1
|
Thompson DK, Kelly CE, Dhollander T, Muggli E, Hearps S, Lewis S, Nguyen TNN, Spittle A, Elliott EJ, Penington A, Halliday J, Anderson PJ. Associations between low-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and brain development in childhood. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103595. [PMID: 38555806 PMCID: PMC10998198 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of low-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on brain development have been infrequently studied. AIM To compare cortical and white matter structure between children aged 6 to 8 years with low-moderate PAE in trimester 1 only, low-moderate PAE throughout gestation, or no PAE. METHODS Women reported quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging was undertaken for 143 children aged 6 to 8 years with PAE during trimester 1 only (n = 44), PAE throughout gestation (n = 58), and no PAE (n = 41). T1-weighted images were processed using FreeSurfer, obtaining brain volume, area, and thickness of 34 cortical regions per hemisphere. Fibre density (FD), fibre cross-section (FC) and fibre density and cross-section (FDC) metrics were computed for diffusion images. Brain measures were compared between PAE groups adjusted for age and sex, then additionally for intracranial volume. RESULTS After adjustments, the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex volume (pFDR = 0.045) and area (pFDR = 0.008), and right cingulum tract cross-sectional area (pFWE < 0.05) were smaller in children exposed to alcohol throughout gestation compared with no PAE. CONCLUSION This study reports a relationship between low-moderate PAE throughout gestation and cingulate cortex and cingulum tract alterations, suggesting a teratogenic vulnerability. Further investigation is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deanne K Thompson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claire E Kelly
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thijs Dhollander
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Evelyne Muggli
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen Hearps
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sharon Lewis
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Alicia Spittle
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Elliott
- The University of Sydney, Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Kids Research, Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anthony Penington
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter J Anderson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Boateng T, Beauchamp K, Torres F, Ruffaner-Hanson CD, Pinner JFL, Vakamudi K, Cerros C, Hill DE, Stephen JM. Brain structural differences in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and its subtypes. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1152038. [PMID: 37621716 PMCID: PMC10445146 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1152038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) have been examined in animal models and humans. The current study extends the prior literature by quantifying differences in brain structure for individuals with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) compared to typically developing controls, as well as examining FASD subtypes. We hypothesized the FASD group would reveal smaller brain volume, reduced cortical thickness, and reduced surface area compared to controls, with the partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS)/fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) subtypes showing the largest effects and the PAE/alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) subtype revealing intermediate effects. Methods The sample consisted of 123 children and adolescents recruited from a single site including children with a diagnosis of FASD/PAE (26 males, 29 females) and controls (34 males, 34 females). Structural T1-weighted MRI scans were obtained on a 3T Trio TIM scanner and FreeSurfer v7.2 was used to quantify brain volume, cortical thickness, and surface area. Analyses examined effects by subgroup: pFAS/FAS (N = 32, Mage = 10.7 years, SEage = 0.79), PAE/ARND (N = 23, Mage = 10.8, SEage = 0.94), and controls (N = 68, Mage = 11.1, SEage = 0.54). Results Total brain volume in children with an FASD was smaller relative to controls, but subtype analysis revealed only the pFAS/FAS group differed significantly from controls. Regional analyses similarly revealed reduced brain volume in frontal and temporal regions for children with pFAS/FAS, yet children diagnosed with PAE/ARND generally had similar volumes as controls. Notable differences to this pattern occurred in the cerebellum, caudate, and pallidum where children with pFAS/FAS and PAE/ARND revealed lower volume relative to controls. In the subset of participants who had neuropsychological testing, correlations between volume and IQ scores were observed. Goodness-of-Fit analysis by age revealed differences in developmental patterns (linear vs. quadratic) between groups in some cases. Discussion This study confirmed prior results indicating decreased brain volume in children with an FASD and extended the results by demonstrating differential effects by structure for FASD subtypes. It provides further evidence for a complex role of PAE in structural brain development that is likely related to the cognitive and behavioral effects experienced by children with an FASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theresah Boateng
- Department of Special Education, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kathryn Beauchamp
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- The Mind Research Network, Division of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Faerl Torres
- The Mind Research Network, Division of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Chaselyn D. Ruffaner-Hanson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - John F. L. Pinner
- The Mind Research Network, Division of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Kishore Vakamudi
- The Mind Research Network, Division of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Cassandra Cerros
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Dina E. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Julia M. Stephen
- The Mind Research Network, Division of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gimbel BA, Roediger DJ, Ernst AM, Anthony ME, de Water E, Mueller BA, Rockhold MN, Schumacher MJ, Mattson SN, Jones KL, Lim KO, Wozniak JR. Delayed cortical thinning in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken) 2023; 47:1312-1326. [PMID: 37132064 PMCID: PMC10851870 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with abnormalities in cortical structure and maturation, including cortical thickness (CT), cortical volume, and surface area. This study provides a longitudinal context for the developmental trajectory and timing of abnormal cortical maturation in PAE. METHODS We studied 35 children with PAE and 30 nonexposed typically developing children (Comparisons), aged 8-17 at enrollment, who were recruited from the University of Minnesota FASD Program. Participants were matched on age and sex. They underwent a formal evaluation of growth and dysmorphic facial features associated with PAE and completed cognitive testing. MRI data were collected on a Siemens Prisma 3T scanner. Two sessions, each including MRI scans and cognitive testing, were spaced approximately 15 months apart on average. Change in CT and performance on tests of executive function (EF) were examined. RESULTS Significant age-by-group (PAE vs. Comparison) linear interaction effects in CT were observed in the parietal, temporal, occipital, and insular cortices suggesting altered developmental trajectories in the PAE vs. Comparison groups. Results suggest a pattern of delayed cortical thinning in PAE, with the Comparison group showing more rapid thinning at younger ages and those with PAE showing accelerated thinning at older ages. Overall, children in the PAE group showed reduced cortical thinning across time relative to the Comparison participants. Symmetrized percent change (SPC) in CT in several regions was significantly correlated with EF performance at 15-month follow-up for the Comparison group but not the group with PAE. CONCLUSIONS Regional differences were seen longitudinally in the trajectory and timing of CT change in children with PAE, suggesting delayed cortical maturation and an atypical pattern of development compared with typically developing individuals. In addition, exploratory correlation analyses of SPC and EF performance suggest the presence of atypical brain-behavior relationships in PAE. The findings highlight the potential role of altered developmental timing of cortical maturation in contributing to long-term functional impairment in PAE.
Collapse
|
4
|
Lü L, Yuan F, Fan H, Li Y, Liu J, Feng W, Zhang HG, Chen SY. Ethanol exposure disrupted the formation of radial glial processes and impaired the generation and migration of outer radial glial cells in forebrain organoids derived from human embryonic stem cells. Exp Neurol 2023; 362:114325. [PMID: 36669750 PMCID: PMC9992138 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Radial glial cells (RGCs) play a pivotal role in cerebral cortical development by functioning as a source of new neurons and by supporting the migration of newborn neurons. These functions are primarily dependent on the apical-basolateral structures of radial glial processes. This study aims to investigate the effects of ethanol exposure on the development of radial glial processes and the generation, migration, and transformation of outer radial glial cells (oRGCs). For this purpose, forebrain organoids were developed from human embryonic stem cells. These forebrain organoids contain abundant neural progenitor cells (SOX2+), express high levels of neural epithelial markers β-catenin and PKCλ, and dorsal forebrain marker PAX6, and display well-organized cortical architectures containing abundant apical and basal RGCs, intermediate progenitors (IPCs), and neurons. Exposure of forebrain organoids to ethanol resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis in Nestin-positive radial glial cells. Ethanol exposure also remarkably decreased the levels of radial glial process-associated proteins, including Nestin, GFAP, and Vimentin, in radial glial cells and distinctly impaired the integrity and morphologies of radial glial processes. In addition, the ethanol-induced impairment of the radial glial processes is associated with decreased migration and proliferation of radial glial cells, reduction in the generation of HOPX+ oRGCs, and the accelerated transformation of oRGCs into astrocytes. These results demonstrate that ethanol exposure can disrupt cerebral cortex development by impairing the formation of radial glial processes and the generation, migration, and transformation of oRGCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lanhai Lü
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Fuqiang Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Huadong Fan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Yihong Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Wenke Feng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Huang-Ge Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Shao-Yu Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Subramoney S, Joshi SH, Wedderburn CJ, Lee D, Roos A, Woods RP, Zar HJ, Narr K, Stein DJ, Donald KA. The impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on gray matter volume and cortical surface area of 2 to 3-year-old children in a South African birth cohort. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1233-1247. [PMID: 35581528 PMCID: PMC9357164 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing literature that demonstrates the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on brain development in school-aged children. Less is known, however, on how PAE impacts the brain early in life. We investigated the effects of PAE and child sex on subcortical gray matter volume, cortical surface area (CSA), cortical volume (CV), and cortical thickness (CT) in children aged 2 to 3 years. METHODS The sample was recruited as a nested cross-sectional substudy of the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Images from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were acquired on 47 alcohol-exposed and 124 control children (i.e., with no or minimal alcohol exposure), aged 2 to 3 years, some of whom were scanned as neonates. Brain images were processed through automated processing pipelines using FreeSurfer version 6.0. Subcortical and a priori selected cortical regions of interest were compared. RESULTS Subcortical volume analyses revealed a PAE by child sex interaction for bilateral putamen volumes (Left: p = 0.02; Right: p = 0.01). There was no PAE by child sex interaction effect on CSA, CV, and CT. Analyses revealed an impact of PAE on CSA (p = 0.04) and CV (p = 0.04), but not CT in this age group. Of note, the inferior parietal gyrus CSA was significantly smaller in children with PAE compared to control children. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this subgroup scanned at age 2 to 3 years build on previously described subcortical volume differences in neonates from this cohort. Findings suggest that PAE persistently affects gray matter development through the critical early years of life. The detectable influence of PAE on brain structure at this early age further highlights the importance of brain imaging studies on the impact of PAE on the young developing brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sivenesi Subramoney
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's HospitalUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Shantanu H. Joshi
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Catherine J. Wedderburn
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's HospitalUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Clinical ResearchLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
- The Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - David Lee
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Annerine Roos
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's HospitalUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- The Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of PsychiatryStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
| | - Roger P. Woods
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Heather J. Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's HospitalUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)University of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Katherine L. Narr
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral SciencesUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dan J. Stein
- The Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- SU/UCT MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental DisordersUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Kirsten A. Donald
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's HospitalUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- The Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kar P, Reynolds JE, Gibbard WB, McMorris C, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. Trajectories of brain white matter development in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4145-4157. [PMID: 35596624 PMCID: PMC9374879 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with alterations to brain white matter microstructure. Previous studies of PAE have demonstrated different findings in young children compared to older children and adolescents, suggesting altered developmental trajectories and highlighting the need for longitudinal research. 122 datasets in 54 children with PAE (27 males) and 196 datasets in 89 children without PAE (45 males) were included in this analysis. Children underwent diffusion tensor imaging between 2 and 8 years of age, returning approximately every 6 months. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 10 major brain white matter tracts and examined for age-related changes using linear mixed effects models with age, sex, group (PAE vs. control) and an age-by-group interaction. Children with PAE had slower decreases of MD over time in the genu of the corpus callosum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. No significant age-by-group interactions were noted for FA. These findings show slower white matter development in young children with PAE than in unexposed controls. This connects previous cross-sectional findings of lower MD in young children with PAE to findings of higher MD in older children and adolescents with PAE, and further helps to understand brain development in children with PAE. This deviation from typical development trajectories may reflect altered brain plasticity, which has implications for cognitive and behavioral learning in children with PAE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Kar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jess E Reynolds
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - William Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carly McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yu X, Dunstan J, Jacobson SW, Molteno CD, Lindinger NM, Turesky TK, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Gaab N. Distinctive neural correlates of phonological and reading impairment in fetal alcohol-exposed adolescents with and without facial dysmorphology. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108188. [PMID: 35218791 PMCID: PMC9922095 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to atypical brain and cognitive development, including poor academic performance in reading. This study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to characterize functional and structural mechanisms mediating reading deficits in 26 adolescents with PAE-related facial dysmorphology (fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/partial FAS (PFAS)), 29 heavily-exposed (HE) non-syndromal adolescents, in comparison with 19 typically developing controls. The FAS/PFAS and HE groups were balanced in terms of levels of PAE and reading (dis)ability. While neural alterations in the posterior association cortices were evident in both PAE groups, distinctive neural correlates of reading (dis)abilities were observed between adolescents with and without facial dysmorphology. Specifically, compared to the HE and control groups, the syndromal adolescents showed greater activation in the right precentral gyrus during phonological processing and rightward lateralization in an important reading-related tract (inferior longitudinal fasciculus, ILF), suggesting an atypical reliance on the right hemisphere. By contrast, in the HE, better reading skills were positively correlated with neural activation in the left angular gyrus and white matter organization of the left ILF, although the brain function-behavior relation was weaker than among the controls, suggesting less efficient function of the typical reading network. Our findings provide converging evidence at both the neural functional and structural levels for distinctive brain mechanisms underlying atypical reading and phonological processing in PAE adolescents with and without facial dysmorphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Jade Dunstan
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa; Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Ted K Turesky
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Biffen SC, Dodge NC, Warton CMR, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW. Compromised interhemispheric transfer of information partially mediates cognitive function deficits in adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:517-529. [PMID: 35187666 PMCID: PMC9018477 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been associated with compromised interhemispheric transfer of tactile stimuli in childhood and structural changes to the corpus callosum (CC). In this study, we used a finger localization task (FLT) to investigate whether interhemispheric transfer deficits persist in adolescence; whether effects of PAE on perceptual reasoning, working memory, and executive function are mediated by deficits in interhemispheric transfer of information; and whether CC size in childhood predicts FLT performance in adolescence. METHODS Participants, aged 16 to 17 years, were from the Cape Town Longitudinal Cohort, whose mothers were recruited during pregnancy and interviewed regarding their alcohol use using the timeline follow-back method. Diagnoses of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial FAS (PFAS) were determined by two expert dysmorphologists; nonsyndromal exposed children were designated as heavily exposed (HE); those born to abstainers or light drinkers, as controls. The FLT was administered to 74 participants (12 FAS, 16 PFAS, 14 HE and 32 controls). CC size at age 9 to 12 years was available for 35 participants (7 FAS, 13 PFAS, 5 HE and 10 control). RESULTS Although the degree of PAE was similar in the FAS, PFAS, and HE groups, only the adolescents with FAS showed more transfer-related errors than controls in conditions in which one finger was stimulated. FLT performance mediated the effects of FAS on perceptual reasoning and executive function. In the subsample for which neuroimaging data from childhood were available, there was an association among adolescents with PAE of smaller CC volumes with more transfer-related errors on the one-finger/hand hidden condition, suggesting that CC damage previously seen in childhood continues to impact function through adolescence. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence of compromised interhemispheric transfer of information in adolescents with FAS, while those with PFAS or heavy exposed nonsyndromal individuals are apparently spared. It is the first to show that PAE effects on important aspects of cognitive function are partially mediated by deficits in the interhemispheric transfer of information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stevie C Biffen
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pervin Z, Pinner J, Flynn L, Cerros CM, Williams ME, Hill DE, Stephen JM. School-aged children diagnosed with an FASD exhibit visuo-cortical network disturbance: A magnetoencephalography (MEG) study. Alcohol 2022; 99:59-69. [PMID: 34915151 PMCID: PMC9113084 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) often suffer from cognitive and neurobehavioral dysfunction throughout their lives, which may rise to a level of concern such that children receive a diagnosis under the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) umbrella. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) contributes direct insight into neural processing and functional connectivity measures with temporal precision to understand cortical processing disorders that manifest during development. The impairment of perception may become more consequential among school-aged children with an FASD in the process of intellectual functioning and behavioral maturation. Fifty participants with the age range of 8-13 years participated in our study following parental informed consent and child assent. For each participant, visual responses were recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG) while performing a prosaccade task with central stimuli (fovea centralis) and peripheral stimuli (left and right of central) presented on a screen, requiring participants to shift their gaze to the stimuli. After source analysis using minimum norm estimation (MNE), we investigated visual responses from each participant by measuring the latency and amplitude of visual evoked fields. Delayed peak latency of the visual response was identified in the primary visual area (calcarine fissure) and visual association areas (v2, v3) in young children with an FASD for both stimulus types (central and peripheral). But the difference in visual response latency was only statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) for the peripheral (right) stimulus. We also observed reduced amplitude (p ≤ 0.006) of visual evoked response in children with an FASD for the central stimulus type in both primary and visual association areas. Multiple visual areas show impairment in children with an FASD, with visual delay and conduction disturbance more prominent in response to peripheral stimuli. Children with an FASD also exhibit significantly reduced amplitude of neural activation to central stimuli. These sensory deficits may lead to slow cognitive processing speed through continued intra-cortical network disturbance in children with an FASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zinia Pervin
- The Mind Research Network, a Division of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - John Pinner
- The Mind Research Network, a Division of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Lucinda Flynn
- The Mind Research Network, a Division of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Cassandra M. Cerros
- Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Mareth E. Williams
- Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Dina E. Hill
- Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Julia M. Stephen
- The Mind Research Network, a Division of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA.,Corresponding author Julia M. Stephen, Ph.D., MEG Core Director, Prof. of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Pete & Nancy Domenici hall, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, Tel: (505)-504-1053.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Licheri V, Brigman JL. Altering Cell-Cell Interaction in Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Models: Insight on Cell-Adhesion Molecules During Brain Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:753537. [PMID: 34975396 PMCID: PMC8715949 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.753537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol exposure during pregnancy disrupts the development of the brain and produces long lasting behavioral and cognitive impairments collectively known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). FASDs are characterized by alterations in learning, working memory, social behavior and executive function. A large body of literature using preclinical prenatal alcohol exposure models reports alcohol-induced changes in architecture and activity in specific brain regions affecting cognition. While multiple putative mechanisms of alcohol’s long-lasting effects on morphology and behavior have been investigated, an area that has received less attention is the effect of alcohol on cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The embryo/fetal development represents a crucial period for Central Nervous System (CNS) development during which the cell-cell interaction plays an important role. CAMs play a critical role in neuronal migration and differentiation, synaptic organization and function which may be disrupted by alcohol. In this review, we summarize the physiological structure and role of CAMs involved in brain development, review the current literature on prenatal alcohol exposure effects on CAM function in different experimental models and pinpoint areas needed for future study to better understand how CAMs may mediate the morphological, sensory and behavioral outcomes in FASDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Licheri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States.,New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dyląg KA, Wieczorek W, Bauer W, Walecki P, Bando B, Martinek R, Kawala-Sterniuk A. Pilot Study on Analysis of Electroencephalography Signals from Children with FASD with the Implementation of Naive Bayesian Classifiers. Sensors (Basel) 2021; 22:103. [PMID: 35009650 PMCID: PMC8747358 DOI: 10.3390/s22010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this paper Naive Bayesian classifiers were applied for the purpose of differentiation between the EEG signals recorded from children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders (FASD) and healthy ones. This work also provides a brief introduction to the FASD itself, explaining the social, economic and genetic reasons for the FASD occurrence. The obtained results were good and promising and indicate that EEG recordings can be a helpful tool for potential diagnostics of FASDs children affected with it, in particular those with invisible physical signs of these spectrum disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Anna Dyląg
- St. Louis Children Hospital, 31-503 Krakow, Poland; (K.A.D.); (B.B.)
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow—Collegium Medicum, 31-121 Krakow, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Wieczorek
- Department of Bioinformatics and Telemedicine, Jagiellonian University in Krakow—Collegium Medicum, 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (W.W.); (P.W.)
| | - Waldemar Bauer
- Department of Automatic Control and Robotics, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
| | - Piotr Walecki
- Department of Bioinformatics and Telemedicine, Jagiellonian University in Krakow—Collegium Medicum, 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (W.W.); (P.W.)
| | - Bozena Bando
- St. Louis Children Hospital, 31-503 Krakow, Poland; (K.A.D.); (B.B.)
| | - Radek Martinek
- Department of Cybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, VSB—Technical University Ostrava—FEECS, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic;
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jacobson JL, Akkaya-Hocagil T, Ryan LM, Dodge NC, Richardson GA, Olson HC, Coles CD, Day NL, Cook RJ, Jacobson SW. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on cognitive and behavioral development: Findings from a hierarchical meta-analysis of data from six prospective longitudinal U.S. cohorts. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2040-2058. [PMID: 34342030 PMCID: PMC8602737 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive and behavioral sequelae of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) continue to be prevalent in the United States and worldwide. Because these sequelae are also common in other neurodevelopmental disorders, researchers have attempted to identify a distinct neurobehavioral profile to facilitate the differential diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). We used an innovative, individual participant meta-analytic technique to combine data from six large U.S. longitudinal cohorts to provide a more comprehensive and reliable characterization of the neurobehavioral deficits seen in FASD than can be obtained from smaller samples. METHODS Meta-analyses were performed on data from 2236 participants to examine effects of PAE (measured as oz absolute alcohol/day (AA/day)) on IQ, four domains of cognition function (learning and memory, executive function, reading achievement, and math achievement), sustained attention, and behavior problems, after adjusting for potential confounders using propensity scores. RESULTS The effect sizes for IQ and the four domains of cognitive function were strikingly similar to one another and did not differ at school age, adolescence, or young adulthood. Effect sizes were smaller in the more middle-class Seattle cohort and larger in the three cohorts that obtained more detailed and comprehensive assessments of AA/day. PAE effect sizes were somewhat weaker for parent- and teacher-reported behavior problems and not significant for sustained attention. In a meta-analysis of five aspects of executive function, the strongest effect was on set-shifting. CONCLUSIONS The similarity in the effect sizes for the four domains of cognitive function suggests that PAE affects an underlying component or components of cognition involving learning and memory and executive function that are reflected in IQ and academic achievement scores. The weaker effects in the more middle-class cohort may reflect a more cognitively stimulating environment, a different maternal drinking pattern (lower alcohol dose/occasion), and/or better maternal prenatal nutrition. These findings identify two domains of cognition-learning/memory and set-shifting-that are particularly affected by PAE, and one, sustained attention, which is apparently spared.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | | | - Louise M. Ryan
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Claire D. Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Nancy L. Day
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Richard J. Cook
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lees B, Mewton L, Jacobus J, Valadez EA, Stapinski LA, Teesson M, Tapert SF, Squeglia LM. Association of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure With Psychological, Behavioral, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:1060-1072. [PMID: 32972200 PMCID: PMC7924902 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Data on the neurodevelopmental and associated behavioral effects of light to moderate in utero alcohol exposure are limited. This retrospective investigation tested for associations between reported maternal prenatal alcohol use and psychological, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in substance-naive youths. METHODS Participants were 9,719 youths (ages 9.0 to 10.9 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Based on parental reports, 2,518 (25.9%) had been exposed to alcohol in utero. Generalized additive mixed models and multilevel cross-sectional and longitudinal mediation models were used to test whether prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with psychological, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes, and whether differences in brain structure and resting-state functional connectivity partially explained these associations at baseline and 1-year follow-up, after controlling for possible confounding factors. RESULTS Prenatal alcohol exposure of any severity was associated with greater psychopathology, attention deficits, and impulsiveness, with some effects showing a dose-dependent response. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure, compared with those without, displayed greater cerebral and regional volume and greater regional surface area. Resting-state functional connectivity was largely unaltered in children with in utero exposure. Some of the psychological and behavioral outcomes at baseline and at the 1-year follow-up were partially explained by differences in brain structure among youths who had been exposed to alcohol in utero. CONCLUSIONS Any alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with subtle yet significant psychological and behavioral effects in children. Women should continue to be advised to abstain from alcohol consumption from conception throughout pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lees
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Louise Mewton
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Emilio A. Valadez
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Lexine A. Stapinski
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| | - Lindsay M. Squeglia
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia (Lees, Stapinski, Teesson); Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia (Mewton); Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla (Jacobus, Tapert); Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park (Valadez); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
AIMS To review the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on the outcomes of the mother and child. DESIGN Narrative review. SETTING Review of literature. PARTICIPANTS Mothers and infants affected by prenatal alcohol use. MEASUREMENTS Outcomes of mothers and children. FINDINGS Prenatal alcohol exposure is one of the most important causes of preventable cognitive impairment in the world. The developing neurological system is exquisitely sensitive to harm from alcohol and there is now also substantial evidence that alcohol-related harm can extend beyond the individual person, leading to epigenetic changes and intergenerational vulnerability and disadvantage. There is no known safe level or timing of drinking for pregnant or lactating women and binge drinking (> four drinks within 2 hours for women) is the most harmful. Alcohol-exposure increases the risk of congenital problems, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and its most severe form, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). CONCLUSION The impact of FASD and FAS is enduring and life-long with no current treatment or cure. Emerging therapeutic options may mitigate the worst impact of alcohol exposure but significant knowledge gaps remain. This review discusses the history, epidemiology and clinical presentations of prenatal alcohol exposure, focusing on FASD and FAS, and the impact of evidence on future research, practice and policy directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Lee Oei
- School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia.,Department of Newborn Care, the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, NSW, Australia.,Drug and Alcohol Services, Murrumbidgee Local Health District, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Long X, Kar P, Gibbard B, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. The brain's functional connectome in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 24:102082. [PMID: 31795047 PMCID: PMC6889793 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We used fMRI to study young children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). We measured the functional connectome and its stability within and across participants. The PAE group had similar graph theory metrics to controls. The PAE group, but not controls, had increasing intra-participant stability with age. Controls, but not the PAE group, had increasing inter-participant stability with age.
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to altered brain function and structure, as well as lifelong cognitive, behavioral, and mental health difficulties. Previous research has shown reduced brain network efficiency in older children and adolescents with PAE, but no imaging studies have examined brain differences in young children with PAE, at an age when cognitive and behavioral problems often first become apparent. The present study aimed to investigate the brain's functional connectome in young children with PAE using passive viewing fMRI. We analyzed 34 datasets from 26 children with PAE aged 2–7 years and 215 datasets from 87 unexposed typically-developing children in the same age range. The whole brain functional connectome was constructed using functional connectivity analysis across 90 regions for each dataset. We examined intra- and inter-participant stability of the functional connectome, graph theoretical measurements, and their correlations with age. Children with PAE had similar inter- and intra-participant stability to controls. However, children with PAE, but not controls, showed increasing intra-participant stability with age, suggesting a lack of variability of intrinsic brain activity over time. Inter-participant stability increased with age in controls but not in children with PAE, indicating more variability of brain function across the PAE population. Global graph metrics were similar between children with PAE and controls, in line with previous studies in older children. This study characterizes the functional connectome in young children with PAE for the first time, suggesting that the increased brain variability seen in older children develops early in childhood, when participants with PAE fail to show the expected age-related increases in inter-individual stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Long
- Alberta Children's Hospital, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary T3B6A8, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Canada
| | - Preeti Kar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Canada
| | - Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary T3B6A8, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gross LA, Moore EM, Wozniak JR, Coles CD, Kable JA, Sowell ER, Jones KL, Riley EP, Mattson SN. Neural correlates of verbal memory in youth with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 12:806-822. [PMID: 28656347 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9739-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure can impact both brain development and neurobehavioral function, including verbal learning and recall, although the relation between verbal recall and brain structure in this population has not been examined fully. We aimed to determine the structural neural correlates of verbal learning and recall in youth with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure using a region of interest (ROI) approach. As part of an ongoing multisite project, subjects (age 10-16 years) with prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 81) and controls (CON, n = 81) were tested using the CVLT-C and measures of cortical volume, surface area, and thickness as well as hippocampal volume were derived from MRI. Group differences in brain and memory indices were tested with ANOVA. Multiple regression analyses tested whether brain ROIs significantly predicted memory performance. The AE group had lower scores than the CON group on all CVLT-C variables (ps ≤ .001) and volume and surface area (ps < .025), although results varied by ROI. No group differences in cortical thickness were found. The relations between cortical structure and memory performance differed between group among some ROIs, particularly those in the frontal cortex, generally with smaller surface area and/or thinner cortex predicting better performance in CON but worse performance in AE. Cortical surface area appears to be the most sensitive index to the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, while cortical thickness appears to be the least sensitive. These findings also indicate that the neural correlates of verbal memory are altered in youth with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure compared to controls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Gross
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Eileen M Moore
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Wozniak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, F282/2A West, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA
| | - Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Julie A Kable
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Blvd., Mailstop #130, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0828, USA
| | - Edward P Riley
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hendrickson TJ, Mueller BA, Sowell ER, Mattson SN, Coles CD, Kable JA, Jones KL, Boys CJ, Lee S, Lim KO, Riley EP, Wozniak JR. Two-year cortical trajectories are abnormal in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:123-133. [PMID: 29486453 PMCID: PMC5949095 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cortical abnormalities in prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are known, including in gyrification (LGI), thickness (CT), volume (CV), and surface area (CS). This study provides longitudinal and developmental context to the PAE cortical development literature. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Included: 58 children with PAE and 52 controls, ages 6-17 at enrollment, from four Collaborative Initiative on FASD (CIFASD) sites. Participants underwent a formal evaluation of physical anomalies and dysmorphic facial features associated with PAE. MRI data were collected on three platforms (Siemens, GE, and Philips) at four sites. Scans were spaced two years apart. Change in LGI, CT, CS, and CV were examined. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS Several significant regional age-by-diagnosis linear and quadratic interaction effects in LGI, CT, and CV were found, indicating atypical developmental trajectories in PAE. No significant correlations were observed between cortical measures and IQ. CONCLUSIONS Regional differences were seen longitudinally in CT, CV, and LGI in those with PAE. The findings represent important insights into developmental trajectories and may have implications for the timing of assessments and interventions in this population. It is noteworthy that cortical metrics did not correlate with IQ, suggesting that more specific aspects of cognitive development may need to be explored to provide further context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, USA; University of Southern California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhou D, Rasmussen C, Pei J, Andrew G, Reynolds JN, Beaulieu C. Preserved cortical asymmetry despite thinner cortex in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure and associated conditions. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 39:72-88. [PMID: 28960637 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with reduced overall brain volume. Although this has been reported consistently across studies, the status of cortical thickness after PAE is more variable. The cortex is asymmetric in typical controls, but it is unclear whether the left and right counter parts of the cortical gray matter are unevenly influenced in postpartum brain development after PAE. Brain MRI was acquired in a newly recruited sample of 157 participants (PAE: N = 78, 5.5-18.9 years, 40 females and controls: N = 79, 5.8-18.5 years, 44 females) across four Canadian sites in the NeuroDevNet project. The PAE group had other confounds such as psychiatric co-morbidity, different living environment, and so on, not present in the control group. In agreement with previous studies, the volumes of all brain structures were reduced in PAE compared to controls, including gray and white matter of cerebrum and cerebellum, and all deep gray matter including the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, caudate, putamen, and pallidum. The PAE group showed reductions in global and regional cortical thickness, while the pattern and degree of cortical thickness asymmetry were preserved in PAE participants with the greatest rightward asymmetry in the lateral parietal lobe and the greatest leftward asymmetry in the lateral frontal cortex. This persistent asymmetry reflects that the homologous left and right cortical regions followed typical relative developmental patterns in the PAE group despite being thinner bilaterally than controls. Hum Brain Mapp 39:72-88, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongming Zhou
- Environment and Health Research Centre, Southwest China Eco-development Academy, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Jacqueline Pei
- Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gail Andrew
- Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital FASD Clinic, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James N Reynolds
- Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Fan J, Taylor PA, Jacobson SW, Molteno CD, Gohel S, Biswal BB, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM. Localized reductions in resting-state functional connectivity in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:5217-5233. [PMID: 28734059 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are characterized by impairment in cognitive function that may or may not be accompanied by craniofacial anomalies, microcephaly, and/or growth retardation. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), which examines the low-frequency component of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in the absence of an explicit task, provides an efficient and powerful mechanism for studying functional brain networks even in low-functioning and young subjects. Studies using independent component analysis (ICA) have identified a set of resting-state networks (RSNs) that have been linked to distinct domains of cognitive and perceptual function, which are believed to reflect the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain. This study is the first to examine resting-state functional connectivity within these RSNs in FASD. Rs-fMRI scans were performed on 38 children with FASD (19 with either full fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS (PFAS), 19 nonsyndromal heavily exposed (HE)), and 19 controls, mean age 11.3 ± 0.9 years, from the Cape Town Longitudinal Cohort. Nine resting-state networks were generated by ICA. Voxelwise group comparison between a combined FAS/PFAS group and controls revealed localized dose-dependent functional connectivity reductions in five regions in separate networks: anterior default mode, salience, ventral and dorsal attention, and R executive control. The former three also showed lower connectivity in the HE group. Gray matter connectivity deficits in four of the five networks appear to be related to deficits in white matter tracts that provide intra-RSN connections. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5217-5233, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Fan
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul A Taylor
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, South Africa.,Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | | | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Bharat B Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Nguyen VT, Chong S, Tieng QM, Mardon K, Galloway GJ, Kurniawan ND. Radiological studies of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in humans and animal models: An updated comprehensive review. Magn Reson Imaging 2017. [PMID: 28645698 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders encompass a wide range of birth defects in children born to mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Typical mental impairments in FASD include difficulties in life adaptation and learning and memory, deficits in attention, visuospatial skills, language and speech disabilities, mood disorders and motor disabilities. Multimodal imaging methods have enabled in vivo studies of the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the central nervous system, giving more insight into the FASD phenotype. This paper offers an up-to-date comprehensive review of radiological findings in the central nervous system in studies of prenatal alcohol exposure in both humans and translational animal models, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography, Positron Emission Tomography, Single Photon Emission Tomography and Ultrasonography.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Van T Nguyen
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Suyinn Chong
- Mater Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Quang M Tieng
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karine Mardon
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Graham J Galloway
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Treit S, Chen Z, Zhou D, Baugh L, Rasmussen C, Andrew G, Pei J, Beaulieu C. Sexual dimorphism of volume reduction but not cognitive deficit in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A combined diffusion tensor imaging, cortical thickness and brain volume study. Neuroimage Clin 2017; 15:284-297. [PMID: 28560153 PMCID: PMC5440763 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed abnormalities in brain volumes, cortical thickness and white matter microstructure in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD); however, no study has reported all three measures within the same cohort to assess the relative magnitude of deficits, and few studies have examined sex differences. Participants with FASD (n = 70; 30 females; 5-32 years) and healthy controls (n = 74; 35 females; 5-32 years) underwent cognitive testing and MRI to assess cortical thickness, regional brain volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA)/mean diffusivity (MD) of white matter tracts. A significant effect of group, age-by-group, or sex-by-group was found for 9/9 volumes, 7/39 cortical thickness regions, 3/9 white matter tracts, and 9/10 cognitive tests, indicating group differences that in some cases differ by age or sex. Volume reductions for several structures were larger in males than females, despite similar deficits of cognition in both sexes. Correlations between brain structure and cognitive scores were found in females of both groups, but were notably absent in males. Correlations within a given MRI modality (e.g. total brain volume and caudate volume) were prevalent in both the control and FASD groups, and were more numerous than correlations between measurement types (e.g. volumes and diffusion tensor imaging) in either cohort. This multi-modal MRI study finds widespread differences of brain structure in participants with prenatal alcohol exposure, and to a greater extent in males than females which may suggest attenuation of the expected process of sexual dimorphism of brain structure during typical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Treit
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Zhang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Dongming Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Lauren Baugh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Carmen Rasmussen
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Gail Andrew
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada; FASD Diagnostic Clinic, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, AB T6G-0B7, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Pei
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G-2R3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Öztürk NC, Resendiz M, Öztürk H, Zhou FC. DNA Methylation program in normal and alcohol-induced thinning cortex. Alcohol 2017; 60:135-147. [PMID: 28433420 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
While cerebral underdevelopment is a hallmark of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the mechanism(s) guiding the broad cortical neurodevelopmental deficits are not clear. DNA methylation is known to regulate early development and tissue specification through gene regulation. Here, we examined DNA methylation in the onset of alcohol-induced cortical thinning in a mouse model of FASD. C57BL/6 (B6) mice were administered a 4% alcohol (v/v) liquid diet from embryonic (E) days 7-16, and their embryos were harvested at E17, along with isocaloric liquid diet and lab chow controls. Cortical neuroanatomy, neural phenotypes, and epigenetic markers of methylation were assessed using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and methyl-DNA assays. We report that cortical thickness, neuroepithelial proliferation, and neuronal migration and maturity were found to be deterred by alcohol at E17. Simultaneously, DNA methylation, including 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxcylmethylcytosine (5hmC), which progresses as an intrinsic program guiding normal embryonic cortical development, was severely affected by in utero alcohol exposure. The intricate relationship between cortical thinning and this DNA methylation program disruption is detailed and illustrated. DNA methylation, dynamic across the multiple cortical layers during the late embryonic stage, is highly disrupted by fetal alcohol exposure; this disruption occurs in tandem with characteristic developmental abnormalities, ranging from structural to molecular. Finally, our findings point to a significant question for future exploration: whether epigenetics guides neurodevelopment or whether developmental conditions dictate epigenetic dynamics in the context of alcohol-induced cortical teratogenesis.
Collapse
|
23
|
Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Molteno CD, Warton CMR, Wintermark P, Hoyme HE, De Jong G, Taylor P, Warton F, Lindinger NM, Carter RC, Dodge NC, Grant E, Warfield SK, Zöllei L, van der Kouwe AJW, Meintjes EM. Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure is Related to Smaller Corpus Callosum in Newborn MRI Scans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:965-975. [PMID: 28247416 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have consistently demonstrated disproportionately smaller corpus callosa in individuals with a history of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) but have not previously examined the feasibility of detecting this effect in infants. Tissue segmentation of the newborn brain is challenging because analysis techniques developed for the adult brain are not directly transferable, and segmentation for cerebral morphometry is difficult in neonates, due to the latter's incomplete myelination. This study is the first to use volumetric structural MRI to investigate PAE effects in newborns using manual tracing and to examine the cross-sectional area of the corpus callosum (CC). METHODS Forty-three nonsedated infants born to 32 Cape Coloured heavy drinkers and 11 controls recruited prospectively during pregnancy were scanned using a custom-designed birdcage coil for infants, which increases signal-to-noise ratio almost 2-fold compared to the standard head coil. Alcohol use was ascertained prospectively during pregnancy, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders diagnosis was conducted by expert dysmorphologists. Data were acquired using a multi-echo FLASH protocol adapted for newborns, and a knowledge-based procedure was used to hand-segment the neonatal brains. RESULTS CC was disproportionately smaller in alcohol-exposed neonates than controls after controlling for intracranial volume. By contrast, CC area was unrelated to infant sex, gestational age, age at scan, or maternal smoking, marijuana, or methamphetamine use during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Given that midline craniofacial anomalies have been recognized as a hallmark of fetal alcohol syndrome in humans and animal models since this syndrome was first identified, the CC deficit identified here in newborns may support early identification of a range of midline structural impairments. Smaller CC during the newborn period may provide an early indicator of fetal alcohol-related cognitive deficits that have been linked to this critically important brain structure in childhood and adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - H Eugene Hoyme
- Department of Pediatrics , Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.,College of Medicine , University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Greetje De Jong
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics , Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul Taylor
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Scientific and Statistical Computing Core , National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Fleur Warton
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Psychology , University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine , Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences , Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ellen Grant
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine , Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Department of Pediatrics , Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Department of Radiology , Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit , Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Glass L, Moore EM, Akshoomoff N, Jones KL, Riley EP, Mattson SN. Academic Difficulties in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Presence, Profile, and Neural Correlates. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1024-1034. [PMID: 28340498 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Academic achievement was evaluated in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure to determine potential strengths and weaknesses, evaluate the utility of different definitions for identifying low academic performance, and explore the neural correlates that may underlie academic performance. METHODS Children (8 to 16 years) were assessed using the WIAT-II. Patterns of performance were examined in 2 subject groups: children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (n = 67) and controls (n = 61). A repeated-measures MANCOVA examining group differences on academic domain (reading, spelling, math) scores was conducted. Post hoc comparisons examined within-group profiles. Numbers and percentage of children with low achievement were calculated using several criteria. In a subsample (n = 42), neural correlates were analyzed using FreeSurfer v5.3 to examine relations between cortical structure (thickness and surface area) and performance. RESULTS The alcohol-exposed group performed worse than controls on all domains and had a unique academic profile, supported by a significant group × academic domain interaction (p < 0.001). For the alcohol-exposed group, math reasoning was significantly lower than numerical operations, which was significantly lower than spelling and word reading. Over half of the alcohol-exposed group (58.2%) demonstrated low achievement on 1 or more academic domains. The number and percentage of children meeting criteria for low achievement varied based on the domain and definition used. The imaging analysis identified several surface area clusters that were differentially related to math (L superior parietal and R lateral/middle occipital) and spelling (bilateral inferior and medial temporal) performance by group, with no relations for the other academic domains. Generally, scores improved as surface area decreased in controls, whereas no relation or a positive relation was observed in the alcohol-exposed group. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol-exposed children demonstrated deficits in academic performance across domains and definitions, with a relative weakness in math functioning. Atypical brain development may contribute to these impairments in academic achievement. Understanding academic difficulties can assist in advocating effectively for alcohol-exposed children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Glass
- Department of Psychology , Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Eileen M Moore
- Department of Psychology , Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Natacha Akshoomoff
- Department of Psychiatry , Center for Human Development, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Kenneth Lyons Jones
- Department of Pediatrics , School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Edward P Riley
- Department of Psychology , Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Department of Psychology , Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Landgren
- Department of Paediatrics; Unit of Developmental Neurology; Skaraborg Hospital; Mariestad Sweden
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatric Centre; University of Gothenburg; Gothenburg Sweden
- Research and Development Centre; Skaraborg's Hospital; Skövde Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a result of the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the developing fetus. Decades of research examining both individuals with FASDs and animal models of developmental alcohol exposure have revealed the devastating effects of alcohol on brain structure, function, behavior, and cognition. Neurotrophic factors have an important role in guiding normal brain development and cellular plasticity in the adult brain. This chapter reviews the current literature showing that alcohol exposure during the developmental period impacts neurotrophin production and proposes avenues through which alcohol exposure and neurotrophin action might interact. These areas of overlap include formation of long-term potentiation, oxidative stress processes, neuroinflammation, apoptosis and cell loss, hippocampal adult neurogenesis, dendritic morphology and spine density, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and behaviors related to spatial memory, anxiety, and depression. Finally, we discuss how neurotrophins have the potential to act in a compensatory manner as neuroprotective molecules that can combat the deleterious effects of in utero alcohol exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K E Boschen
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Lewis SM, Vydrová RR, Leuthold AC, Georgopoulos AP. Cortical miscommunication after prenatal exposure to alcohol. Exp Brain Res 2016; 234:3347-3353. [PMID: 27491551 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4732-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We report on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on resting-state brain activity as measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG). We studied 37 subjects diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in one of three categories: fetal alcohol syndrome, partial fetal alcohol syndrome, and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. For each subject, the MEG signal was recorded for 60 s during rest while subjects lay supine. Using time series analysis, we calculated the synchronous neural interactions for all pair-wise combinations of 248 MEG sensors resulting in 30,628 partial correlations for each subject. We found significant differences from control subjects in 6.19 % of the partial zero-lag crosscorrelations (synchronous neural interactions; Georgopoulos et al. in J Neural Eng 4:349-355, 2007), with these differences localized in the right posterior frontal, right parietal, and left parietal/posterior frontal regions. These results show that MEG can detect functional brain differences in the individuals affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Furthermore, these differences may serve as a biomarker for future studies linking symptoms and signs to specific brain areas. This may lead to new insights into the neuropathology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Lewis
- Brain Sciences Center (11B), Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA. .,Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Rosa R Vydrová
- Brain Sciences Center (11B), Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA.,Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Arthur C Leuthold
- Brain Sciences Center (11B), Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Apostolos P Georgopoulos
- Brain Sciences Center (11B), Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Infante MA, Moore EM, Bischoff-Grethe A, Migliorini R, Mattson SN, Riley EP. Atypical cortical gyrification in adolescents with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Res 2015; 1624:446-454. [PMID: 26275919 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure can adversely affect brain development, although little is known about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on gyrification. Gyrification reflects cortical folding complexity and is a process by which the surface of the brain creates sulci and gyri. Prior studies have shown that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with reduced gyrification in childhood, but no studies have examined adolescents. Subjects (12-16 years) comprised two age-equivalent groups: 30 adolescents with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE) and 19 non-exposed controls (CON). A T1-weighted image was obtained for all participants. Local gyrification index (LGI) was estimated using FreeSurfer. General linear models were used to determine between group differences in LGI controlling for age and sex. Age-by-group interactions were also investigated while controlling for sex. The AE group displayed reduced LGI relative to CON in the bilateral superior parietal region, right postcentral region, and left precentral and lateral occipital regions (ps<.001). Significant age-by-group interactions were observed in the right precentral and lateral occipital regions, and in the left pars opercularis and inferior parietal regions (ps<.01). The AE group showed age-related reductions in gyrification in all regions whereas the CON group showed increased gyrification with age in the lateral occipital region only. While cross-sectional, the age-related reduction in gyrification observed in the AE group suggests alterations in cortical development throughout adolescence and provides further insight into the pathophysiology and brain maturation of adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Alejandra Infante
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA.
| | - Eileen M Moore
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | | | - Robyn Migliorini
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA
| | - Edward P Riley
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA
| |
Collapse
|