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Keum D, Medina AE. The effect of developmental alcohol exposure on multisensory integration is larger in deeper cortical layers. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00032-6. [PMID: 38417561 PMCID: PMC11345874 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are one of the most common causes of mental disability in the world. Despite efforts to increase public awareness of the risks of drinking during pregnancy, epidemiological studies indicate a prevalence of 1-6% in all births. There is growing evidence that deficits in sensory processing may contribute to social problems observed in FASD. Multisensory (MS) integration occurs when a combination of inputs from two sensory modalities leads to enhancement or suppression of neuronal firing. MS enhancement is usually linked to processes that facilitate cognition and reaction time, whereas MS suppression has been linked to filtering unwanted sensory information. The rostral portion of the posterior parietal cortex (PPr) of the ferret is an area that shows robust visual-tactile integration and displays both MS enhancement and suppression. Recently, our lab demonstrated that ferrets exposed to alcohol during the "third trimester equivalent" of human gestation show less MS enhancement and more MS suppression in PPr than controls. Here we complement these findings by comparing in vivo electrophysiological recordings from channels located in shallow and deep cortical layers. We observed that while the effects of alcohol (less MS enhancement and more MS suppression) were found in all layers, the magnitude of these effects were more pronounced in putative layers V-VI. These findings extend our knowledge on the sensory deficits of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. 655 Baltimore, St. Baltimore, MD, 21230
| | - Alexandre E Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine. 655 Baltimore, St. Baltimore, MD, 21230.
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Rockhold MN, Holman PJ. Structural MRI and mental health associations in children with and without fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Translational insights. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:241-245. [PMID: 38105111 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Parker J Holman
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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Corrales-Gutierrez I, Gomez-Baya D, Leon-Larios F, Medero-Canela R, Marchei E, Mendoza-Berjano R, García-Algar Ó. Alcohol Consumption Assessed by a Biomarker and Self-Reported Drinking in a Sample of Pregnant Women in the South of Europe: A Comparative Study. TOXICS 2023; 11:930. [PMID: 37999582 PMCID: PMC10675307 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11110930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major concern, particularly in Europe and North America. Its prevalence has so far been under-researched. In most studies, the determination of this consumption may be underestimated, as it is based on the information obtained from questionnaires rather than from biomarkers, which will provide a much more reliable approach. The main objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of consumption during pregnancy as assessed by a questionnaire and a hair biomarker. (2) Method: A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 425 pregnant women treated in public hospital consultations in Seville (Spain) and in the 20th week of their pregnancy, orally interviewed using an elaborated ad hoc questionnaire that evaluated variables of sociodemographic, obstetric, and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the ethyl glucuronide metabolite (EtG) was tested on a hair sample in 252 pregnant women who agreed to facilitate it. Once the data obtained through the questionnaire and hair test were analyzed, the level of metabolites and self-reported alcohol consumption were compared. (3) Results: The prevalence of self-reported alcohol consumption (questionnaire) was 20.7%, and the real consumption (metabolite analysis) was 20.2%. In 16.8% of pregnant women who declared not consuming alcohol during their pregnancy, noticeable consumption was detected according to the metabolite test. No relevant level of variability in estimated alcohol consumption was detected in the biomarker with respect to the sociodemographic and obstetric variables studied. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy obtained through both questionnaires and metabolite analyses was similar and high. There is no association between consumption and sociodemographic factors in this sample. The determination of consumption through biomarkers allows for a more accurate approximation of the prevalence of consumption than estimated through questionnaires. Larger sample-sized studies are needed to determine consumption patterns and thus guide the adoption of more precise policies fostering abstinence from alcohol consumption since the preconception period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Corrales-Gutierrez
- Foetal Medicine Unit, University Hospital Virgen Macarena, 41009 Seville, Spain;
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Diego Gomez-Baya
- Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain;
- Research Group on Health Promotion and Development of Lifestyle across the Lifespan, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
| | - Fatima Leon-Larios
- Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Rocío Medero-Canela
- Multiprofessional Teaching Unit for Family and Community Care in Huelva, Huelva Costa Condado Campiña Health District, 21001 Huelva, Spain;
| | | | - Ramon Mendoza-Berjano
- Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain;
- Research Group on Health Promotion and Development of Lifestyle across the Lifespan, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain
| | - Óscar García-Algar
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
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Medina AE, Foxworthy WA, Keum D, Meredith MA. Development of multisensory processing in ferret parietal cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3226-3238. [PMID: 37452674 PMCID: PMC10503439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the nervous system adjusts itself to its environment during development. Although a great deal of effort has been directed towards understanding the developmental processes of the individual sensory systems (e.g., vision, hearing, etc.), only one major study has examined the maturation of multisensory processing in cortical neurons. Therefore, the present investigation sought to evaluate multisensory development in a different cortical region and species. Using multiple single-unit recordings in anaesthetised ferrets (n = 18) of different ages (from postnatal day 80 to 300), we studied the responses of neurons from the rostral posterior parietal (PPr) area to presentations of visual, tactile and combined visual-tactile stimulation. The results showed that multisensory neurons were infrequent at the youngest ages (pre-pubertal) and progressively increased through the later ages. Significant response changes that result from multisensory stimulation (defined as multisensory integration [MSI]) were observed in post-pubertal adolescent animals, and the magnitude of these integrated responses also increased across this age group. Furthermore, non-significant multisensory response changes were progressively increased in adolescent animals. Collectively, at the population level, MSI was observed to shift from primarily suppressive levels in infants to increasingly higher levels in later stages. These data indicate that, like the unisensory systems from which it is derived, multisensory processing shows developmental changes whose specific time course may be regionally and species-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre E. Medina
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - W. Alex Foxworthy
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Department of Biology, Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, VA
| | - Dongil Keum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - M. Alex Meredith
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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Kovács MV, Charchat-Fichman H, Landeira-Fernandez J, Medina AE, Krahe TE. Combined exposure to alcohol and cannabis during development: Mechanisms and outcomes. Alcohol 2023; 110:1-13. [PMID: 36740025 PMCID: PMC10372841 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to substances of abuse during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on offspring. Alcohol is one of the most widely used substances of abuse that leads to the most severe consequences. Recent studies in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom showed that between 1% and 7% of all children exhibit signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Despite preventive campaigns, the rate of children with FASD has not decreased during recent decades. Alcohol consumption often accompanies exposure to such drugs as tobacco, cocaine, opioids, and cannabis. These interactions can be synergistic and exacerbate the deleterious consequences of developmental alcohol exposure. The present review focuses on interactions between alcohol and cannabis exposure and the potential consequences of these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina V Kovács
- Departamento de Psicologia, Laboratório de Neurociência do Comportamento, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22451-900, Brazil
| | - Helenice Charchat-Fichman
- Departamento de Psicologia, Laboratório de Neurociência do Comportamento, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22451-900, Brazil
| | - J Landeira-Fernandez
- Departamento de Psicologia, Laboratório de Neurociência do Comportamento, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22451-900, Brazil
| | - Alexandre E Medina
- Department of Pediatrics - School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
| | - Thomas E Krahe
- Departamento de Psicologia, Laboratório de Neurociência do Comportamento, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22451-900, Brazil.
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