocaine exposure predicted poorer perceptual reasoning IQ, with a linear relationship of the concentration of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine to the degree of impairment. Effects were mediated through birth head circumference, indicating a relationship with fetal brain growth. Negative effects of alcohol, lead, and marijuana exposure and positive effects of the home environment were additive. The CE children in foster/adoptive care had better home environments and lower lead levels. School achievement was not affected. CONCLUSIONS Persistent teratologic effects of CE on specific cognitive functions and additive effects of alcohol, lead, and marijuana exposure; IDA; and the home environment were identified. Documenting environmental factors in behavioral teratology studies is important, because in this sample, CE was associated with better home environment and lower environmental risk in a substantial number of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn T. Singer
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University,Department of General Medical Sciences, Case Western Reserve University,Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University
| | - Suchitra Nelson
- Department of Community Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
| | | | | | | | - Barbara Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University
| | - Sandra Russ
- Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Department of General Medical Sciences, Case Western Reserve University
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Bada HS, Langer J, Twomey J, Bursi C, Lagasse L, Bauer CR, Shankaran S, Lester BM, Higgins R, Maza PL. Importance of stability of early living arrangements on behavior outcomes of children with and without prenatal drug exposure. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2008; 29:173-82. [PMID: 18349707 PMCID: PMC3984541 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0b013e3181644a79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated whether living arrangements of children with or without prenatal drug exposure would be associated with their behavior outcomes and adaptive functioning. METHODS A total of 1388 children with or without prenatal cocaine or opiate exposure were enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study at 1 month of age, were seen at intervals, tracked over time for their living situation, and evaluated for behavior problems and adaptive functioning at 3 years of age. The Child Behavior Checklist and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were administered. Using multiple regression models, we determined the factors that would predict behavior problems and adaptive functioning. RESULTS Of the children enrolled, 1092 children were evaluated. Total and externalizing behavior problems T scores of children in relative care were lower (better) than those in parental care; externalizing behavior scores were lower than those in nonrelative care (p < .05). Total behavior problem scores increased 2.3 and 1.3 points, respectively, with each move per year and each year of Child Protective Services involvement. Compared to children in nonrelative care, those in parental or relative care had higher (better) scores in the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales total composite (p < .023), communication (p < .045), and daily living (p < .001). Each caretaker change was associated with a decrease of 2.65 and 2.19 points, respectively, in communication and daily living scores. CONCLUSION Children's living arrangements were significantly associated with childhood behavior problems and adaptive functioning. The instability of living situation was also a significant predictor of these outcomes. While family preservation continues to be the goal of the child welfare system, expediting decision toward permanency remains paramount once children are placed in foster care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrietta S Bada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA.
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Rivkin MJ, Davis PE, Lemaster JL, Cabral HJ, Warfield SK, Mulkern RV, Robson CD, Rose-Jacobs R, Frank DA. Volumetric MRI study of brain in children with intrauterine exposure to cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Pediatrics 2008; 121:741-50. [PMID: 18381539 PMCID: PMC2562785 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-1399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to use volumetric MRI to study brain volumes in 10- to 14-year-old children with and without intrauterine exposure to cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana. METHODS Volumetric MRI was performed on 35 children (mean age: 12.3 years; 14 with intrauterine exposure to cocaine, 21 with no intrauterine exposure to cocaine) to determine the effect of prenatal drug exposure on volumes of cortical gray matter; white matter; subcortical gray matter; cerebrospinal fluid; and total parenchymal volume. Head circumference was also obtained. Analyses of each individual substance were adjusted for demographic characteristics and the remaining 3 prenatal substance exposures. RESULTS Regression analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics showed that children with intrauterine exposure to cocaine had lower mean cortical gray matter and total parenchymal volumes and smaller mean head circumference than comparison children. After adjustment for other prenatal exposures, these volumes remained smaller but lost statistical significance. Similar analyses conducted for prenatal ethanol exposure adjusted for demographics showed significant reduction in mean cortical gray matter; total parenchymal volumes; and head circumference, which remained smaller but lost statistical significance after adjustment for the remaining 3 exposures. Notably, prenatal cigarette exposure was associated with significant reductions in cortical gray matter and total parenchymal volumes and head circumference after adjustment for demographics that retained marginal significance after adjustment for the other 3 exposures. Finally, as the number of exposures to prenatal substances grew, cortical gray matter and total parenchymal volumes and head circumference declined significantly with smallest measures found among children exposed to all 4. CONCLUSIONS; These data suggest that intrauterine exposures to cocaine, alcohol, and cigarettes are individually related to reduced head circumference; cortical gray matter; and total parenchymal volumes as measured by MRI at school age. Adjustment for other substance exposures precludes determination of statistically significant individual substance effect on brain volume in this small sample; however, these substances may act cumulatively during gestation to exert lasting effects on brain size and volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Rivkin
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts,Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter E. Davis
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L. Lemaster
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Howard J. Cabral
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Simon K. Warfield
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert V. Mulkern
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Caroline D. Robson
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ruth Rose-Jacobs
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah A. Frank
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
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Shang EH, Zhdanova IV. The circadian system is a target and modulator of prenatal cocaine effects. PLoS One 2007; 2:e587. [PMID: 17622340 PMCID: PMC1899232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2007] [Accepted: 06/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal exposure to cocaine can be deleterious to embryonic brain development, but the results in humans remain controversial, the mechanisms involved are not well understood and effective therapies are yet to be designed. We hypothesize that some of the prenatal effects of cocaine might be related to dysregulation of physiological rhythms due to alterations in the integrating circadian clock function. Methodology and Principle Findings Here we introduce a new high-throughput genetically well-characterized diurnal vertebrate model for studying the mechanisms of prenatal cocaine effects by demonstrating reduced viability and alterations in the pattern of neuronal development following repeated cocaine exposure in zebrafish embryos. This effect is associated with acute cocaine-induced changes in the expression of genes affecting growth (growth hormone, zGH) and neurotransmission (dopamine transporter, zDAT). Analysis of circadian gene expression, using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (QPCR), demonstrates that cocaine acutely and dose-dependently changes the expression of the circadian genes (zPer-3, zBmal-1) and genes encoding melatonin receptors (zMelR) that mediate the circadian message to the entire organism. Moreover, the effects of prenatal cocaine depend on the time of treatment, being more robust during the day, independent of whether the embryos are raised under the light-dark cycle or in constant light. The latter suggests involvement of the inherited circadian factors. The principal circadian hormone, melatonin, counteracts the effects of cocaine on neuronal development and gene expression, acting via specific melatonin receptors. Conclusions/Significance These findings demonstrate that, in a diurnal vertebrate, prenatal cocaine can acutely dysregulate the expression of circadian genes and those affecting melatonin signaling, growth and neurotransmission, while repeated cocaine exposure can alter neuronal development. Daily variation in these effects of cocaine and their attenuation by melatonin suggest a potential prophylactic or therapeutic role for circadian factors in prenatal cocaine exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva H Shang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Lumeng JC, Cabral HJ, Gannon K, Heeren T, Frank DA. Pre-natal exposures to cocaine and alcohol and physical growth patterns to age 8 years. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2007; 29:446-57. [PMID: 17412558 PMCID: PMC2227319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2007.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2006] [Revised: 02/19/2007] [Accepted: 02/28/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Two hundred and two primarily African American/Caribbean children (classified by maternal report and infant meconium as 38 heavier, 74 lighter and 89 not cocaine-exposed) were measured repeatedly from birth to age 8 years to assess whether there is an independent effect of pre-natal cocaine exposure on physical growth patterns. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome identifiable at birth were excluded. At birth, cocaine and alcohol exposures were significantly and independently associated with lower weight, length and head circumference in cross-sectional multiple regression analyses. The relationship over time of pre-natal exposures to weight, height, and head circumference was then examined by multiple linear regression using mixed linear models including covariates: child's gestational age, gender, ethnicity, age at assessment, current caregiver, birth mother's use of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco during the pregnancy and pre-pregnancy weight (for child's weight) and height (for child's height and head circumference). The cocaine effects did not persist beyond infancy in piecewise linear mixed models, but a significant and independent negative effect of pre-natal alcohol exposure persisted for weight, height, and head circumference. Catch-up growth in cocaine-exposed infants occurred primarily by 6 months of age for all growth parameters, with some small fluctuations in growth rates in the preschool age range but no detectable differences between heavier versus unexposed nor lighter versus unexposed thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C Lumeng
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Morrow CE, Culbertson JL, Accornero VH, Xue L, Anthony JC, Bandstra ES. Learning disabilities and intellectual functioning in school-aged children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Dev Neuropsychol 2007; 30:905-31. [PMID: 17083299 PMCID: PMC2641029 DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn3003_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Risk for developing a learning disability (LD) or impaired intellectual functioning by age 7 was assessed in full-term children with prenatal cocaine exposure drawn from a cohort of 476 children born full term and enrolled prospectively at birth. Intellectual functioning was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (Wechsler, 1991) short form, and academic functioning was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT; Wechsler, 1993) Screener by examiners blind to exposure status. LDs were categorized based on ability-achievement discrepancy scores, using the regression-based predicted achievement method described in the WIAT manual. The sample in this report included 409 children (212 cocaine-exposed, 197 non-cocaine-exposed) from the birth cohort with available data. Cumulative incidence proportions and relative risk values were estimated using STATA software (Statacorp, 2003). No differences were found in the estimate of relative risk for impaired intellectual functioning (IQ below 70) between children with and without prenatal cocaine exposure (estimated relative risk = .95; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.65, 1.39; p = .79). The cocaine-exposed children had 2.8 times greater risk of developing a LD by age 7 than non-cocaine-exposed children (95% CI = 1.05, 7.67; p = .038; IQ >/= 70 cutoff). Results remained stable with adjustment for multiple child and caregiver covariates, suggesting that children with prenatal cocaine exposure are at increased risk for developing a learning disability by age 7 when compared to their non-cocaine-exposed peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie E Morrow
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
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Bada HS, Das A, Bauer CR, Shankaran S, Lester B, LaGasse L, Hammond J, Wright LL, Higgins R. Impact of prenatal cocaine exposure on child behavior problems through school age. Pediatrics 2007; 119:e348-59. [PMID: 17272597 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2006-1404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the trajectory of childhood behavior problems after prenatal cocaine exposure. METHODS The Maternal Lifestyle Study, a longitudinal cohort study, enrolled children between 1993 and 1995 at 4 centers. Prenatal cocaine exposure was determined from mothers who admitted use and/or meconium results. Exposed children were matched with a group of nonexposed children within site and by gestational age, gender, race, and ethnicity. The study began at the 1-month corrected age with a total of 1388 children enrolled. A total of 1056 were assessed for internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems at ages 3, 5, and 7 years using the Child Behavior Checklist. Longitudinal hierarchical linear models were used to determine the effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on behavior problem trajectories while controlling for other prenatal exposures; time-varying covariates, including ongoing caregiver use of legal and illegal substances; demographic factors; family violence; and caregiver psychological distress. RESULTS High prenatal cocaine exposure was associated with the trajectory of internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems; these effects were independent of and less than the significant combined effect of prenatal and postnatal tobacco and alcohol exposures. Caregiver depression and family violence had independent negative influence on all behavior outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal cocaine exposure has a negative impact on the trajectories of childhood behavior outcomes. When they co-occur with prenatal cocaine exposure, prenatal and postnatal tobacco and alcohol exposures have added negative effects on behavior outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrietta S Bada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
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Coles CD, Black MM. Introduction to the Special Issue: Impact of Prenatal Substance Exposure on Children's Health, Development, School Performance, and Risk Behavior. J Pediatr Psychol 2005; 31:1-4. [PMID: 22282638 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsj036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
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