51
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Mous SE, Muetzel RL, El Marroun H, Polderman TJC, van der Lugt A, Jaddoe VW, Hofman A, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H, Posthuma D, White T. Cortical thickness and inattention/hyperactivity symptoms in young children: a population-based study. Psychol Med 2014; 44:3203-3213. [PMID: 25065362 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291714000877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While many neuroimaging studies have investigated the neurobiological basis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), few have studied the neurobiology of attention problems in the general population. The ability to pay attention falls along a continuum within the population, with children with ADHD at one extreme of the spectrum and, therefore, a dimensional perspective of evaluating attention problems has an added value to the existing literature. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between cortical thickness and inattention and hyperactivity symptoms in a large population of young children. METHOD This study is embedded within the Generation R Study and includes 6- to 8-year-old children (n = 444) with parent-reported attention and hyperactivity measures and high-resolution structural imaging data. We investigated the relationship between cortical thickness across the entire brain and the Child Behavior Checklist Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Problems score. RESULTS We found that greater attention problems and hyperactivity were associated with a thinner right and left postcentral gyrus. When correcting for potential confounding factors and multiple testing, these associations remained significant. CONCLUSIONS In a large, population-based sample we showed that young (6- to 8-year-old) children who show more attention problems and hyperactivity have a thinner cortex in the region of the right and left postcentral gyrus. The postcentral gyrus, being the primary somatosensory cortex, reaches its peak growth early in development. Therefore, the thinner cortex in this region may reflect either a deviation in cortical maturation or a failure to reach the same peak cortical thickness compared with children without attention or hyperactivity problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Mous
- The Generation R Study Group,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - R L Muetzel
- The Generation R Study Group,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - H El Marroun
- The Generation R Study Group,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - T J C Polderman
- Complex Trait Genetics, Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam (NCA),VU University,Amsterdam,The Netherlands
| | - A van der Lugt
- Department of Radiology,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - V W Jaddoe
- The Generation R Study Group,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - A Hofman
- Department of Epidemiology,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - F C Verhulst
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - H Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - D Posthuma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
| | - T White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology,Erasmus Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital,Rotterdam,The Netherlands
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52
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Schulson M, Liu A, Björkman T, Quinton A, Mann KP, Benzie R, Peek M, Nanan R. Mid-Gestational Enlargement of Fetal Thalami in Women Exposed to Methadone during Pregnancy. Front Surg 2014; 1:28. [PMID: 25593952 PMCID: PMC4286970 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2014.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methadone maintenance therapy is the standard of care in many countries for opioid-dependent women who become pregnant. Despite recent evidence showing significant neurodevelopmental changes in children and adults exposed to both licit and illicit substances in utero, data on the effects of opioids in particular remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of opiate use, in particular methadone, on various fetal cortical and biometric growth parameters in utero using ultrasound measurements done at 18-22 weeks gestation. Head circumference (HC), bi-parietal diameter, lateral ventricle diameter, transcerebellar diameter, thalamic diameter, cisterna magna diameter, and femur length were compared between fetuses born to methadone-maintained mothers and non-substance using controls. A significantly larger thalamic diameter (0.05 cm, p = 0.01) was observed in the opiate-exposed group. Thalamic diameter/HC ratio was also significantly raised (0.03 mm, p = 0.01). We hypothesize here that the increase in thalamic diameter in opiate-exposed fetuses could potentially be explained by regional differences in opioid and serotonin receptor densities, an alteration in monoamine neurotransmitter systems, and an enhancement of the normal growth increase that occurs in the thalamus during mid-gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Schulson
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Anthony Liu
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Tracey Björkman
- Perinatal Research Centre, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Herston, QLD , Australia
| | - Ann Quinton
- Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Kristy P Mann
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, NSW , Australia
| | - Ron Benzie
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Michael Peek
- Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Ralph Nanan
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
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Abstract
Psychoactive bath salts (PABS) comprise a group of highly dangerous designer drugs showing a sharp escalation in reported U.S. exposures from 2010 through 2012, following rapid spread of the drug in Europe. Since a federal ban on the major ingredients in October 2011, numbers have declined. However, evidence from the United Kingdom shows an initial decline after the UK ban in 2010 with a 400 percent increase in reports by 2012. Actual information about the effect of PABS use on pregnant women and fetuses is almost nonexistent. Clinicians should be aware of the potential maternal, fetal and neonatal effects of PABS.
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54
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El Marroun H, Schmidt MN, Franken IHA, Jaddoe VWV, Hofman A, van der Lugt A, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H, White T. Prenatal tobacco exposure and brain morphology: a prospective study in young children. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:792-800. [PMID: 24096296 PMCID: PMC3924517 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that smoking during pregnancy can affect offspring health. Prenatal tobacco exposure has been associated with negative behavioral and cognitive outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. These associations between prenatal tobacco exposure and psychopathology in offspring could possibly be explained by the influence of prenatal tobacco exposure on brain development. In this prospective study, we investigated the association between prenatal tobacco exposure, behavioral and emotional functioning and brain morphology in young children. On the basis of age and gender, we matched 113 children prenatally exposed to tobacco with 113 unexposed controls. These children were part of a population-based study in the Netherlands, the Generation R Study, and were followed from pregnancy onward. Behavioral and emotional functioning was assessed at age 6 with the Child Behavior Checklist. We assessed brain morphology using magnetic resonance imaging techniques in children aged 6-8 years. Children exposed to tobacco throughout pregnancy have smaller total brain volumes and smaller cortical gray matter volumes. Continued prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with cortical thinning, primarily in the superior frontal, superior parietal, and precentral cortices. These children also demonstrated increased scores of affective problems. In addition, thickness of the precentral and superior frontal cortices was associated with affective problems. Importantly, brain development in offspring of mothers who quit smoking during pregnancy resembled that of nonexposed controls (no smaller brain volumes and no thinning of the cortex). Our findings suggest an association between continued prenatal tobacco exposure and brain structure and function in school-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan El Marroun
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcus N Schmidt
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent W V Jaddoe
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Hofman
- The Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aad van der Lugt
- The Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank C Verhulst
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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55
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Kumar A, Behen ME, Singsoonsud P, Veenstra AL, Wolfe-Christensen C, Helder E, Chugani HT. Microstructural abnormalities in language and limbic pathways in orphanage-reared children: a diffusion tensor imaging study. J Child Neurol 2014; 29:318-25. [PMID: 23358628 PMCID: PMC3659189 DOI: 10.1177/0883073812474098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging fiber tractography to examine the miscrostructural integrity of limbic and paralimbic white matter tracts in 36 children (age M = 124 months) with histories of early deprivation, raised from birth in orphanages and subsequently adopted into the United States, compared to 16 age-matched typically developing children. We found increased mean diffusivity bilaterally in the arcuate fasciculus and increased mean diffusivity and reduced fractional anisotropy bilaterally in the uncinate fasciculus and cingulum in children with early deprivation. Microstructural integrity of the left arcuate fasciculus and right cingulum was related to language and behavioral functioning, respectively. White matter abnormalities were also associated with length of deprivation and time in the adoptive home. Our findings suggest that white matter pathways, connecting limbic and paralimbic brain regions is abnormal in children with histories of early deprivation, with some pathways appearing more susceptible to early deprivation than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar
- Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine,Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | - Michael E. Behen
- Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine,Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | - Piti Singsoonsud
- Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | - Amy L. Veenstra
- Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Harry T. Chugani
- Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine,Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine
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56
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Sasaki A, Constantinof A, Pan P, Kupferschmidt DA, McGowan PO, Erb S. Cocaine exposure prior to pregnancy alters the psychomotor response to cocaine and transcriptional regulation of the dopamine D1 receptor in adult male offspring. Behav Brain Res 2014; 265:163-70. [PMID: 24583058 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that maternal experience prior to pregnancy can play an important role in behavioral, physiological, and genetic programming of offspring. Likewise, exposure to cocaine in utero can result in marked changes in central nervous system function of offspring. In this study, we examined whether exposure of rat dams to cocaine prior to pregnancy subsequently alters indices of behavior, physiology, and gene expression in offspring. Multiple outcome measures were examined in adult male offspring: (1) behavioral expression of cocaine-induced psychomotor activation; (2) levels of corticosterone in response to immobilization stress; and (3) expression of multiple genes, including dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) and D2 (DRD2), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), in functionally relevant brain regions. Adult Sprague-Dawley females were exposed to cocaine (15-30 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline for 10 days, and were then mated to drug naïve males of the same strain. Separate groups of adult male offspring were tested for their acute psychomotor response to cocaine (0, 15, 30 mg/kg, i.p.), corticosterone responsivity to 20 min of immobilization stress, and expression of multiple genes using quantitative PCR. Offspring of dams exposed to cocaine prior to conception exhibited increased psychomotor sensitivity to cocaine, and upregulated gene expression of DRD1 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Neither stress-induced corticosterone levels nor gene expression of GR or CRF genes were altered. These data suggest that cocaine exposure before pregnancy can serve to enhance psychomotor sensitivity to cocaine in offspring, possibly via alterations in dopamine function that include upregulation of the DRD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aya Sasaki
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Andrea Constantinof
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Pauline Pan
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Dave A Kupferschmidt
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Patrick O McGowan
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Suzanne Erb
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada.
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57
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Li K, Zhu D, Guo L, Li Z, Lynch ME, Coles C, Hu X, Liu T. Connectomics signatures of prenatal cocaine exposure affected adolescent brains. Hum Brain Mapp 2013; 34:2494-510. [PMID: 22461404 PMCID: PMC3954601 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 02/11/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent in vivo neuroimaging studies revealed that several brain networks are altered in prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) affected adolescent brains. However, due to a lack of dense and corresponding cortical landmarks across individuals, the systematical alterations of functional connectivities in large-scale brain networks and the alteration of structural brain architecture in PCE affected brain are largely unknown. In this article, we adopted a newly developed data-driven strategy to build a large set of cortical landmarks that are consistent and corresponding across PCE adolescents and their matched controls. Based on these landmarks, we constructed large-scale functional connectomes and applied the well-established approaches of deriving genomics signatures in genome-wide gene expression studies to discover functional connectomics signatures for the characterization of PCE adolescent brains. Results derived from experimental data demonstrated that 10 structurally disrupted landmarks were identified in PCE, and more importantly, the discovered informative functional connectomics signatures among consistent landmarks distinctively differentiate PCE brains from their matched controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiming Li
- Department of Automatic ControlSchool of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnic UniversityXi'anChina
- Department of Computer Science and Bioimaging Research CenterThe University of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Dajiang Zhu
- Department of Automatic ControlSchool of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnic UniversityXi'anChina
- Department of Computer Science and Bioimaging Research CenterThe University of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Automatic ControlSchool of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnic UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Zhihao Li
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgia
| | - Mary Ellen Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgia
| | - Claire Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgia
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgia
| | - Tianming Liu
- Department of Computer Science and Bioimaging Research CenterThe University of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
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58
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Ersche KD, Williams GB, Robbins TW, Bullmore ET. Meta-analysis of structural brain abnormalities associated with stimulant drug dependence and neuroimaging of addiction vulnerability and resilience. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013; 23:615-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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59
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Li Z, Santhanam P, Coles CD, Lynch ME, Hamann S, Peltier S, Hu X. Prenatal cocaine exposure alters functional activation in the ventral prefrontal cortex and its structural connectivity with the amygdala. Psychiatry Res 2013; 213:47-55. [PMID: 23693086 PMCID: PMC3672335 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2011] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with arousal dysregulation, and alterations of amygdala activity in response to emotional arousal have previously been reported. However, voluntary regulation of emotional affect, enabling appropriate neural response to different streams of stimuli, must also engage prefrontal regions, yet the impact of PCE on these prefrontal mechanisms has not been investigated. Recent neuroimaging studies have shown the involvement of ventral prefrontal cortex (vPFC) in the modulation of amygdala reactivity and the mediation of effective emotional regulation. Based on these findings, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the present study compared functional activations of the vPFC as well as its structural connectivity with the amygdala between groups of PCE and control adolescents. In a working memory task with emotional distracters, the PCE adolescents exhibited less capability of increasing their vPFC activation in response to increased memory load, which corresponded with their less suppressed amygdala activation. Reduced structural connectivity between the vPFC and the amygdala was also observed from DTI measurement in the PCE group. In addition, correlations between amygdala activation and (i) vPFC activation, as well as (ii) amygdala-vPFC structural connectivity, were observed in the control but not in the PCE group. These data complement previous findings of the impact of PCE on the activity of the amygdala and extend our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effect of PCE on arousal dysregulation reported in human and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Li
- Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Priya Santhanam
- Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Claire D. Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Mary Ellen Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Stephan Hamann
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Scott Peltier
- Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, Georgia U.S.A.,Correspondence: Xiaoping Hu, PhD., Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Woodruff Memorial Building, 101 Woodruff Circle, Suite 2001, Atlanta Georgia 30322, Tel: (404)-712-2615, Fax: (404)-712-2707,
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60
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Mychasiuk R, Muhammad A, Carroll C, Kolb B. Does prenatal nicotine exposure alter the brain's response to nicotine in adolescence? A neuroanatomical analysis. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2491-503. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Mychasiuk
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge; AB; Canada; T1K 3M4
| | - A. Muhammad
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge; AB; Canada; T1K 3M4
| | - C. Carroll
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge; AB; Canada; T1K 3M4
| | - B. Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neurosciences; University of Lethbridge; Lethbridge; AB; Canada; T1K 3M4
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61
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Pan IJ, Yi HY. Prevalence of hospitalized live births affected by alcohol and drugs and parturient women diagnosed with substance abuse at liveborn delivery: United States, 1999-2008. Matern Child Health J 2013; 17:667-76. [PMID: 22688539 PMCID: PMC4521396 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-012-1046-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
To describe prevalence trends in hospitalized live births affected by placental transmission of alcohol and drugs, as well as prevalence trends among parturient women hospitalized for liveborn delivery and diagnosed with substance abuse problems in the United States from 1999 to 2008. Comparison of the two sets of trends helps determine whether the observed changes in neonatal problems over time were caused by shifts in maternal substance abuse problems. This study independently identified hospitalized live births and maternal live born deliveries from discharge records in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, one of the largest hospital administrative databases. Substance-related diagnosis codes on the records were used to identify live births affected by alcohol and drugs and parturient women with substance abuse problems. The analysis calculated prevalence differences and percentage changes over the 10 years, with Loess curves fitted to 10-year prevalence estimates to depict trend patterns. Linear and quadratic trends in prevalence were simultaneously tested using logistic regression analyses. The study also examined data on costs, primary expected payer, and length of hospital stays. From 1999 to 2008, prevalence increased for narcotic- and hallucinogen-affected live births and neonatal drug withdrawal syndrome but decreased for alcohol- and cocaine-affected live births. Maternal substance abuse at delivery showed similar trends, but prevalence of alcohol abuse remained relatively stable. Substance-affected live births required longer hospital stays and higher medical expenses, mostly billable to Medicaid. The findings highlight the urgent need for behavioral intervention and early treatment for substance-abusing pregnant women to reduce the number of substance-affected live births.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Jen Pan
- CSR Incorporated, Arlington, Virginia
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62
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Blum K, Oscar-Berman M, Barh D, Giordano J, Gold MS. Dopamine Genetics and Function in Food and Substance Abuse. JOURNAL OF GENETIC SYNDROMES & GENE THERAPY 2013; 4:1000121. [PMID: 23543775 PMCID: PMC3609029 DOI: 10.4172/2157-7412.1000121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Having entered the genomics era with confidence in the future of medicine, including psychiatry, identifying the role of DNA and polymorphic associations with brain reward circuitry has led to a new understanding of all addictive behaviors. It is noteworthy that this strategy may provide treatment for the millions who are the victims of "Reward Deficiency Syndrome" (RDS) a genetic disorder of brain reward circuitry. This article will focus on drugs and food being mutuality addictive, and the role of dopamine genetics and function in addictions, including the interaction of the dopamine transporter, and sodium food. We will briefly review our concept that concerns the genetic antecedents of multiple-addictions (RDS). Studies have also shown that evaluating a panel of established reward genes and polymorphisms enables the stratification of genetic risk to RDS. The panel is called the "Genetic Addiction Risk Score (GARS)", and is a tool for the diagnosis of a genetic predisposition for RDS. The use of this test, as pointed out by others, would benefit the medical community by identifying at risk individuals at a very early age. We encourage, in depth work in both animal and human models of addiction. We encourage further exploration of the neurogenetic correlates of the commonalities between food and drug addiction and endorse forward thinking hypotheses like "The Salted Food Addiction Hypothesis".
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Affiliation(s)
- K Blum
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
- Department of Nutrigenomics, LifeGen, Inc., Austin, Texas, USA
| | - M Oscar-Berman
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D Barh
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
| | - J Giordano
- Department of Holistic Medicine, G & G Health Care Services LLC, North Miami Beach, FL, USA
| | - MS Gold
- Department of Psychiatry & McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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63
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Graf WD, Kekatpure MV, Kosofsky BE. Prenatal-onset neurodevelopmental disorders secondary to toxins, nutritional deficiencies, and maternal illness. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2013; 111:143-159. [PMID: 23622159 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-52891-9.00014-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders result from an inordinate number of genetic and environmental causes during the embryological and fetal periods of life. In the clinical setting, deciphering precise etiological diagnoses is often difficult. Newer screening technologies allow a gradual shift from traditional nature-versus-nurture debates toward the focused analysis of gene-by-environment interactions (G X E). Further understanding of developmental adaptation and plasticity requires consideration of epigenetic processes such as maternal nutritional status, environmental toxins, maternal illnesses, as well as genetic determinants, alone or in combination. Appreciation of specific G X E mechanisms of neurodevelopmental pathogenesis should lead to better risk-modifying or preventive strategies. We provide a brief overview of clinical and experimental observations that link prenatal-onset toxic exposures, metabolic disturbances, and maternal illnesses to certain neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Graf
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Abstract
Substance use among pregnant women continues to be a major public health concern, posing potential risk to their drug-exposed children as well as burdens on society. This review is intended to discuss the most recent literature regarding the association between in utero cocaine exposure and developmental and behavioral outcomes from birth through adolescence across various domains of functioning (growth, neurobiology, intelligence, academic achievement, language, executive functioning, behavioral regulation and psychopathology). In addition, methodological limitations, associated biological, sociodemographic and environmental risk factors and future directions in this area of research are discussed. Given the large number of exposed children in the child welfare system and the increased need for medical, mental health and special education services within this population, more definitively documenting associations between prenatal cocaine exposure and later child outcomes is essential in order to be able to prospectively address the many significant public health, economic and public policy implications.
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Derauf C, Lester BM, Neyzi N, Kekatpure M, Gracia L, Davis J, Kallianpur K, Efird JT, Kosofsky B. Subcortical and cortical structural central nervous system changes and attention processing deficits in preschool-aged children with prenatal methamphetamine and tobacco exposure. Dev Neurosci 2012; 34:327-41. [PMID: 22907274 PMCID: PMC4091037 DOI: 10.1159/000341119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the independent contributions of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) on brain morphology among a sample of nonalcohol-exposed 3- to 5-year-old children followed prospectively since birth. STUDY DESIGN The sample included 20 children with PME (19 with PTE) and 15 comparison children (7 with PTE), matched on race, birth weight, maternal education and type of insurance. Subcortical and cortical volumes and cortical thickness measures were derived through an automated segmentation procedure from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images obtained on unsedated children. Attention was assessed using the computerized Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test Version 5 (K-CPT™ V.5). PME effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and cortical thickness were tested by general linear model with type III sum of squares, adjusting for PTE, prenatal marijuana exposure, age at time of scan, gender, handedness, pulse sequence and total intracranial volume (for volumetric outcomes). A similar analysis was done for PTE effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and thickness, adjusting for PME and the above covariates. RESULTS Children with PME had significantly reduced caudate nucleus volumes and cortical thickness increases in perisylvian and orbital-frontal cortices. In contrast, children with PTE showed cortical thinning in perisylvian and lateral occipital cortices and volumetric increases in frontal regions and decreases in anterior cingulate. PME was positively related and caudate volume was inversely related to K-CPT reaction time by inter-stimulus interval, a measure of the ability to adjust to changing task demands, suggesting that children with PME may have subtle attentional deficits mediated by caudate volume reductions. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that PME and PTE may have distinct differential cortical effects on the developing central nervous system. Additionally, PME may be associated with subtle deficits in attention mediated by caudate volume reductions.
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Derringer J, Krueger RF, Dick DM, Aliev F, Grucza RA, Saccone S, Agrawal A, Edenberg HJ, Goate AM, Hesselbrock VM, Kramer JR, Lin P, Neuman RJ, Nurnberger JI, Rice JP, Tischfield JA, Bierut LJ. The aggregate effect of dopamine genes on dependence symptoms among cocaine users: cross-validation of a candidate system scoring approach. Behav Genet 2012; 42:626-35. [PMID: 22358648 PMCID: PMC3416038 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-012-9531-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide studies of psychiatric conditions frequently fail to explain a substantial proportion of variance, and replication of individual SNP effects is rare. We demonstrate a selective scoring approach, in which variants from several genes known to directly affect the dopamine system are considered concurrently to explain individual differences in cocaine dependence symptoms. 273 SNPs from eight dopamine-related genes were tested for association with cocaine dependence symptoms in an initial training sample. We identified a four-SNP score that accounted for 0.55% of the variance in a separate testing sample (p = 0.037). These findings suggest that (1) limiting investigated SNPs to those located in genes of theoretical importance improves the chances of identifying replicable effects by reducing statistical penalties for multiple testing, and (2) considering top-associated SNPs in the aggregate can reveal replicable effects that are too small to be identified at the level of individual SNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Derringer
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0447, USA.
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Walhovd KB, Watts R, Amlien I, Woodward LJ. Neural tract development of infants born to methadone-maintained mothers. Pediatr Neurol 2012; 47:1-6. [PMID: 22704008 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2012.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The early cerebral connective tract development of infants born to methadone-maintained mothers and comparison infants was examined using diffusion tensor imaging. Drawing on animal models, we hypothesized higher mean diffusivity in methadone-exposed infants, corresponding to the delayed or altered maturation of neural connective tracts. Thirteen methadone-exposed infants and seven comparison infants were scanned within 13-44 days after birth. Mean diffusivity was compared across groups voxelwise throughout a common white matter skeleton defined for the sample, and in probabilistically defined tracts of interest overlapping the skeleton, i.e., the superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi. Higher mean diffusivity (P < 0.05) in methadone-exposed infants was evident in the superior longitudinal fasciculus regionally by voxelwise analysis and whole-tract analysis. These results are preliminary, given the small sample. However, all observed effects were in the hypothesized direction, with methadone-exposed infants exhibiting higher mean diffusivity, suggesting altered maturation of connective tracts. Such differences may underlie some of the increased risk for cognitive and behavioral difficulties in children born to mothers using opioids. These findings highlight the need for further assessments of the effects of prenatal methadone exposure on neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine B Walhovd
- Center for the Study of Human Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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D'Onofrio BM, Van Hulle CA, Goodnight JA, Rathouz PJ, Lahey BB. Is maternal smoking during pregnancy a causal environmental risk factor for adolescent antisocial behavior? Testing etiological theories and assumptions. Psychol Med 2012; 42:1535-1545. [PMID: 22085725 PMCID: PMC3605718 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291711002443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although many studies indicate that maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP) is correlated with later offspring antisocial behavior (ASB), recent quasi-experimental studies suggest that background familial factors confound the association. The present study sought to test alternative etiological hypotheses using multiple indices of adolescent ASB, comparing differentially exposed siblings, and testing assumptions in the sibling-comparison design. METHOD The study examined the association between maternal SDP and adolescent-reported ASB, criminal convictions and membership in a group of individuals with early-starting and chronic ASB among 6066 offspring of women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a representative sample of women in the USA. The analyses controlled for statistical covariates and examined associations while comparing differentially exposed siblings. RESULTS At the population level, each additional pack of cigarettes per day predicted greater mean adolescent-reported ASB symptoms [ratio of means 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.22], odds of being in the top 10% of ASB [odds ratio (OR) 1.34, 95% CI 1.10-1.65], hazard of a criminal conviction [hazard ratio (HR) 1.51, 95% CI 1.34-1.68] and odds of chronic ASB (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.25-1.99). SDP robustly predicted most assessments of ASB while controlling for measured covariates. When siblings exposed to differing levels of SDP were compared, however, all of the associations were attenuated and were not statistically significant: adolescent-reported mean ASB (ratio of means 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-1.01), high ASB (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.41-1.12), criminal conviction (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.66-1.44) and chronic ASB (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.46-1.38). CONCLUSIONS The results strongly suggest that familial factors account for the correlation between SDP and offspring adolescent ASB, rather than a putative causal environmental influence of SDP.
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Eckstrand KL, Ding Z, Dodge NC, Cowan RL, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Avison MJ. Persistent dose-dependent changes in brain structure in young adults with low-to-moderate alcohol exposure in utero. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 36:1892-902. [PMID: 22594302 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01819.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 02/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many children with heavy exposure to alcohol in utero display characteristic alterations in brain size and structure. However, the long-term effects of low-to-moderate alcohol exposure on these outcomes are unknown. METHODS Using voxel-based morphometry and region-of-interest analyses, we examined the influence of lower doses of alcohol on gray and white matter composition in a prospectively recruited, homogeneous, well-characterized cohort of alcohol-exposed (n = 11, age 19.5 ± 0.3 years) and control (n = 9, age 19.6 ± 0.5 years) young adults. A large proportion of the exposed individuals were born to mothers whose alcohol consumption during pregnancy was in the low-to-moderate range. RESULTS There were no differences in total brain volume or total gray or white matter volume between the exposed and control groups. However, gray matter volume was reduced in alcohol-exposed individuals in several areas previously reported to be affected by high levels of exposure, including the left cingulate gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyri, right middle temporal gyrus, and right caudate nucleus. Notably, this gray matter loss was dose dependent, with higher exposure producing more substantial losses. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that even at low doses, alcohol exposure during pregnancy impacts brain development and that these effects persist into young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Eckstrand
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences , Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Meamar R, Dehghani L, Karamali F. Toxicity effects of methamphetamine on embryonic stem cell-derived neuron. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF ISFAHAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 2012; 17:470-4. [PMID: 23626614 PMCID: PMC3634275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Revised: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (MA) is the most popular recreational drug. According to potential neurotoxicity of this agent, it can cause deleterious effects on neural differentiation of embryo, if MA is used during the child bearing period. In recent decades, undifferentiated pluripotent embryo-derived stem cell lines, resembling early embryonic stages, have been used to analyze the toxic effects of components in vitro. Thus, this study aims at assessing toxic effects of MA on embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived neuronal cells during differentiation in a pharmacological model. MATERIALS AND METHODS ESC line Royan was used throughout this study. The effect of MA on neural differentiation was assessed during two periods, group 1: MA (10, 100, 200,500, 750, 1000 μM concentrations) was added during EB formation, group 2: MA (10, 50, 70, 100, 200, 500 μM concentrations) was added after the generation of neural precursors. Then cells were evaluated for neuronal markers by immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. One way ANOVA followed by the post hoc test was used to analyze data. RESULTS The declining in outgrowth of dendrites was observed in neural morphology in a dose dependent manner. The ID50 (Inhibition of neuronal differentiation) of groups 1 and 2 were 130 and 400 μM, respectively. By using RT-PCR, in comparison with MAP2, no significant change was observed in Nestin expression. CONCLUSIONS Our data on neuronal toxicity were consistent with in vivo and in vitro studies. We concluded that ESCs can be used as an efficient model to assess the toxicity of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rokhsareh Meamar
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences And Department of Medical Science, Najaf Abad Branch, Islamic Azad University And Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology, Isfahan, Iran.,Address for correspondence: Rokhsareh Meamar, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Leila Dehghani
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research And Neuroscience Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Freshte Karamali
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell Science Research Centre, Royan Institute for Animal Biotechnology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Isfahan, Iran, Isfahan, Iran
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Irner TB, Teasdale TW, Nielsen T, Vedal S, Olofsson M. Substance use during pregnancy and postnatal outcomes. J Addict Dis 2012; 31:19-28. [PMID: 22356666 DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2011.642765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Substance exposure in utero has been associated with physical birth defects and increased risk of regulatory and neuropsychological difficulties. The aims of this study were to describe women who use substances and are in treatment with respect to the type and number of substances used during pregnancy, as well as their background, and to examine the effect substance use has on gestational age, birth weight, and the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome at birth. A sample of 161 pregnant women and their 163 newborn children were included. The results indicate that the children whose mothers continued to use substances throughout their pregnancies were born at a lower gestational age (Chi-Square = 15.1(2), P < .01); children exposed to poly-substances in utero were more affected than those exposed to only alcohol and those with no substance exposure. The same children were more vulnerable to the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome at birth (Chi-Square = 51.7(2), P < .001). Newborns who were exposed primarily to alcohol in utero were at a significant risk of being born with low birth weight (Chi-Square = 8.8(2), P < .05) compared with those exposed to other types of substances. More than 50% of the mothers ceased using any substances (with the exception of tobacco) by birth, indicating that the treatment program did have an interventional effect on the mothers. The mothers' ability to either cease or decrease the use of substances during pregnancy appears to have direct positive effect on their newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Birk Irner
- The Family Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark.
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Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke or alcohol and cerebellum volume in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and typical development. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e84. [PMID: 22832850 PMCID: PMC3309529 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to teratogenic substances, such as nicotine or alcohol, increases the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, studies examining this relationship have used symptom scales as outcome measures to assess the effect of prenatal exposure, and have not investigated the neurobiological pathways involved. This study explores the effect of prenatal exposure to cigarettes or alcohol on brain volume in children with ADHD and typically developing controls. Children with ADHD who had been exposed prenatally to either substance were individually matched to children with and without ADHD who had not been. Controls who had been exposed prenatally were also individually matched to controls who had not been. For prenatal exposure to both smoking and alcohol, we found a pattern where subjects with ADHD who had been exposed had the smallest brain volumes and unexposed controls had the largest, with intermediate volumes for unexposed subjects with ADHD. This effect was most pronounced for cerebellum. A similar reduction fell short of significance for controls who had been exposed to cigarettes, but not alcohol. Our results are consistent with an additive effect of prenatal exposure and ADHD on brain volume, with the effects most pronounced for cerebellum.
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Irner TB, Teasdale TW, Olofsson M. Cognitive and Social Development in Preschool Children Born to Women Using Substances. J Addict Dis 2012; 31:29-44. [DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2011.642766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tina Birk Irner
- a The Family Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Hvidovre , Denmark
| | | | - May Olofsson
- a The Family Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Copenhagen University Hospital , Hvidovre , Hvidovre , Denmark
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Baewert A, Jagsch R, Winklbaur B, Kaiser G, Thau K, Unger A, Aschauer C, Weninger M, Metz V. Influence of Site Differences between Urban and Rural American and Central European Opioid-Dependent Pregnant Women and Neonatal Outcome Characteristics. Eur Addict Res 2012; 18:130-9. [PMID: 22354163 PMCID: PMC3696360 DOI: 10.1159/000335082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multi-center trials enable the recruitment of larger study samples, although results might be influenced by site-specific factors. METHODS Site differences of a multi-center prospective double-blind, double-dummy randomized controlled trial (7 centers: Central Europe (Vienna)/USA (3 urban/3 rural centers)) comparing safety and efficacy of methadone and buprenorphine in pregnant opioid-dependent women and their neonates. RESULTS Urban US women had the highest rate of concomitant opioid (p = 0.050) and cocaine consumption (p = 0.003), the highest dropout rate (p = 0.001), and received the lowest voucher sums (p = 0.001). Viennese neonates had significantly higher Apgar scores 1 min (p = 0.001) and 5 min after birth (p < 0.001) and were more often born by cesarean section (p = 0.024). Rural US newborns had a significantly shorter neonatal abstinence syndrome treatment duration compared to Viennese and urban US sites (p = 0.006), in addition to other site-specific differences, suggesting a more severely affected group of women in the urban US sites. CONCLUSION This clinical trial represents a role model for pharmacological treatment in this unique sample of pregnant women and demonstrates the clinical importance of considering site-specific factors in research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andjela Baewert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria,*Andjela Baewert, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, AT–1090 Vienna (Austria), Tel. +43 1 40400 3547, E-Mail
| | | | | | - Gerda Kaiser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Kenneth Thau
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Annemarie Unger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Constantin Aschauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Weninger
- Department of Neonatology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Metz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Austria
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Akers KG, Kushner SA, Leslie AT, Clarke L, van der Kooy D, Lerch JP, Frankland PW. Fetal alcohol exposure leads to abnormal olfactory bulb development and impaired odor discrimination in adult mice. Mol Brain 2011; 4:29. [PMID: 21736737 PMCID: PMC3148973 DOI: 10.1186/1756-6606-4-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2011] [Accepted: 07/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy exhibit widespread brain abnormalities and a complex array of behavioral disturbances. Here, we used a mouse model of fetal alcohol exposure to investigate relationships between brain abnormalities and specific behavioral alterations during adulthood. Results Mice drank a 10% ethanol solution throughout pregnancy. When fetal alcohol-exposed offspring reached adulthood, we used high resolution MRI to conduct a brain-wide screen for structural changes and found that the largest reduction in volume occurred in the olfactory bulbs. Next, we tested adult mice in an associative olfactory task and found that fetal alcohol exposure impaired discrimination between similar odors but left odor memory intact. Finally, we investigated olfactory bulb neurogenesis as a potential mechanism by performing an in vitro neurosphere assay, in vivo labeling of new cells using BrdU, and in vivo labeling of new cells using a transgenic reporter system. We found that fetal alcohol exposure decreased the number of neural precursor cells in the subependymal zone and the number of new cells in the olfactory bulbs during the first few postnatal weeks. Conclusions Using a combination of techniques, including structural brain imaging, in vitro and in vivo cell detection methods, and behavioral testing, we found that fetal alcohol exposure results in smaller olfactory bulbs and impairments in odor discrimination that persist into adulthood. Furthermore, we found that these abnormalities in olfactory bulb structure and function may arise from deficits in the generation of new olfactory bulb neurons during early postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine G Akers
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Coles CD, Li Z. Functional neuroimaging in the examination of effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropsychol Rev 2011; 21:119-32. [PMID: 21484401 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-011-9165-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/24/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging offers the opportunity to understand the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on the activities of the brain as well as providing a window into the relationship between neural activation and the behavioral outcomes that have been described in affected individuals. Several different methodologies have been used to examine the neurophysiological signal changes associated with different brain functions in prenatally exposed individuals and those diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These include electroencephalography (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). These studies demonstrate that it is feasible to use these technologies with this clinical population and that the damage to the central nervous system associated with prenatal alcohol exposure has widespread functional implications; however, currently, the literature in these areas is limited and unsystematic. Functional MRI with this clinical population has just begun to explore the implications of prenatal alcohol exposure with the first paper published in 2005. Other methodologies are similarly limited in scope. Nonetheless, these functional neuroimaging studies suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure, or a diagnosis of FAS, may lead to restrictions in neural efficiency or a global decrement in processing resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA.
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Bolon B, Garman RH, Gundersen HJG, Allan Johnson G, Kaufmann W, Krinke G, Little PB, Makris SL, Mellon RD, Sulik KK, Jensen K. Continuing education course #3: current practices and future trends in neuropathology assessment for developmental neurotoxicity testing. Toxicol Pathol 2010; 39:289-93. [PMID: 21075916 DOI: 10.1177/0192623310386247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The continuing education course on Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT) was designed to communicate current practices for DNT neuropathology, describe promising innovations in quantitative analysis and noninvasive imaging, and facilitate a discussion among experienced neuropathologists and regulatory scientists regarding suitable DNT practices. Conventional DNT neuropathology endpoints are qualitative histopathology and morphometric endpoints of particularly vulnerable sites (e.g., cerebral, cerebellar, or hippocampal thickness). Novel imaging and stereology measurements hold promise for automated analysis of factors that cannot be effectively examined in routinely processed specimens (e.g., cell numbers, fiber tract integrity). The panel recommended that dedicated DNT neuropathology data sets be acquired on a minimum of 8 sections (for qualitative assessment) or 3 sections (for quantitative linear and stereological analyses) using a small battery of stains to examine neurons and myelin. Where guidelines permit discretion, immersion fixation is acceptable for younger animals (postnatal day 22 or earlier), and peripheral nerves may be embedded in paraffin. Frequent concerns regarding DNT data sets include false-negative outcomes due to processing difficulties (e.g., lack of concordance among sections from different animals) and insensitive analytical endpoints (e.g., qualitative evaluation) as well as false-positive results arising from overinterpretation or misreading by inexperienced pathologists.
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Roussotte FF, Bramen JE, Nunez SC, Quandt LC, Smith L, O'Connor MJ, Bookheimer SY, Sowell ER. Abnormal brain activation during working memory in children with prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse: the effects of methamphetamine, alcohol, and polydrug exposure. Neuroimage 2010; 54:3067-75. [PMID: 21040792 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Revised: 10/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/24/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural and metabolic abnormalities in fronto-striatal structures have been reported in children with prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure. The current study was designed to quantify functional alterations to the fronto-striatal circuit in children with prenatal MA exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Because many women who use MA during pregnancy also use alcohol, a known teratogen, we examined 50 children (age range 7-15), 19 with prenatal MA exposure, 15 of whom had concomitant prenatal alcohol exposure (the MAA group), 13 with heavy prenatal alcohol but no MA exposure (ALC group), and 18 unexposed controls (CON group). We hypothesized that MA exposed children would demonstrate abnormal brain activation during a visuospatial working memory (WM) "N-Back" task. As predicted, the MAA group showed less activation than the CON group in many brain areas, including the striatum and frontal lobe in the left hemisphere. The ALC group showed less activation than the MAA group in several regions, including the right striatum. We found an inverse correlation between performance and activity in the striatum in both the CON and MAA groups. However, this relationship was significant in the caudate of the CON group but not the MAA group, and in the putamen of the MAA group but not the CON group. These findings suggest that structural damage in the fronto-striatal circuit after prenatal MA exposure leads to decreased recruitment of this circuit during a WM challenge, and raise the possibility that a rewiring of cortico-striatal networks may occur in children with prenatal MA exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence F Roussotte
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7332, USA.
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Differentiating prenatal exposure to methamphetamine and alcohol versus alcohol and not methamphetamine using tensor-based brain morphometry and discriminant analysis. J Neurosci 2010; 30:3876-85. [PMID: 20237258 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4967-09.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine (MA) on local brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging. Because many who use MA during pregnancy also use alcohol, a known teratogen, we examined whether local brain volumes differed among 61 children (ages 5-15 years), 21 with prenatal MA exposure, 18 with concomitant prenatal alcohol exposure (the MAA group), 13 with heavy prenatal alcohol but not MA exposure (ALC group), and 27 unexposed controls. Volume reductions were observed in both exposure groups relative to controls in striatal and thalamic regions bilaterally and in right prefrontal and left occipitoparietal cortices. Striatal volume reductions were more severe in the MAA group than in the ALC group, and, within the MAA group, a negative correlation between full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) scores and caudate volume was observed. Limbic structures, including the anterior and posterior cingulate, the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and ventral and lateral temporal lobes bilaterally, were increased in volume in both exposure groups. Furthermore, cingulate and right IFG volume increases were more pronounced in the MAA than ALC group. Discriminant function analyses using local volume measurements and FSIQ were used to predict group membership, yielding factor scores that correctly classified 72% of participants in jackknife analyses. These findings suggest that striatal and limbic structures, known to be sites of neurotoxicity in adult MA abusers, may be more vulnerable to prenatal MA exposure than alcohol exposure and that more severe striatal damage is associated with more severe cognitive deficit.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent advances in neuroimaging methods have provided new ways of unravelling the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that influence functional brain development in the critical first years of life. This has allowed new insights into the effects that early adverse experience can exert on the brain later in life. We review recent progress in the characterization of those effects and underlying mechanisms through which adverse environment influences the neurocognitive development. RECENT FINDINGS Socioeconomic background may have a profound effect on structural and functional brain development, especially in the domains of language and prefrontal executive control. These effects are mediated by several factors: diet, quality of parental care, impoverished environment, prenatal exposure to toxic substances and so on. Other circumstances such as perinatal brain injury, early sensory deprivation or limb malformation may result in atypical functional organization of the brain and lasting cognitive impairment of certain functions. Early experience of maltreatment or institutionalized care may alter the development of the social brain, contributing to negative mental health outcomes, which may be partially reversed through early intervention programmes. SUMMARY Subsequent models of psychiatric disorder should take into account early risk factors and embrace developmental models at multiple levels of biological organization. There is a continuing need for the study of optimal environmental input during sensitive periods in brain development.
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Walhovd KB, Westlye LT, Moe V, Slinning K, Due-Tønnessen P, Bjørnerud A, van der Kouwe A, Dale AM, Fjell AM. White matter characteristics and cognition in prenatally opiate- and polysubstance-exposed children: a diffusion tensor imaging study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2010; 31:894-900. [PMID: 20203117 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a1957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prenatal drug exposure may influence the developing brain. Our aim was to study WM characteristics with DTI in children with prenatal opiate and polysubstance exposure and in controls. We assessed whether group differences in FA, DA, and DR could be found and related to cognitive function. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was approved by a committee for medical research ethics. Parents signed an informed consent; children gave spoken consent. Our sample included 14 prenatally substance-exposed adopted children (5 girls; age range, 8.6-13.9 years; mean, 11.3 +/- 1.7 years) and 14 control children (7 girls; age range, 9.0-10.2 years; mean, 9.8 +/- 0.3 years). Tract-based spatial statistics were used to define a common WM skeleton for the sample, and FA was compared between groups throughout the skeleton, controlling for age and sex. Clusters of significant group differences >or=100 voxels (P <. 05) were identified. FA, DA, and DR within clusters were correlated with cognitive function. RESULTS Ten clusters of FA group differences, mostly in central, posterior, and inferior parts of the brain, were identified (P <. 05), showing lower FA in substance-exposed children. FA and DA correlated positively and DR, negatively with cognitive function across groups. CONCLUSIONS Prenatally substance-exposed children exhibited lower FA in restricted areas of WM, mostly relatively central, inferior, and posterior, where myelination occurs early in development. Myelin in these areas may be particularly vulnerable to prenatal substance exposure. FA and DR related moderately to cognitive function. Potential confounding factors existed and were considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- K B Walhovd
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Human Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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