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Aghamohammadi-Sereshki A, McMorris CA, Gibbard WB, Tortorelli C, Pike GB, Lebel C. Properties of the prefrontal tracts and cingulum bundle in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. J Affect Disord 2024; 369:164-173. [PMID: 39341291 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) significantly impacts brain structure and function, including cognition and behavior. The cingulum bundle and frontal lobe mediate social-, emotional- and cognitive-related functioning that are affected by PAE. However, the neurobehavioural development of the cingulum and intra-frontal tracts has not been examined in people with PAE. METHODS We recruited 29 children and adolescents with PAE and 42 age- and gender-matched unexposed controls. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired on a 3 T scanner. The rostral, dorsal and parahippocampal cingulum as well as medio-orbitofrontal, lateral-orbitofrontal, dorsolateral-prefrontal and medial-prefrontal tracts, were delineated and their fractional anisotropy and mean (MD), radial (RD), and axial (AD) diffusivities were calculated using constrained spherical deconvolution and deterministic tractography. We measured behavioural and emotional difficulties using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Edition, Parent Rating Scale, and then explored their associations with diffusion metrics that differed between groups. RESULTS We found lower MD, RD, and AD in the right parahippocampal cingulum and multiple intra-frontal tracts in youth with PAE compared to controls; however, these differences did not withstand correction for multiple comparisons. While, youth with PAE showed significantly more emotional and behavioural difficulties compared to unexposed controls, these challenges were not associated with differences in diffusion metrics between groups. CONCLUSION PAE may be weakly associated with restricted diffusion in the right parahippocampal cingulum and multiple intra-frontal tracts. However, diffusivity changes related to PAE might not be the primary contributor to emotional and behavioural challenges in children and adolescents with PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carly A McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - W Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christina Tortorelli
- Department of Child Studies and Social Work, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - G Bruce Pike
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Fan J, Woods KJ, Jacobson JL, Taylor PA, Toich JTF, Molteno CD, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Lower resting state functional connectivity partially mediates adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on arithmetic performance in children. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:1050-1062. [PMID: 38697927 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) include a range of neurocognitive and behavioral impairments resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Among the PAE-related cognitive deficits, number processing is particularly affected. This study examines alterations in number processing networks and whether changes in functional connectivity mediate the adverse effects of PAE on arithmetic performance. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired in 57 children (mean (SD) age = 11.3 (+0.9) yr), 38 with FASD (19 fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS (PFAS), 19 heavily exposed (HE)) and 19 controls. Whole-brain correlation analyses were performed from five seeds located in regions involved in number processing. RESULTS Children with FAS/PFAS showed dose-dependent reductions in resting state functional connectivity between the seed in the right (R) posterior superior parietal lobule and a cluster in the left (L) inferior frontal gyrus, and between a seed in the R horizontal intraparietal sulcus and clusters in the R precentral gyrus and L cerebellar lobule VI. HE children showed lower resting state functional connectivity in a subset of these regions. Lower functional connectivity in the two fronto-parietal connections partially mediated the adverse effects of PAE on arithmetic performance. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates PAE-related functional connectivity impairments in functional networks involved in number processing. The weaker connectivity between the R posterior superior parietal lobule and the L inferior frontal gyrus suggests that impaired verbal processing and visuospatial working memory may play a role in number processing deficits, while weaker connectivity between the R intraparietal sulcus and the R precentral gyrus points to poorer finger-based numerical representation, which has been linked to arithmetic computational skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Fan
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Keri J Woods
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, 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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul A Taylor
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jadrana T F Toich
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, 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
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Candelaria-Cook FT, Schendel ME, Romero LL, Cerros C, Hill DE, Stephen JM. Sex-specific Differences in Resting Oscillatory Dynamics in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Neuroscience 2024; 543:121-136. [PMID: 38387734 PMCID: PMC10954390 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
At rest children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) exhibit impaired static and dynamic functional connectivity, along with decreased alpha oscillations. Sex-specific information regarding the impact of PAE on whole-brain resting-state gamma spectral power remains unknown. Eyes-closed and eyes-open MEG resting-state data were examined in 83 children, ages 6-13 years of age. Using a matched design, the sample consisted of 42 typically developing children (TDC) (22 males/20 females) and 41 children with PAE and/or a fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) diagnosis (21 males/20 females). Whole-brain source resting-state spectral power was examined to determine group and sex specific relationships. Within gamma, we found sex and group specific changes such that female participants with PAE/FASD had increased gamma power when compared to female TDC and male participants with PAE/FASD. These differences were detected in most source regions analyzed during both resting-states, and were observed across the age spectrum examined. Within delta, we found sex and group specific changes such that female participants with PAE/FASD had decreased delta power when compared to female TDC and male participants with PAE/FASD. The reduced delta oscillations in female participants with PAE/FASD were detected in several source regions during eyes-closed rest and were evident at younger ages. These results indicate PAE alters neural oscillations during rest in a sex-specific manner, with females with PAE/FASD showing the largest perturbations. These results further demonstrate PAE has global effects on resting-state spectral power and connectivity, creating long-term consequences by potentially disrupting the excitation/inhibition balance in the brain, interrupting normative neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan E Schendel
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Lucinda L Romero
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Cassandra Cerros
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Dina E Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Julia M Stephen
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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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] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [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.
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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.
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Williams RP, Lesseur C, Cheng H, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Wainwright H, Hao K, Chen J, Carter RC. RNA-seq analysis reveals prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with placental inflammatory cells and gene expression. Gene 2024; 894:147951. [PMID: 37918548 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the most common preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders worldwide. The placenta is the crucial interface between mother and fetus. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been shown to alter placental structure and expression of genes in bulk placental tissue samples, but prior studies have not examined effects on placental cell-type composition or taken cell-type into consideration in transcriptome analyses. METHODS We leveraged an existent placenta single-cell RNA-seq dataset to perform cell-type deconvolution of bulk placental RNA-seq data from 35 heavy drinking pregnant women and 33 controls in a prospective birth cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. We used bivariate analyses and multivariable adjusted linear regression models to assess the relation of PAE on inferred placental cell-type proportions. We also examined differential expression of inflammatory response genes and PAE, using multivariable adjusted linear models. RESULTS Deconvolution analyses showed heterogeneous placenta cell-type composition in which stromal (27 %), endothelial (26 %) and cytotrophoblasts (18 %) were the predominant cell-types. PAE around conception was associated with a higher proportion of Hofbauer cells (B = 0.51, p = 0.035) in linear models adjusted for maternal age, infant sex, and gestational age. Among the 652 inflammatory genes examined, 35 were differential expressed in alcohol exposed placentas (FDR p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that heavy alcohol exposure during pregnancy can influence the proportion of fetal placental villi macrophages (Hofbauer cells) and increased expression of inflammatory genes. Future studies are needed to further characterize these effects and to assess the potential functional roles of placental inflammation in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy P Williams
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haoxiang Cheng
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Helen Wainwright
- Department of Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
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Donald KA, Hendrikse CJ, Roos A, Wedderburn CJ, Subramoney S, Ringshaw JE, Bradford L, Hoffman N, Burd T, Narr KL, Woods RP, Zar HJ, Joshi SH, Stein DJ. Prenatal alcohol exposure and white matter microstructural changes across the first 6-7 years of life: A longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging study of a South African birth cohort. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103572. [PMID: 38309186 PMCID: PMC10847766 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can affect brain development in early life, but few studies have investigated the effects of PAE on trajectories of white matter tract maturation in young children. Here we used diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) repeated over three time points, to measure the effects of PAE on patterns of white matter microstructural development during the pre-school years. Participants were drawn from the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), an ongoing birth cohort study conducted in a peri-urban community in the Western Cape, South Africa. A total of 342 scans acquired from 237 children as neonates (N = 82 scans: 30 PAE; 52 controls) and at ages 2-3 (N = 121 scans: 27 PAE; 94 controls) and 6-7 years (N = 139 scans: 45 PAE; 94 controls) were included. Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and other antenatal covariates were collected from 28 to 32 weeks' gestation. Linear mixed effects models with restricted maxium likelihood to accommodate missing data were implemented to investigate the effects of PAE on fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in specific white matter tracts over time, while adjusting for child sex and maternal education. We found significant PAE-by-time effects on trajectories of FA development in the left superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP-L: p = 0.001; survived FDR correction) and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF-R: p = 0.046), suggesting altered white matter development among children with PAE. Compared with controls, children with PAE demonstrated a more rapid change in FA in these tracts from the neonatal period to 2-3 years of age, followed by a more tapered trajectory for the period from 2-3 to 6-7 years of age, with these trajectories differing from unexposed control children. Given their supporting roles in various aspects of neurocognitive functioning (i.e., motor regulation, learning, memory, language), altered patterns of maturation in the SCP and SLF may contribute to a spectrum of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive difficulties often experienced by children with PAE. This study highlights the value of repeated early imaging in longitudinal studies of PAE, and focus for early childhood as a critical window of potential susceptibility as well as an opportunity for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - C J Hendrikse
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - A Roos
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - C J Wedderburn
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - S Subramoney
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - J E Ringshaw
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Bradford
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - N Hoffman
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - T Burd
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - K L Narr
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - R P Woods
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - H J Zar
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - S H Joshi
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - D J Stein
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Fraize J, Convert G, Leprince Y, Sylvestre-Marconville F, Kerdreux E, Auzias G, Lefèvre J, Delorme R, Elmaleh-Bergès M, Hertz-Pannier L, Germanaud D. Mapping corpus callosum surface reduction in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders with sulci and connectivity-based parcellation. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1188367. [PMID: 37360177 PMCID: PMC10288872 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1188367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) range from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) to non-syndromic non-specific forms (NS-FASD) that are still underdiagnosed and could benefit from new neuroanatomical markers. The main neuroanatomical manifestation of prenatal alcohol exposure on developmental toxicity is the reduction in brain size, but repeated imaging observations have long driven the attention on the corpus callosum (CC), without being all convergent. Our study proposed a new segmentation of the CC that relies on both a sulci-based cortical segmentation and the "hemispherotopic" organization of the transcallosal fibers. Methods We collected a monocentric series of 37 subjects with FAS, 28 with NS-FASD, and 38 with typical development (6 to 25 years old) using brain MRI (1.5T). Associating T1- and diffusion-weighted imaging, we projected a sulci-based cortical segmentation of the hemispheres on the midsagittal section of the CC, resulting in seven homologous anterior-posterior parcels (frontopolar, anterior and posterior prefrontal, precentral, postcentral, parietal, and occipital). We measured the effect of FASD on the area of callosal and cortical parcels by considering age, sex, and brain size as linear covariates. The surface proportion of the corresponding cortical parcel was introduced as an additional covariate. We performed a normative analysis to identify subjects with an abnormally small parcel. Results All callosal and cortical parcels were smaller in the FASD group compared with controls. When accounting for age, sex, and brain size, only the postcentral (η2 = 6.5%, pFDR = 0.032) callosal parcel and % of the cortical parcel (η2 = 8.9%, pFDR = 0.007) were still smaller. Adding the surface proportion (%) of the corresponding cortical parcel to the model, only the occipital parcel was persistently reduced in the FASD group (η2 = 5.7%, pFDR = 0.014). In the normative analysis, we found an excess of subjects with FASD with abnormally small precentral and postcentral (peri-isthmic) and posterior-splenial parcels (pFDR < 0.05). Conclusion The objective sulcal and connectivity-based method of CC parcellation proved to be useful not only in confirming posterior-splenial damage in FASD but also in the narrowing of the peri-isthmic region strongly associated with a specific size reduction in the corresponding postcentral cortical region (postcentral gyrus). The normative analysis showed that this type of callosal segmentation could provide a clinically relevant neuroanatomical endophenotype, even in NS-FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Fraize
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Gabrielle Convert
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Yann Leprince
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Florent Sylvestre-Marconville
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Eliot Kerdreux
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Auzias
- Institut de Neurosciences de La Timone, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Julien Lefèvre
- Institut de Neurosciences de La Timone, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert-Debré Hospital, AP-HP, Centre of Excellence InovAND, Paris, France
| | - Monique Elmaleh-Bergès
- Department of Pediatric Radiologic, Robert-Debré Hospital, AP-HP, Centre of Excellence InovAND, Paris, France
| | - Lucie Hertz-Pannier
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - David Germanaud
- UNIACT, NeuroSpin, Frederic Joliot Institute, Centre d'études de Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- InDEV, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Department of Genetics, Robert-Debré Hospital, AP-HP, Centre de Référence Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares, Centre of Excellence InovAND, Paris, France
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8
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Gimbel BA, Roediger DJ, Ernst AM, Anthony ME, de Water E, Rockhold MN, Mueller BA, Mattson SN, Jones KL, Riley EP, Lim KO, Wozniak JR. Atypical developmental trajectories of white matter microstructure in prenatal alcohol exposure: Preliminary evidence from neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1172010. [PMID: 37168930 PMCID: PMC10165006 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1172010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a life-long condition resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), is associated with structural brain anomalies and neurobehavioral differences. Evidence from longitudinal neuroimaging suggest trajectories of white matter microstructure maturation are atypical in PAE. We aimed to further characterize longitudinal trajectories of developmental white matter microstructure change in children and adolescents with PAE compared to typically-developing Controls using diffusion-weighted Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI). Materials and methods Participants: Youth with PAE (n = 34) and typically-developing Controls (n = 31) ages 8-17 years at enrollment. Participants underwent formal evaluation of growth and facial dysmorphology. Participants also completed two study visits (17 months apart on average), both of which involved cognitive testing and an MRI scan (data collected on a Siemens Prisma 3 T scanner). Age-related changes in the orientation dispersion index (ODI) and the neurite density index (NDI) were examined across five corpus callosum (CC) regions defined by tractography. Results While linear trajectories suggested similar overall microstructural integrity in PAE and Controls, analyses of symmetrized percent change (SPC) indicated group differences in the timing and magnitude of age-related increases in ODI (indexing the bending and fanning of axons) in the central region of the CC, with PAE participants demonstrating atypically steep increases in dispersion with age compared to Controls. Participants with PAE also demonstrated greater increases in ODI in the mid posterior CC (trend-level group difference). In addition, SPC in ODI and NDI was differentially correlated with executive function performance for PAE participants and Controls, suggesting an atypical relationship between white matter microstructure maturation and cognitive function in PAE. Discussion Preliminary findings suggest subtle atypicality in the timing and magnitude of age-related white matter microstructure maturation in PAE compared to typically-developing Controls. These findings add to the existing literature on neurodevelopmental trajectories in PAE and suggest that advanced biophysical diffusion modeling (NODDI) may be sensitive to biologically-meaningful microstructural changes in the CC that are disrupted by PAE. Findings of atypical brain maturation-behavior relationships in PAE highlight the need for further study. Further longitudinal research aimed at characterizing white matter neurodevelopmental trajectories in PAE will be important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A. Gimbel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Donovan J. Roediger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Abigail M. Ernst
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Mary E. Anthony
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Erik de Water
- Great Lakes Neurobehavioral Center, Edina, MN, United States
| | | | - Bryon A. Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Sarah N. Mattson
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kenneth L. Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Edward P. Riley
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kelvin O. Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Wozniak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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9
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Candelaria-Cook FT, Schendel ME, Flynn L, Cerros C, Hill DE, Stephen JM. Disrupted dynamic functional network connectivity in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:687-703. [PMID: 36880528 PMCID: PMC10281251 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in harmful and long-lasting neurodevelopmental changes. Children with PAE or a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have decreased white matter volume and resting-state spectral power compared to typically developing controls (TDC) and impaired resting-state static functional connectivity. The impact of PAE on resting-state dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is unknown. METHODS Using eyes-closed and eyes-open magnetoencephalography (MEG) resting-state data, global dFNC statistics and meta-states were examined in 89 children aged 6-16 years (51 TDC, 38 with FASD). Source analyzed MEG data were used as input to group spatial independent component analysis to derive functional networks from which the dFNC was calculated. RESULTS During eyes-closed, relative to TDC, participants with FASD spent a significantly longer time in state 2, typified by anticorrelation (i.e., decreased connectivity) within and between default mode network (DMN) and visual network (VN), and state 4, typified by stronger internetwork correlation. The FASD group exhibited greater dynamic fluidity and dynamic range (i.e., entered more states, changed from one meta-state to another more often, and traveled greater distances) than TDC. During eyes-open, TDC spent significantly more time in state 1, typified by positive intra- and interdomain connectivity with modest correlation within the frontal network (FN), while participants with FASD spent a larger fraction of time in state 2, typified by anticorrelation within and between DMN and VN and strong correlation within and between FN, attention network, and sensorimotor network. CONCLUSIONS There are important resting-state dFNC differences between children with FASD and TDC. Participants with FASD exhibited greater dynamic fluidity and dynamic range and spent more time in states typified by anticorrelation within and between DMN and VN, and more time in a state typified by high internetwork connectivity. Taken together, these network aberrations indicate that prenatal alcohol exposure has a global effect on resting-state connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan E. Schendel
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lucinda Flynn
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Cassandra Cerros
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Dina E. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Julia M. Stephen
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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10
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Gimbel BA, Anthony ME, Ernst AM, Roediger DJ, de Water E, Eckerle JK, Boys CJ, Radke JP, Mueller BA, Fuglestad AJ, Zeisel SH, Georgieff MK, Wozniak JR. Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of choline for neurodevelopment in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: corpus callosum white matter microstructure and neurocognitive outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:59. [PMID: 36526961 PMCID: PMC9756672 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09470-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a lifelong condition. Early interventions targeting core neurocognitive deficits have the potential to confer long-term neurodevelopmental benefits. Time-targeted choline supplementation is one such intervention that has been shown to provide neurodevelopmental benefits that emerge with age during childhood. We present a long-term follow-up study evaluating the neurodevelopmental effects of early choline supplementation in children with FASD approximately 7 years on average after an initial efficacy trial. METHODS The initial study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of choline vs. placebo in 2.5 to 5 year olds with FASD. Participants in this long-term follow-up study include 18 children (9 placebo; 9 choline) seen 7 years on average following initial trial completion. The mean age at follow-up was 11.0 years old. Diagnoses were 28% fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 28% partial FAS, and 44% alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. The follow-up included measures of executive functioning and an MRI scan. RESULTS Children who received choline had better performance on several tasks of lower-order executive function (e.g., processing speed) and showed higher white matter microstructure organization (i.e., greater axon coherence) in the splenium of the corpus callosum compared to the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings, although exploratory at this stage, highlight potential long-term benefits of choline as a neurodevelopmental intervention for FASD and suggest that choline may affect white matter development, representing a potential target of choline in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION Prior to enrollment, this trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT01149538 ) on June 23, 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake A. Gimbel
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Mary E. Anthony
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Abigail M. Ernst
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Donovan J. Roediger
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | | | - Judith K. Eckerle
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | | | | | - Bryon A. Mueller
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Anita J. Fuglestad
- grid.266865.90000 0001 2109 4358University of North Florida, Jacksonville, USA
| | - Steven H. Zeisel
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Michael K. Georgieff
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Wozniak
- grid.17635.360000000419368657University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2025 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
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11
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Marshall AT, Bodison SC, Uban KA, Adise S, Jonker D, Charles W, Donald KA, Kan E, Ipser JC, Butler-Kruger L, Steigelmann B, Narr KL, Joshi SH, Brink LT, Odendaal HJ, Scheffler F, Stein DJ, Sowell ER. The impact of prenatal alcohol and/or tobacco exposure on brain structure in a large sample of children from a South African birth cohort. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1980-1992. [PMID: 36117382 PMCID: PMC11334753 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies have emphasized the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on brain development, traditionally in heavily exposed participants. However, less is known about how naturally occurring community patterns of PAE (including light to moderate exposure) affect brain development, particularly in consideration of commonly occurring concurrent impacts of prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE). METHODS Three hundred thirty-two children (ages 8 to 12) living in South Africa's Cape Flats townships underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. During pregnancy, their mothers reported alcohol and tobacco use, which was used to evaluate PAE and PTE effects on their children's brain structure. Analyses involved the main effects of PAE and PTE (and their interaction) and the effects of PAE and PTE quantity on cortical thickness, surface area, and volume. RESULTS After false-discovery rate (FDR) correction, PAE was associated with thinner left parahippocampal cortices, while PTE was associated with smaller cortical surface area in the bilateral pericalcarine, left lateral orbitofrontal, right posterior cingulate, right rostral anterior cingulate, left caudal middle frontal, and right caudal anterior cingulate gyri. There were no PAE × PTE interactions nor any associations of PAE and PTE exposure on volumetrics that survived FDR correction. CONCLUSION PAE was associated with reduction in the structure of the medial temporal lobe, a brain region critical for learning and memory. PTE had stronger and broader associations, including with regions associated with executive function, reward processing, and emotional regulation, potentially reflecting continued postnatal exposure to tobacco (i.e., second-hand smoke exposure). These differential effects are discussed with respect to reduced PAE quantity in our exposed group versus prior studies within this geographical location, the deep poverty in which participants live, and the consequences of apartheid and racially and economically driven payment practices that contributed to heavy drinking in the region. Longer-term follow-up is needed to determine potential environmental and other moderators of the brain findings here and assess the extent to which they endure over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T. Marshall
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stefanie C. Bodison
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kristina A. Uban
- Department of Public Health, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Shana Adise
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Deborah Jonker
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Weslin Charles
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsten A. Donald
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Eric Kan
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan C. Ipser
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Letitia Butler-Kruger
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Katherine L. Narr
- UCLA Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Shantanu H. Joshi
- UCLA Brain Mapping Center, Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Lucy T. Brink
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Hein J. Odendaal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Freda Scheffler
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth R. Sowell
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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12
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Gómez MJC, Beaulieu C, McMorris CA, Gibbard B, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. Frontoparietal and temporal white matter diffusion MRI in children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1808-1818. [PMID: 36016474 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits, but relationships between brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits remain unclear. METHODS Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained from 31 participants with PAE and 31 unexposed controls aged 7-15 years. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral cingulum, and inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF, SLF). Participants completed language subtests from the NEPSY-II. Executive functioning was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF-PR) and verbal learning was assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C) only in children with PAE. Group differences in diffusion metrics and cognitive scores were tested. Principal component analysis was used to reduce redundancy in cognitive and behavior variables; associations between components and brain measures were then assessed. RESULTS Children with PAE had lower MD in the right SLF compared with unexposed controls. FA was positively related to age in 6 of 9 tracts and MD negatively related to age in all tracts; there were no significant age-by-group interactions. Participants with PAE scored lower than unexposed peers on the NEPSY-II Comprehension of Instructions and Phonological Processing and above population norms (indicating worse performance) on the BRIEF-PR. Children with PAE had a negative association between a principal component closely associated with Speeded Naming and FA in the left SLF (PAE: p = 0.002) and left ILF (PAE: p = 0.002); unexposed controls showed no significant associations. CONCLUSION We found widespread cognitive difficulties in children with PAE, but relatively limited differences in brain metrics and associations with age. Different brain-cognitive relationships were found in children with PAE compared with controls. Overall, the results provide additional evidence that PAE may lead to cognitive difficulties and disrupt typical brain-function relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José C Gómez
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carly A McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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13
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Migneron-Foisy V, Muckle G, Jacobson JL, Ayotte P, Jacobson SW, Saint-Amour D. Impact of chronic exposure to legacy environmental contaminants on the corpus callosum microstructure: A diffusion MRI study of Inuit adolescents. Neurotoxicology 2022; 92:200-211. [PMID: 35995272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental contaminants is an important public health concern for the Inuit population of northern Québec, who have been exposed to mercury (Hg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead (Pb). During the last 25 years, the Nunavik Child Development Study (NCDS) birth cohort has reported adverse associations between these exposures and brain function outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether contaminant exposure is associated with alterations of the corpus callosum (CC), which plays an important role in various cognitive, motor and sensory function processes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was administered to 89 NCDS participants (mean age ± SD = 18.4 ± 1.2). Diffusion-weighted imaging was assessed to characterize the microstructure of the CC white matter in 7 structurally and functionally distinct regions of interest (ROIs) using a tractography-based segmentation approach. The following metrics were computed: fiber tract density, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, current alcohol/drug use and fish nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids and selenium) were conducted to assess the association between diffusion-weighted imaging metrics and Hg, PCB 153 and Pb concentrations obtained at birth in the cord blood and postnatally (mean values from blood samples at 11 and 18 years of age). Exposures were not associated with fiber tract density. Nor were significant associations found with cord and postnatal blood Pb concentrations for FA. However, pre- and postnatal Hg and PCB concentrations were significantly associated with higher FA of several regions of the CC, namely anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus, and splenium, with the most pronounced effects observed in the splenium. FA results were mainly associated with lower RD. This study shows that exposure to Hg and PCB 153 alters the posterior microstructure of the CC, providing neuroimaging evidence of how developmental exposure to environmental chemicals can impair brain function and behavior in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Migneron-Foisy
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHUQ de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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14
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Lindinger NM, Jacobson JL, Dodge NC, Malcolm‐Smith S, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW. Stability and change in the interpretation of facial emotions in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders from childhood to adolescence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1268-1281. [PMID: 35491474 PMCID: PMC9357050 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to identify and interpret facial emotions plays a critical role in effective social functioning, which may be impaired in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). We previously reported deficits in children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial FAS (PFAS) on the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" (RME) test, which assesses the interpretation of facial emotion. This follow-up study in adolescents was designed to determine whether this impairment persists or represents a developmental delay; to classify the RME stimuli by valence (positive, negative, or neutral) and determine whether RME deficits differ by affective valence; and to explore how components of executive function mediate these associations. METHODS The RME stimuli were rated and grouped according to valence. Sixty-two participants who had been administered the RME in late childhood (mean ± SD = 11.0 ± 0.4 years) were re-administered this test during adolescence (17.2 ± 0.6 years). Overall and valence-specific RME accuracy was examined in relation to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and FASD diagnosis. RESULTS Children with FAS (n = 8) and PFAS (n = 15) performed more poorly on the RME than non-syndromal heavily exposed (HE; n = 19) and control individuals (n = 20). By adolescence, the PFAS group performed similarly to HE and controls, whereas the FAS group continued to perform more poorly. No deficits were seen for positively valenced items in any of the groups. For negative and neutral items, in late childhood individuals with FAS and PFAS performed more poorly than HE and controls, but by adolescence only the FAS group continued to perform more poorly. Test-retest reliability was moderate across the two ages. At both timepoints, the effects in the FAS group were partially mediated by Verbal Fluency but not by other aspects of executive function. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with full FAS have greater difficulty interpreting facial emotions than those with non-syndromal HE and healthy controls in both childhood and adolescence. By contrast, RME deficits in individuals with PFAS in childhood represent developmental delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine M. Lindinger
- Child Development Research LaboratoryDepartment of Human BiologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Child Development Research LaboratoryDepartment of Human BiologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral NeurosciencesWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichiganUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral NeurosciencesWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Susan Malcolm‐Smith
- ACSENT LaboratoryDepartment of PsychologyFaculty of HumanitiesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Child Development Research LaboratoryDepartment of Human BiologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- UCT Medical Imaging Research UnitDivision of Biomedical EngineeringFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Child Development Research LaboratoryDepartment of Human BiologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral NeurosciencesWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichiganUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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15
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Brosolo M, Lecointre M, Laquerrière A, Janin F, Genty D, Lebon A, Lesueur C, Vivien D, Marret S, Marguet F, Gonzalez BJ. In utero alcohol exposure impairs vessel-associated positioning and differentiation of oligodendrocytes in the developing neocortex. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105791. [PMID: 35760273 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a major cause of nongenetic mental retardation and can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the most severe manifestation of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD infants present behavioral disabilities resulting from neurodevelopmental defects. Both grey and white matter lesions have been characterized and are associated with apoptotic death and/or ectopic migration profiles. In the last decade, it was shown that PAE impairs brain angiogenesis, and the radial organization of cortical microvessels is lost. Concurrently, several studies have reported that tangential migration of oligodendrocyte precursors (OPCs) originating from ganglionic eminences is vascular associated. Because numerous migrating oligodendrocytes enter the developing neocortex, the present study aimed to determine whether migrating OPCs interacted with radial cortical microvessels and whether alcohol-induced vascular impairments were associated with altered positioning and differentiation of cortical oligodendrocytes. Using a 3D morphometric analysis, the results revealed that in both human and mouse cortices, 15 to 40% of Olig2-positive cells were in close association with radial cortical microvessels, respectively. Despite perinatal vascular disorganization, PAE did not modify the vessel association of Olig2-positive cells but impaired their positioning between deep and superficial cortical layers. At the molecular level, PAE markedly but transiently reduced the expression of CNPase and MBP, two differentiation markers of immature and mature oligodendrocytes. In particular, PAE inverted their distribution profiles in cortical layers V and VI and reduced the thickness of the myelin sheath of efferent axons. These perinatal oligo-vascular defects were associated with motor disabilities that persisted in adults. Altogether, the present study provides the first evidence that Olig2-positive cells entering the neocortex are associated with radial microvessels. PAE disorganized the cortical microvasculature and delayed the positioning and differentiation of oligodendrocytes. Although most of these oligovascular defects occurred in perinatal life, the offspring developed long-term motor troubles. Altogether, these data suggest that alcohol-induced oligo-vascular impairments contribute to the neurodevelopmental issues described in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Brosolo
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - M Lecointre
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - A Laquerrière
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - F Janin
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - D Genty
- Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - A Lebon
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM US 51, CNRS UAR 2026, HeRacLeS-PRIMACEN, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - C Lesueur
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France
| | - D Vivien
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM UMR-S U1237, Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders (PhIND), GIP Cyceron, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie (BB@C), 14000 Caen, France; Department of Clinical Research, Caen-Normandie University Hospital, CHU, Avenue de la côte de Nacre, Caen, France
| | - S Marret
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Neonatal Pediatrics and Intensive Care, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - F Marguet
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France; Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, 76000 Rouen, France
| | - B J Gonzalez
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1245, Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, F 76000 Rouen, France.
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16
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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: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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.
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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
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17
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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] [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.
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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.
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18
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Lindinger NM, Jacobson SW, Davidson L, Conradie S, Dodge NC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Gaab N, Jacobson JL. Reading impairment in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF READING : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF READING 2022; 26:469-488. [PMID: 36388467 PMCID: PMC9642985 DOI: 10.1080/10888438.2022.2054717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To date, research on effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has focused on a broad range of cognitive impairments, but relatively few studies have examined effects of PAE on development of reading skills. Although PAE has been linked to poorer reading comprehension, it remains unclear whether this impairment is attributable to deficits in phonological processing, word reading, oral language skills, and/or executive functioning. METHODS A comprehensive reading battery was administered to 10 adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS); 16 with partial FAS; 30 nonsyndromal heavily-exposed; 49 controls. RESULTS PAE was related to poorer reading comprehension but not to single word reading or phonological processing, suggesting that the mechanics of reading are intact in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders at this age. PAE-related impairment in reading comprehension was mediated, in part, by deficits in mastery of oral language skills, including vocabulary, language structure, and verbal fluency. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with research showing that reading comprehension in adolescence relies increasingly on linguistic comprehension abilities, especially once word reading becomes automatic and text complexity increases. Our findings suggest that reading-impaired adolescents with PAE will benefit from intervention programs targeting vocabulary knowledge, language structure, verbal fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine M. Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Landi Davidson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Simone Conradie
- Department of General Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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19
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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] [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.
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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
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20
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Loke YJ, Muggli E, Saffery R, Ryan J, Lewis S, Elliott EJ, Halliday J, Craig JM. Sex- and tissue-specific effects of binge-level prenatal alcohol consumption on DNA methylation at birth. Epigenomics 2021; 13:1921-1938. [PMID: 34841896 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Binge-level prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes developmental abnormalities, which may be mediated in part by epigenetic mechanisms. Despite this, few studies have characterised the association of binge PAE with DNA methylation in offspring. Methods: We investigated the association between binge PAE and genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in a sex-specific manner in neonatal buccal and placental samples. Results: We identified no differentially methylated CpGs or differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at false discovery rate <0.05. However, using a sum-of-ranks approach, we identified a DMR in each tissue of female offspring. The DMR identified in buccal samples is located near regions with previously-reported associations to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and binge PAE. Conclusion: Our findings warrant further replication and highlight a potential epigenetic link between binge PAE and FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuk Jing Loke
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Evelyne Muggli
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Victorian Infant Brain Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Biological Neuropsychiatry & Dementia Unit, School of Public Health, Monash University, Victoria, 3004, Australia
| | - Sharon Lewis
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Elliott
- Specialty of Child & Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.,The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, NSW, 2045, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,Reproductive Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Molecular Immunity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.,The Institute of Mental & Physical Health & Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Victoria, 3220, Australia
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21
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Stephen JM, Hill DE, Candelaria-Cook FT. Examining the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on corticothalamic connectivity: A multimodal neuroimaging study in children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 52:101019. [PMID: 34666262 PMCID: PMC8524752 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience a range of cognitive and behavioral effects. Prior studies have demonstrated white matter changes in children with FASD relative to typically developing controls (TDC) and these changes relate to behavior. Our prior MEG study (Candelaria-Cook et al. 2020) demonstrated reduced alpha oscillations during rest in FASD relative to TDC and alpha power is correlated with behavior. However, little is known about how brain structure influences brain function. We hypothesized that alpha power was related to corticothalamic connectivity. Children 8–13 years of age (TDC: N = 25, FASD: N = 24) underwent rest MEG with eyes open or closed and MRI to collect structural and diffusion tensor imaging data. MEG spectral analysis was performed for sensor and source data. We estimated mean fractional anisotropy in regions of interest (ROIs) that included the corticothalamic tracts. The FASD group had reduced mean FA in three of the corticothalamic ROIs. FA in these tracts was significantly correlated with alpha power at the sensor and source level. The results support the hypothesis that integrity of the corticothalamic tracts influences cortical alpha power. Further research is needed to understand how brain structure and function influence behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Stephen
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States; Psychiatry Department, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
| | - D E Hill
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States; Psychiatry Department, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - F T Candelaria-Cook
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States; Psychiatry Department, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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22
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Pinheiro-da-Silva J, Agues-Barbosa T, Luchiari AC. Embryonic Exposure to Ethanol Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior in Fry Zebrafish. Alcohol Alcohol 2021; 55:581-590. [PMID: 32886092 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term to describe the effects of ethanol (Eth) exposure during embryonic development, including several conditions from malformation to cognitive deficits. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a translational model popularly applied in brain disorders and drug screening studies due to its genetic and physiology homology to humans added to its transparent eggs and fast development. In this study, we investigated how early ethanol exposure affects zebrafish behavior during the initial growth phase. METHODS Fish eggs were exposed to 0.0 (control), 0.25 and 0.5% ethanol at 24 h post-fertilization. Later, fry zebrafish (10 days old) were tested in a novel tank task and an inhibitory avoidance protocol to inquire about morphology and behavioral alterations. RESULTS Analysis of variance showed that ethanol doses of 0.25 and 0.5% do not cause morphological malformations and did not impair associative learning but increased anxiety-like behavior responses and lower exploratory behavior when compared to the control. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that one can detect behavioral abnormalities in the zebrafish induced by embryonic ethanol as early as 10 days post-fertilization and that alcohol increases anxious behavior during young development in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thais Agues-Barbosa
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
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23
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Warton FL, Molteno CD, Warton CMR, Wintermark P, Lindinger NM, Dodge NC, Zöllei L, van der Kouwe AJW, Carter RC, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Maternal choline supplementation mitigates alcohol exposure effects on neonatal brain volumes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1762-1774. [PMID: 34342017 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with smaller regional and global brain volumes. In rats, gestational choline supplementation mitigates adverse developmental effects of ethanol exposure. Our recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled maternal choline supplementation trial showed improved somatic and functional outcomes in infants at 6.5 and 12 months postpartum. Here, we examined whether maternal choline supplementation protected the newborn brain from PAE-related volume reductions and, if so, whether these volume changes were associated with improved infant recognition memory. METHODS Fifty-two infants born to heavy-drinking women who had participated in a choline supplementation trial during pregnancy underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging with a multi-echo FLASH protocol on a 3T Siemens Allegra MRI (median age = 2.8 weeks postpartum). Subcortical regions were manually segmented. Recognition memory was assessed at 12 months on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII). We examined the effects of choline on regional brain volumes, whether choline-related volume increases were associated with higher FTII scores, and the degree to which the regional volume increases mediated the effects of choline on the FTII. RESULTS Usable MRI data were acquired in 50 infants (choline: n = 27; placebo: n = 23). Normalized volumes were larger in six of 12 regions in the choline than placebo arm (t ≥ 2.05, p ≤ 0.05) and were correlated with the degree of maternal choline adherence (β ≥ 0.28, p ≤ 0.04). Larger right putamen and corpus callosum were related to higher FTII scores (r = 0.36, p = 0.02) with a trend toward partial mediation of the choline effect on recognition memory. CONCLUSIONS High-dose choline supplementation during pregnancy mitigated PAE-related regional volume reductions, with larger volumes associated with improved 12-month recognition memory. These results provide the first evidence that choline may be neuroprotective against PAE-related brain structural deficits in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur L Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, 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
| | - Pia Wintermark
- Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, 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
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andre J W van der Kouwe
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- 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.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- 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.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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24
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Pinson MR, Holloway KN, Douglas JC, Kane CJM, Miranda RC, Drew PD. Divergent and overlapping hippocampal and cerebellar transcriptome responses following developmental ethanol exposure during the secondary neurogenic period. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1408-1423. [PMID: 34060105 PMCID: PMC8312515 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The developing hippocampus and cerebellum, unique among brain regions, exhibit a secondary surge in neurogenesis during the third trimester of pregnancy. Ethanol (EtOH) exposure during this period is results in a loss of tissue volume and associated neurobehavioral deficits. However, mechanisms that link EtOH exposure to teratology in these regions are not well understood. We therefore analyzed transcriptomic adaptations to EtOH exposure to identify mechanistic linkages. Methods Hippocampi and cerebella were microdissected at postnatal day (P)10, from control C57BL/6J mouse pups, and pups treated with 4 g/kg of EtOH from P4 to P9. RNA was isolated and RNA‐seq analysis was performed. We compared gene expression in EtOH‐ and vehicle‐treated control neonates and performed biological pathway‐overrepresentation analysis. Results While EtOH exposure resulted in the general induction of genes associated with the S‐phase of mitosis in both cerebellum and hippocampus, overall there was little overlap in differentially regulated genes and associated biological pathways between these regions. In cerebellum, EtOH additionally induced gene expression associated with the G2/M‐phases of the cell cycle and sonic hedgehog signaling, while in hippocampus, EtOH‐induced the pathways for ribosome biogenesis and protein translation. Moreover, EtOH inhibited the transcriptomic identities associated with inhibitory interneuron subpopulations in the hippocampus, while in the cerebellum there was a more pronounced inhibition of transcripts across multiple oligodendrocyte maturation stages. Conclusions These data indicate that during the delayed neurogenic period, EtOH may stimulate the cell cycle, but it otherwise results in widely divergent molecular effects in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Moreover, these data provide evidence for region‐ and cell‐type‐specific vulnerability, which may contribute to the pathogenic effects of developmental EtOH exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa R Pinson
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Kalee N Holloway
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - James C Douglas
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Cynthia J M Kane
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Paul D Drew
- Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
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25
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Kar P, Reynolds JE, Grohs MN, Gibbard WB, McMorris C, Tortorelli C, Lebel C. White matter alterations in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:400-410. [PMID: 33829663 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to cognitive, behavioural, and social-emotional challenges. Previous neuroimaging research has identified structural brain alterations in newborns, older children, adolescents, and adults with PAE; however, little is known about brain structure in young children. Extensive brain development occurs during early childhood; therefore, understanding the neurological profiles of young children with PAE is critical for early identification and effective intervention. We studied 54 children (5.21 ± 1.11 years; 27 males) with confirmed PAE (94% also had other prenatal exposures, 74% had adverse postnatal experiences) compared with 54 age- and sex-matched children without PAE. Children underwent diffusion tensor imaging between 2 and 7 years of age. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 10 major white matter tracts. Univariate analyses of covariance were used to test group differences (PAE vs. control) controlling for age and sex. The PAE group had higher FA in the genu of the corpus callosum and lower MD in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. The PAE group also had lower tract volume in the corpus callosum, the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. Our findings align with studies of newborns with PAE reporting lower diffusivity, but contrast those in older populations with PAE, which consistently report lower FA and higher MD. Further research is needed to understand trajectories of white matter development and how our results of higher FA/lower MD in young children connect with lower FA/higher MD observed at older ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Kar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jess E Reynolds
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Melody N Grohs
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - W Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carly McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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26
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Mahnke AH, Sideridis GD, Salem NA, Tseng AM, Carter RC, Dodge NC, Rathod AB, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW, Miranda RC, Jacobson JL. Infant circulating MicroRNAs as biomarkers of effect in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1429. [PMID: 33446819 PMCID: PMC7809131 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80734-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in cognitive and behavioral disabilities and growth deficits. Because alcohol-related neurobehavioral deficits may occur in the absence of overt dysmorphic features or growth deficits, there is a need to identify biomarkers of PAE that can predict neurobehavioral impairment. In this study, we assessed infant plasma extracellular, circulating miRNAs (exmiRNAs) obtained from a heavily exposed Cape Town cohort to determine whether these can be used to predict PAE-related growth restriction and cognitive impairment. PAE, controlling for smoking as a covariate, altered 27% of expressed exmiRNAs with clinically-relevant effect sizes (Cohen's d ≥ 0.4). Moreover, at 2 weeks, PAE increased correlated expression of exmiRNAs across chromosomes, suggesting potential co-regulation. In confirmatory factor analysis, the variance in expression for PAE-altered exmiRNAs at 2 weeks and 6.5 months was best described by three-factor models. Pathway analysis found that factors at 2 weeks were associated with (F1) cell maturation, cell cycle inhibition, and somatic growth, (F2) cell survival, apoptosis, cardiac development, and metabolism, and (F3) cell proliferation, skeletal development, hematopoiesis, and inflammation, and at 6.5 months with (F1) neurodevelopment, neural crest/mesoderm-derivative development and growth, (F2) immune system and inflammation, and (F3) somatic growth and cardiovascular development. Factors F3 at 2 weeks and F2 at 6.5 months partially mediated PAE-induced growth deficits, and factor F3 at 2 weeks partially mediated effects of PAE on infant recognition memory at 6.5 months. These findings indicate that infant exmiRNAs can help identify infants who will exhibit PAE-related deficits in growth and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda H Mahnke
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
| | - Georgios D Sideridis
- Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nihal A Salem
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Alexander M Tseng
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Aniruddha B Rathod
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Departments of Human Biology and 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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
- Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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27
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Lewis CE, Thomas KGF, Ofen N, Warton CMR, Robertson F, Lindinger NM, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. An fMRI investigation of neural activation predicting memory formation in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 30:102532. [PMID: 33636539 PMCID: PMC7918676 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Expected brain regions activated during memory formation in FASD and Control children. Prenatal alcohol predicted differences in brain activations during memory formation. More extensive neural activation during successful memory formation in FAS/PFAS group.
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with physical anomalies, growth restriction, and a range of neurobehavioral deficits. Although declarative memory impairment has been documented extensively in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), this cognitive process has been examined in only one functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, and mechanisms underlying this impairment are not well understood. We used an event-related fMRI design to examine neural activations during visual scene encoding that predict subsequent scene memory in 51 right-handed children (age range = 10–14 years, M = 11.3, SD = 1.3) whose mothers had been recruited and interviewed prospectively about their alcohol use during pregnancy. Following examination by expert dysmorphologists, children were assigned to one of three FASD diagnostic groups: FAS/PFAS (nFAS = 7; nPFAS = 4), nonsyndromal heavily exposed (HE; n = 14), and Controls (n = 26). Subsequent memory was assessed in a post-scan recognition test, and subsequent memory activations were examined by contrasting activations during encoding of scenes that were subsequently remembered (hits) to those for incorrectly judged as ‘new’ (misses). Recognition accuracy did not differ between groups. Pooled across groups, we observed extensive bilateral subsequent memory effects in regions including the hippocampal formation, posterior parietal cortex, and occipital cortex—a pattern consistent with previous similar studies of typically developing children. Critically, in the group of children with FAS or PFAS, we observed activations in several additional regions compared to HE and Control groups. Given the absence of between-group differences in recognition accuracy, these data suggest that in achieving similar memory compared to children in the HE and Control groups, children with FAS and PFAS recruit more extensive neural resources to achieve successful memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Lewis
- ACSENT Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Noa Ofen
- Life-Span Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Department of Psychology, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Frances Robertson
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- ACSENT Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa; Child Development Research Laboratory, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Detroit, MI, USA.
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28
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Wang X, Cuzon Carlson VC, Studholme C, Newman N, Ford MM, Grant KA, Kroenke CD. In utero MRI identifies consequences of early-gestation alcohol drinking on fetal brain development in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10035-10044. [PMID: 32312804 PMCID: PMC7211988 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919048117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
One factor that contributes to the high prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is binge-like consumption of alcohol before pregnancy awareness. It is known that treatments are more effective with early recognition of FASD. Recent advances in retrospective motion correction for the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) fetal brain MRI have led to significant improvements in the quality and resolution of anatomical and diffusion MRI of the fetal brain. Here, a rhesus macaque model of FASD, involving oral self-administration of 1.5 g/kg ethanol per day beginning prior to pregnancy and extending through the first 60 d of a 168-d gestational term, was utilized to determine whether fetal MRI could detect alcohol-induced abnormalities in brain development. This approach revealed differences between ethanol-exposed and control fetuses at gestation day 135 (G135), but not G110 or G85. At G135, ethanol-exposed fetuses had reduced brainstem and cerebellum volume and water diffusion anisotropy in several white matter tracts, compared to controls. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings performed on fetal brain tissue obtained immediately following MRI demonstrated that the structural abnormalities observed at G135 are of functional significance. Specifically, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes measured from individual neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex and putamen strongly correlated with diffusion anisotropy in the white matter tracts that connect these structures. These findings demonstrate that exposure to ethanol early in gestation perturbs development of brain regions associated with motor control in a manner that is detectable with fetal MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Wang
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97214
| | - Verginia C Cuzon Carlson
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Colin Studholme
- Biomedical Image Computing Group, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Natali Newman
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006
| | - Matthew M Ford
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Christopher D Kroenke
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006;
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97214
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239
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29
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Dodge NC, Thomas KGF, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Reduced Hippocampal Volumes Partially Mediate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Spatial Navigation on a Virtual Water Maze Task in Children. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:844-855. [PMID: 32196695 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to poorer performance on the Morris water maze (MWM), a test of spatial navigation in rodents that is dependent on hippocampal functioning. We recently confirmed these findings in children with PAE on a human analog of the MWM, the virtual water maze (VWM). Previous studies have shown that the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to PAE. Our aim was to determine whether hippocampal volume mediates the relation between PAE and virtual navigation. METHODS VWM and MRI hippocampal data were collected from 50 right-handed 10-year-old children in a heavily exposed Cape Town, South African sample. PAE data had been collected from their mothers during pregnancy, and the children were examined by expert fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) dysmorphologists. In the VWM, the participant attempts to learn the location of a hidden platform in a virtual pool of water across a series of learning trials using only distal room cues. Hippocampal volumes were derived using FreeSurfer from MRI scans administered within 1 week of completing the VWM task. RESULTS Both the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/partial FAS and nonsyndromal heavy-exposed (HE) groups had smaller hippocampal volumes than controls. PAE was associated with reduced right hippocampal volumes even after control for total intracranial volume (ICV). Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with VWM performance. The relation between PAE and VWM performance was partially mediated by right hippocampal volume but not by total ICV. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm previous reports linking PAE to poorer spatial navigation on the VWM and are the first to provide direct evidence that volume reductions in this region partially mediate the relation of FASD diagnosis to place learning, suggesting that PAE specifically impairs the ability to encode the spatial information necessary for successful location of the hidden platform on a navigation task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dodge
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- 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
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States.,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
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States.,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
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30
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Abstract
Prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs is associated with physical, cognitive, and behavioral problems across the offspring's lifespan and an increased risk of alcohol and drug use in adolescent and young adult offspring. These prenatal effects continue to be evident after control for demographic background and parental alcohol and drug use. Behavior problems in childhood and adolescence associated with prenatal exposures may serve as a mediator of the prenatal exposure effects on offspring substance use.
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31
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Dodge NC, Thomas KGF, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Spatial Navigation in Children and Young Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2536-2546. [PMID: 31593324 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent studies have consistently shown that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) impairs performance on the Morris water maze (MWM), a test of spatial navigation. A previous study comparing boys with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) to controls found poorer performance on the virtual water maze (VWM), a human analogue of the MWM. We examined PAE effects on virtual navigation in both sexes using the VWM in a moderately exposed Detroit cohort (N = 104; mean = 19.4 year) and a heavily exposed Cape Town, South African cohort (N = 62; mean = 10.4 year). METHODS The task requires the participant to learn the location of a hidden platform in a virtual pool of water. The set of acquisition trials requires the participant to learn the location of the hidden platform and to return to that location repeatedly. The single-probe trial requires the participant to return to that location without knowing that the platform has been removed. RESULTS No effects of FASD diagnostic group or PAE were detected on virtual navigation in the Detroit moderately exposed cohort. By contrast, in the more heavily exposed Cape Town cohort, the FAS/partial FAS (PFAS) group took longer to locate the hidden platform during acquisition than nonsyndromal heavily exposed (HE) and control groups, an effect that persisted even after controlling for IQ. Among boys, both the FAS/PFAS and HE groups performed more poorly than controls during acquisition, and both boys and girls born to women who binge drank performed more poorly than those born to abstainers/light drinkers. Both amount and frequency of PAE were related to poorer performance during the probe trial at 10 years of age. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate deficits in spatial navigation among heavily exposed syndromal boys and girls and in nonsyndromal exposed boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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32
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O’Neill J, O’Connor MJ, Yee V, Ly R, Narr K, Alger JR, Levitt JG. Differential neuroimaging indices in prefrontal white matter in prenatal alcohol-associated ADHD versus idiopathic ADHD. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:797-811. [PMID: 30694611 PMCID: PMC6650301 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) but also in patients without prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Many patients diagnosed with idiopathic ADHD may actually have ADHD and covert PAE, a treatment-relevant distinction. METHODS We compared proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI; N = 44) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI; N = 46) of the anterior corona radiata (ACR)-a key fiber tract in models of ADHD-at 1.5 T in children with ADHD with PAE (ADHD+PAE), children with ADHD without PAE (ADHD-PAE), children without ADHD with PAE (non-ADHD+PAE), and children with neither ADHD nor PAE (non-ADHD-PAE, i.e., typically developing controls). Levels of choline-compounds (Cho) were the main MRSI endpoint, given interest in dietary choline for FASD; the main DTI endpoint was fractional anisotropy (FA), as ACR FA may reflect ADHD-relevant executive control functions. RESULTS For ACR Cho, there was an ADHD-by-PAE interaction (p = 0.038) whereby ACR Cho was 26.7% lower in ADHD+PAE than in ADHD-PAE children (p < 0.0005), but there was no significant ACR Cho difference between non-ADHD+PAE and non-ADHD-PAE children. Voxelwise false-discovery rate (FDR)-corrected analysis of DTI revealed significantly (q ≤ 0.0101-0.05) lower FA in ACR for subjects with PAE (ADHD+PAE or non-ADHD+PAE) than for subjects without PAE (ADHD-PAE or non-ADHD-PAE). There was no significant effect of ADHD on FA. Thus, in overlapping samples, effects of PAE on Cho and FA were observed in the same white-matter tract. CONCLUSIONS These findings point to tract focal, white-matter pathology possibly specific for ADHD+PAE subjects. Low Cho may derive from abnormal choline metabolism; low FA suggests suboptimal white-matter integrity in PAE. More advanced MRSI and DTI-and neurocognitive assessments-may better distinguish ADHD+PAE from ADHD-PAE, helping identify covert cases of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph O’Neill
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mary J. O’Connor
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Victor Yee
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ronald Ly
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Alger
- Department of Neurology, UCLA Los Angeles, CA
- Neurospectroscopics, Inc., Encino, CA
| | - Jennifer G. Levitt
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
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33
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McLachlan K, Vavasour I, MacKay A, Brain U, Oberlander T, Loock C, Reynolds JN, Beaulieu C. Myelin Water Fraction Imaging of the Brain in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:833-841. [PMID: 30889291 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to alterations of cerebral white matter, including volume and nonspecific diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices of microstructure in humans. Some animal models of PAE have demonstrated myelination deficiencies, but myelin levels have not yet been evaluated in individuals with PAE. Multiecho T2 MRI offers a quantitative method to estimate myelin water fraction (MWF; related to myelin content) noninvasively, which was used here to evaluate brain myelination in children with PAE. METHODS Participants with PAE (n = 10, 6 females, mean age 13.9 years, range 7 to 18 years) and controls (n = 14, 11 females, mean age 13.2 years, range 9 to 16 years) underwent 3T MRI of the brain. T2 images (15 minutes acquisition for 32 echoes) were used to create MWF maps from which mean MWF was measured in 12 regions of interest (ROIs) including 8 in white matter and 4 in deep gray matter. RESULTS As expected, across the combined sample, MWF was highest for major white matter tracts such as the internal capsule and genu/splenium of the corpus callosum (10 to 18%) while the caudate and putamen had MWF less than 5%. Mean MWF was similar across 11/12 brain white and gray matter regions for the PAE and control groups (L/R internal capsule, major forceps, putamen, caudate nucleus, L minor forceps, genu and splenium of corpus callosum). In the PAE group, MWF was positively correlated with age in the genu of corpus callosum and right minor forceps, notably 2 frontal tracts. CONCLUSIONS Given comparable MRI-derived myelination fraction measures in PAE relative to controls, white matter alterations shown in other imaging studies, such as diffusion tensor imaging, may reflect microstructural anomalies related to axon caliber and density.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irene Vavasour
- Department of Radiology , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alex MacKay
- Department of Radiology , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Physics and Astronomy , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ursula Brain
- Department of Pediatrics , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tim Oberlander
- Department of Pediatrics , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christine Loock
- Department of Pediatrics , University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - James N Reynolds
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences , Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Ghazi Sherbaf F, Aarabi MH, Hosein Yazdi M, Haghshomar M. White matter microstructure in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A systematic review of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:1017-1036. [PMID: 30289588 PMCID: PMC6865781 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has revolutionized our understanding of the neural underpinnings of alcohol teratogenesis. This technique can detect alterations in white matter in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Using Prisma guidelines, we identified 23 DTI studies conducted on individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). These studies confirm the widespread nature of brain damage in PAE by reporting diffusivity alterations in commissural, association, and projection fibers; and in relation to increasing cognitive impairment. Reduced integrity in terms of lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) is reported more consistently in the corpus callosum, cerebellar peduncles, cingulum, and longitudinal fasciculi connecting frontal and temporoparietal regions. Although these interesting results provide insight into FASD neuropathology, it is important to investigate the clinical diversity of this disorder for better treatment options and prediction of progression. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of different patterns of neural structure between PAE and typically developed individuals. We further discuss the association of alterations in diffusivity with demographic features and symptomatology of PAE. With the accumulated knowledge of the neural correlates of FASD presenting symptoms, a comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity in FASD will potentially improve the disease management and will highlight the diagnostic challenges and potential areas of future research avenues, where neural markers may be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Meisam Hosein Yazdi
- Namazee Hospital, Imaging Research Center, Department of RadiologyShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
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35
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Mendoza R, Morales-Marente E, Palacios MS, Rodríguez-Reinado C, Corrales-Gutiérrez I, García-Algar Ó. Health advice on alcohol consumption in pregnant women in Seville (Spain). GACETA SANITARIA 2019; 34:449-458. [PMID: 30733046 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyse to what extent pregnant women remembered having received health advice regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, what the message they perceived was and whether there is social inequality in this regard. METHOD A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with a sample of 426 pregnant women (in their 20th week of pregnancy) receiving care in the outpatient clinics of a university hospital in a southern Spanish city (Seville). The data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews carried out by trained health professionals. RESULTS 43% of the interviewed women stated that they had not received any health advice in this regard. Only 43.5% of the sample remembered having received the correct message (not to consume any alcohol at all during pregnancy) from their midwife, 25% from their obstetrician and 20.3% from their general practitioner. The women with a low educational level were those who least declared having received health advice on the issue. CONCLUSION The recommended health advice to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy does not effectively reach a large proportion of pregnant women. Developing institutional programmes which help healthcare professionals to carry out effective preventive activities of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Mendoza
- Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain; Research Group on Health Promotion and Development of Lifestyle across the Life Span, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Elena Morales-Marente
- Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain; Center for Research in Contemporary Thought and Innovation for Social Development (COIDESO)
| | - M Soledad Palacios
- Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain; Center for Research in Contemporary Thought and Innovation for Social Development (COIDESO)
| | - Carmen Rodríguez-Reinado
- Research group in Social Studies and Social Intervention, Center for Research in Contemporary Thought and Innovation for Social Development (COIDESO), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | | | - Óscar García-Algar
- Grup de Recerca Infància i Entorn (GRIE), Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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36
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Development and validation of a quantitative choline food frequency questionnaire for use with drinking and non-drinking pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa. Nutr J 2018; 17:108. [PMID: 30466439 PMCID: PMC6251124 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-018-0411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although animal and human studies have demonstrated interactions between dietary choline and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, dietary choline deficiency in pregnancy is common in the US and worldwide. We sought to develop and validate a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to estimate usual daily choline intake in pregnant mothers. Methods A panel of nutrition experts developed a Choline-QFFQ food item list, including sources with high choline content and the most commonly consumed choline-containing foods in the target population. A data base for choline content of each item was compiled. For reliability and validity testing in a prospective longitudinal cohort, 123 heavy drinking Cape Coloured pregnant women and 83 abstaining/light-drinking controls were recruited at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 3 prenatal study visits, each gravida was interviewed about alcohol, smoking, and drug use, and administered a 24-hour recall interview and the Choline-QFFQ. Results Across all visits and assessments, > 78% of heavy drinkers and controls reported choline intake below the Dietary Reference Intakes adequate intake level (450 mg/day). Women reported a decrease in choline intake over time on the QFFQ. Reliability of the QFFQ across visits was good-to-acceptable for 2 of 4 group-level tests and 4 of 5 individual-level tests for both drinkers and controls. When compared with 24-hr recall data, validity of the QFFQ was good-to-acceptable for 3 of 4 individual-level tests and 3 of 5 group-level tests. For controls, validity was good-to-acceptable for all 4 individual-level tests and all 5 group-level tests. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative choline food frequency screening questionnaire to be developed and validated for use with both heavy and non-drinking pregnant women and the first to be used in the Cape Coloured community in South Africa. Given the high prevalence of inadequate choline intake and the growing evidence that maternal choline supplementation can mitigate some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, this tool may be useful for both research and future clinical outreach programs.
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37
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Georgieff MK, Tran PV, Carlson ES. Atypical fetal development: Fetal alcohol syndrome, nutritional deprivation, teratogens, and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1063-1086. [PMID: 30068419 PMCID: PMC6074054 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that the fetal environment plays an important role in brain development and sets the brain on a trajectory across the life span. An abnormal fetal environment results when factors that should be present during a critical period of development are absent or when factors that should not be in the developing brain are present. While these factors may acutely disrupt brain function, the real cost to society resides in the long-term effects, which include important mental health issues. We review the effects of three factors, fetal alcohol exposure, teratogen exposure, and nutrient deficiencies, on the developing brain and the consequent risk for developmental psychopathology. Each is reviewed with respect to the evidence found in epidemiological and clinical studies in humans as well as preclinical molecular and cellular studies that explicate mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phu V Tran
- University of Minnesota School of Medicine
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38
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Loke YJ, Muggli E, Nguyen L, Ryan J, Saffery R, Elliott EJ, Halliday J, Craig JM. Time- and sex-dependent associations between prenatal alcohol exposure and placental global DNA methylation. Epigenomics 2018; 10:981-991. [PMID: 29956547 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2017-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Epigenetic changes, in particular in the placenta, may mediate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on children's health. We examined the relationship between PAE patterns, based on dose and timing, and placental global DNA methylation. METHODS Using linear regression analysis, we examined the association between different PAE categories and placental global DNA methylation (n = 187), using the proxy measure of Alu-interspersed repeats. RESULTS Following adjustment for important covariates, we found no evidence of an association between PAE and placental global DNA methylation overall. However, when stratifying by newborn sex, PAE throughout pregnancy was associated with higher placental global DNA methylation (1.5%; p = 0.01) of male newborns. CONCLUSION PAE may have sex-specific effects on placental global DNA methylation if alcohol is consumed throughout pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuk Jing Loke
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Evelyne Muggli
- Public Health Genetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Linh Nguyen
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Cancer & Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Cancer & Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Elliott
- Discipline of Child & Adolescent Health, School of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Sydney Childrens Hospitals Network, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jane Halliday
- Public Health Genetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
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39
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Carter RC, Chen J, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Dodge NC, Wainwright HC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Alcohol-Related Alterations in Placental Imprinted Gene Expression in Humans Mediate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Postnatal Growth. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1431-1443. [PMID: 29870072 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence in animal models has implicated alcohol-induced alterations in epigenetic programming as an important mechanism in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Imprinted genes, a subset of epigenetically regulated genes that are sensitive to the prenatal environment, are chiefly involved in growth and neurobehavior. We tested the hypothesis that alterations in placental imprinted gene expression mediate fetal alcohol growth restriction. METHODS Placental expression of 109 genes previously shown to be imprinted and expressed in the placenta was assessed using the NanoString™ nCounter Analysis System in flash-frozen samples from 34 heavy drinkers and 31 control women in Cape Town, South Africa, from whom prospective pregnancy alcohol consumption data had been obtained. Length/height, weight, and head circumference were measured at 6.5 and 12 months and at an FASD diagnostic clinic (at ages 1.1 to 4.6 years) that we organized. Imprinted gene expression between exposed and control placentas was compared using the limma R package. The relation of alcohol exposure to World Health Organization length-for-age z-scores was examined before and after inclusion of expression for each alcohol-related imprinted gene, using hierarchical mixed regression models with repeated measures. RESULTS Heavy drinkers averaged 8 standard drinks on 2 to 3 days/wk (vs. 0 for controls). Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with smaller length/height and weight during the postnatal period. Heavy exposure was related to alterations in expression of 11 of 93 expressed imprinted genes, including increased expression of 5 genes found to be negatively associated with growth and decreased expression of 3 genes positively associated with growth. Alcohol-related alterations in expression of 5 genes statistically mediated the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on length. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify alcohol-related alterations in placental imprinted gene expression as potential biomarkers of adverse effect in FASD and suggest that these alterations may play a mechanistic role in fetal alcohol growth restriction. Future studies are needed to determine whether alterations in imprinted gene expression also mediate FASD neurobehavioral deficits and whether such alterations are amenable to intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Institute for Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Helen C Wainwright
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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40
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Biffen SC, Warton CMR, Lindinger NM, Randall SR, Lewis CE, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Reductions in Corpus Callosum Volume Partially Mediate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on IQ. Front Neuroanat 2018; 11:132. [PMID: 29379419 PMCID: PMC5771245 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disproportionate volume reductions in the basal ganglia, corpus callosum (CC) and hippocampus have been reported in children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). However, few studies have investigated these reductions in high prevalence communities, such as the Western Cape Province of South Africa, and only one study made use of manual tracing, the gold standard of volumetric analysis. The present study examined the effects of PAE on subcortical neuroanatomy using manual tracing and the relation of volumetric reductions in these regions to IQ and performance on the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C), a list learning task sensitive to PAE. High-resolution T1-weighted images were acquired, using a sequence optimized for morphometric neuroanatomical analysis, on a Siemens 3T Allegra MRI scanner from 71 right-handed, 9- to 11-year-old children [9 fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 19 partial FAS (PFAS), 24 non-syndromal heavily exposed (HE) and 19 non-exposed controls]. Frequency of maternal drinking was ascertained prospectively during pregnancy using timeline follow-back interviews. PAE was examined in relation to volumes of the CC and left and right caudate nuclei, nucleus accumbens and hippocampi. All structures were manually traced using Multitracer. Higher levels of PAE were associated with reductions in CC volume after adjustment for TIV. Although the effect of PAE on CC was confounded with smoking and lead exposure, additional analyses showed that it was not accounted for by these exposures. Amongst dysmorphic children, smaller CC was associated with poorer IQ and CVLT-C scores and statistically mediated the effect of PAE on IQ. In addition, higher levels of PAE were associated with bilateral volume reductions in caudate nuclei and hippocampi, effects that remained significant after control for TIV, child sex and age, socioeconomic status, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and childhood lead exposure. These data confirm previous findings showing that PAE is associated with decreases in subcortical volumes and is the first study to show that decreases in callosal volume may play a role in fetal alcohol-related impairment in cognitive function seen in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevie C Biffen
- Department of Human Biology, 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
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Steven R Randall
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine E Lewis
- 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 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.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- 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.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - 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, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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41
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Woods KJ, Jacobson SW, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Meintjes EM. Altered Parietal Activation during Non-symbolic Number Comparison in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 11:627. [PMID: 29358911 PMCID: PMC5766638 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Number processing is a cognitive domain particularly sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure, which relies on intact parietal functioning. Alcohol-related alterations in brain activation have been found in the parietal lobe during symbolic number processing. However, the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the neural correlates of non-symbolic number comparison and the numerical distance effect have not been investigated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined differences in brain activation associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in five parietal regions involved in number processing during a non-symbolic number comparison task with varying degrees of difficulty. fMRI results are presented for 27 Cape Colored children (6 fetal alcohol syndome (FAS)/partial FAS, 5 heavily exposed (HE) non-sydromal, 16 controls; mean age ± SD = 11.7 ± 1.1 years). Fetal alcohol exposure was assessed by interviewing mothers using a timeline follow-back approach. Separate subject analyses were performed in each of five regions of interest, bilateral horizontal intraparietal sulci (IPS), bilateral posterior superior parietal lobules (PSPL), and left angular gyrus (left AG), using the general linear model with predictors for number comparison and difficulty level. Mean percent signal change for each predictor was extracted for each subject for each region to examine group differences and associations with continuous measures of alcohol exposure. Although groups did not differ in performance, controls activated the right PSPL more during non-symbolic number comparison than exposed children, but this was not significant after controlling for maternal smoking, and the right IPS more than children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS. More heavily exposed children recruited the left AG to a greater extent as task difficulty increased, possibly to compensate, in part, for impairments in function in the PSPL and IPS. Notably, in non-syndromal heavily exposed children activation was impaired in the right PSPL, but spared in the right IPS. These results extend previous findings of poor right IPS recruitment during symbolic number processing in FAS/PFAS, indicating that mental representation of relative quantity is affected by prenatal alcohol exposure for both symbolic and non-symbolic representations of quantity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri J Woods
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,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
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,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, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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42
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Stephen JM, Flynn L, Kabella D, Schendel M, Cano S, Savage DD, Rayburn W, Leeman LM, Lowe J, Bakhireva LN. Hypersynchrony in MEG spectral amplitude in prospectively-identified 6-month-old infants prenatally exposed to alcohol. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017. [PMID: 29527487 PMCID: PMC5842663 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Early identification of children who experience developmental delays due to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) remains a challenge for individuals who do not exhibit facial dysmorphia. It is well-established that children with PAE may still exhibit the cognitive and behavioral difficulties, and individuals without facial dysmorphia make up the majority of individuals affected by PAE. This study employed a prospective cohort design to capture alcohol consumption patterns during pregnancy and then followed the infants to 6 months of age. Infants were assessed using magnetoencephalography to capture neurophysiological indicators of brain development and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III to measure behavioral development. To account for socioeconomic and family environmental factors, we employed a two-by-two design with pregnant women who were or were not using opioid maintenance therapy (OMT) and did or did not consume alcohol during pregnancy. Based on prior studies, we hypothesized that infants with PAE would exhibit broad increased spectral amplitude relative to non-PAE infants. We also hypothesized that the developmental shift from low to high frequency spectral amplitude would be delayed in infants with PAE relative to controls. Our results demonstrated broadband increased spectral amplitude, interpreted as hypersynchrony, in PAE infants with no significant interaction with OMT. Unlike prior EEG studies in neonates, our results indicate that this hypersynchrony was highly lateralized to left hemisphere and primarily focused in temporal/lateral frontal regions. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between estimated number of drinks consumed during pregnancy and spectral amplitude revealing a dose-response effect of increased hypersynchrony corresponding to greater alcohol consumption. Contrary to our second hypothesis, we did not see a significant group difference in the contribution of low frequency to high frequency amplitude at 6 months of age. These results provide new evidence that hypersynchrony, previously observed in neonates prenatally exposed to high levels of alcohol, persists until 6 months of age and this measure is detectable with low to moderate exposure of alcohol with a dose-response effect. These results indicate that hypersynchrony may provide a sensitive early marker of prenatal alcohol exposure in infants up to 6 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Stephen
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Lucinda Flynn
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Danielle Kabella
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Megan Schendel
- The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sandra Cano
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Daniel D Savage
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - William Rayburn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Lawrence M Leeman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jean Lowe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Ludmila N Bakhireva
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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43
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Carter RC, Senekal M, Dodge NC, Bechard LJ, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Duggan CP, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Maternal Alcohol Use and Nutrition During Pregnancy: Diet and Anthropometry. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:2114-2127. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjanne Senekal
- University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Wayne State University School of Medicine; Detroit Michigan
| | | | | | | | | | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences; Cape Town South Africa
- Wayne State University School of Medicine; Detroit Michigan
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences; Cape Town South Africa
- Wayne State University School of Medicine; Detroit Michigan
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44
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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 PMCID: PMC6377933 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Fan
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research UnitDivision of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Human BiologyUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
| | - Paul A. Taylor
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research UnitDivision of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Human BiologyUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
- African Institute for Mathematical SciencesSouth Africa
- Scientific and Statistical Computing CoreNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMaryland
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human BiologyUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral NeurosciencesWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichigan
| | | | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew Jersey
| | - Bharat B. Biswal
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNew Jersey
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human BiologyUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral NeurosciencesWayne State University School of MedicineDetroitMichigan
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research UnitDivision of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape TownSouth Africa
- Department of Human BiologyUniversity of Cape TownSouth Africa
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Cantacorps L, Alfonso-Loeches S, Moscoso-Castro M, Cuitavi J, Gracia-Rubio I, López-Arnau R, Escubedo E, Guerri C, Valverde O. Maternal alcohol binge drinking induces persistent neuroinflammation associated with myelin damage and behavioural dysfunctions in offspring mice. Neuropharmacology 2017; 123:368-384. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Sanou AS, Diallo AH, Holding P, Nankabirwa V, Engebretsen IMS, Ndeezi G, Tumwine JK, Meda N, Tylleskar T, Kashala-Abotnes E. Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and child's cognitive performance at 6-8 years of age in rural Burkina Faso: an observational study. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3507. [PMID: 28674660 PMCID: PMC5494175 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In Burkina Faso, it is not uncommon for mothers to drink alcohol, even during pregnancy. We aimed to study the association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the child’s cognitive performance using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (KABC-II) and the Children’s Category Test Level 1 (CCT-1) in rural Burkina Faso. Methods We conducted a follow-up study of a community cluster-randomised Exclusive breastfeeding trial, and re-enrolled the children in rural Burkina Faso. A total of 518 children (268 boys and 250 girls) aged 6–8 years were assessed using the KABC-II and the CCT-1. We examined the effect size difference using Cohen’s d and conducted a linear regression analysis to examine the association. Results Self-reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy was 18.5% (96/518). Children whose mothers reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy performed significantly poorly for memory and spatial abilities tests from small effect size difference for ‘Atlantis’ (0.27) and ‘Triangle’ (0.29) to moderate effect size difference for ‘Number recall’ (0.72) compared to children whose mothers did not consume alcohol during pregnancy; the exposed children scored significantly higher errors with a small effect size (0.37) at problem solving (CCT-1) test compared to unexposed children. At unstandardized and standardized multivariable analysis, children whose mothers reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy performed significantly poorer for memory-‘Atlantis’ (p = 0.03) and ‘Number recall’ (p = 0.0001), and spatial ability tests-‘Triangle’ (p = 0.03); they scored significantly higher errors at problem solving CCT-1 test (p = 0.002); all the results were adjusted for age, sex, schooling, stunting, father’s education, mother’s employment and the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding. No statistical association was found for visual abilities-‘Conceptual Thinking’, ‘Face recognition’, ‘Story completion’, and reasoning tests-‘Rover’, ‘Block counting’, and ‘Pattern Reasoning’. Conclusion Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with poorer cognitive performance for memory, spatial ability, and problem solving tests in the offspring in rural Burkina Faso. Futures studies needs to assess in more detail the maternal alcohol consumption patterns in Burkina Faso and possible preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anselme Simeon Sanou
- Centre for International Health (CIH), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Public Health, Centre MURAZ Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Abdoulaye Hama Diallo
- Department of Public Health, Centre MURAZ Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.,Department of Public Health, University of Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Victoria Nankabirwa
- Centre for International Health (CIH), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health (CISMAC), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ingunn Marie S Engebretsen
- Centre for International Health (CIH), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Grace Ndeezi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - James K Tumwine
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nicolas Meda
- Department of Public Health, Centre MURAZ Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.,Department of Public Health, University of Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Thorkild Tylleskar
- Centre for International Health (CIH), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Esperance Kashala-Abotnes
- Centre for International Health (CIH), Department of Global Public Health and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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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] [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.
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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.
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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: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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.
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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
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Plasma DNA Mediate Autonomic Dysfunctions and White Matter Injuries in Patients with Parkinson's Disease. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2017; 2017:7371403. [PMID: 28232858 PMCID: PMC5292395 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7371403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is well known in Parkinson's disease (PD) presentation and it produces hypoperfusion of vital organs. The association between cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and oxidative stress was examined in previous animal models. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation were thought to have roles in PD pathogenesis. Owing to the relative low intrinsic antioxidative properties, brain white matter (WM) is vulnerable to the oxidative stress. This study is conducted to examine possible relationships by using a hypothesis-driven mediation model. Methods. Twenty-nine patients with PD and 26 healthy controls participated in this study, with complete examinations of cardiac autonomic parameters, plasma DNA level, and WM integrity. A single-level three-variable mediation model was used to investigate the possible relationships. Results. The elevated serum oxidative stress biomarkers include plasma nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA, and poorer cardiac autonomic parameters and multiple regional microstructural WM changes are demonstrated. Further mediation analysis shows that plasma nuclear DNA served as the mediators between poorer baroreflex sensitivity and mean diffusivity changes in cingulum. Conclusions. These results provide a possible pathophysiology for how the poor baroreflex sensitivity and higher oxidative stress adversely impacted the WM integrity. This model could provide us with a piece of the puzzle of the entire PD pathogenesis.
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Paolozza A, Treit S, Beaulieu C, Reynolds JN. Diffusion tensor imaging of white matter and correlates to eye movement control and psychometric testing in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:444-456. [PMID: 27622670 PMCID: PMC6866967 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause central nervous system dysfunction and widespread structural anomalies as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study focused on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of white matter in a large sample of PAE participants that allowed us to examine correlations with behavioral outcomes. Participants were confirmed PAE (n = 69, mean age = 12.5 ± 3.2 years) or typically developing control children (n = 67, mean age = 12.1 ± 3.2 years) who underwent brain MRI, eye movement tasks, and psychometric tests. A semi-automated tractography method extracted fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values from 15 white matter tracts. The PAE group displayed decreased FA compared with controls in multiple tracts including 3 corpus callosum regions, right corticospinal tract, and 3 left hemisphere tracts connecting to the frontal lobe (cingulum, uncinate fasciculus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus). Significant group by sex interactions were found for the genu, left superior longitudinal fasciculus, and the left uncinate, with females in the PAE group exhibiting lower FA compared with control females. Correlations were found between DTI and eye movement measures in the control group, but these same relationships were absent in the PAE group. In contrast, no correlations were found between DTI and any of the psychometric tests used in this study. These findings support the hypothesis that measures of eye movement control may be valuable functional biomarkers of the brain injury induced by PAE as these tasks reveal group differences that appear to be linked to deficits in white matter integrity in the brain. Hum Brain Mapp 38:444-456, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Paolozza
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's UniversityKingstonOntarioK7L 3N6Canada
| | - Sarah Treit
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaT6G 2V2Canada
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaT6G 2V2Canada
| | - James N. Reynolds
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's UniversityKingstonOntarioK7L 3N6Canada
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