1
|
Parks BJ, Salazar P, Morrison L, McGraw MK, Gunnell M, Tobacyk J, Brents LK, Berquist MD. Limited bedding and nesting increases ethanol drinking in female rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173756. [PMID: 38555037 PMCID: PMC11088506 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal opioid exposure (POE) and postnatal adverse experiences are early life adversities (ELA) that often co-occur and increase problematic alcohol (EtOH) drinking during adolescence. We investigated the relationship between POE, postnatal adversity, and adolescent EtOH drinking in rats. We also sought to determine whether ELAs affect alpha-adrenoceptor density in the brain because the noradrenergic system is involved in problematic alcohol drinking and its treatment. We hypothesized that the combination of POE and postnatal adversity will increase alcohol drinking in rats compared to rats with exposure to either adversity alone or to control. We also predicted that POE and postnatal adversity would increase α1-adrenoceptor density and decrease α2-adrenoceptor density in brain to confer a stress-responsive phenotype. Pregnant rats received morphine (15 mg/kg/day) or saline via subcutaneous minipumps from gestational day 9 until birth. Limited bedding and nesting (LBN) procedures were introduced from postnatal day (PD) 3-11 to mimic early life adversity-scarcity. Offspring rats (PD 31-33) were given opportunities to drink EtOH (20 %, v/v) using intermittent-access, two-bottle choice (with water) procedures. Rats given access to EtOH were assigned into sub-groups that were injected with either yohimbine (1 mg/kg, ip) or vehicle (2 % DMSO, ip) 30 min prior to each EtOH access session to determine the effects of α2-adrenoceptor inhibition on alcohol drinking. We harvested cortices, brainstems, and hypothalami from EtOH-naïve littermates on either PD 30 or PD 70 and conducted radioligand receptor binding assays to quantify α1- and α2-adrenoceptor densities. Contrary to our hypothesis, only LBN alone increased EtOH intake in female adolescent rats compared to female rats with POE. Neither POE nor LBN affected α1- or α2-adrenoceptor densities in the cortex, brainstem, or hypothalamus of early- or late-aged adolescent rats. These results suggest a complex interaction between ELA type and sex on alcohol drinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B J Parks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - P Salazar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - L Morrison
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - M K McGraw
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - M Gunnell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - J Tobacyk
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - L K Brents
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America
| | - M D Berquist
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Mail Slot 611, Little Rock, AR 72205, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Margolis ET, Gabard-Durnam LJ. Prenatal influences on postnatal neuroplasticity: Integrating DOHaD and sensitive/critical period frameworks to understand biological embedding in early development. INFANCY 2024. [PMID: 38449347 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Early environments can have significant and lasting effects on brain, body, and behavior across the lifecourse. Here, we address current research efforts to understand how experiences impact neurodevelopment with a new perspective integrating two well-known conceptual frameworks - the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and sensitive/critical period frameworks. Specifically, we consider how prenatal experiences characterized in the DOHaD model impact two key neurobiological mechanisms of sensitive/critical periods for adapting to and learning from the postnatal environment. We draw from both animal and human research to summarize the current state of knowledge on how particular prenatal substance exposures (psychoactive substances and heavy metals) and nutritional profiles (protein-energy malnutrition and iron deficiency) each differentially impact brain circuits' excitation/GABAergic inhibition balance and myelination. Finally, we highlight new research directions that emerge from this integrated framework, including testing how prenatal environments alter sensitive/critical period timing and learning and identifying potential promotional/buffering prenatal exposures to impact postnatal sensitive/critical periods. We hope this integrative framework considering prenatal influences on postnatal neuroplasticity will stimulate new research to understand how early environments have lasting consequences on our brains, behavior, and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma T Margolis
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jones SK, McCarthy DM, Stanwood GD, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Learning and memory deficits produced by aspartame are heritable via the paternal lineage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14326. [PMID: 37652922 PMCID: PMC10471780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41213-2] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures produce heritable traits that can linger in the population for one or two generations. Millions of individuals consume substances such as artificial sweeteners daily that are declared safe by regulatory agencies without evaluation of their potential heritable effects. We show that consumption of aspartame, an FDA-approved artificial sweetener, daily for up to 16-weeks at doses equivalent to only 7-15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake value (equivalent to 2-4 small, 8 oz diet soda drinks per day) produces significant spatial learning and memory deficits in mice. Moreover, the cognitive deficits are transmitted to male and female descendants along the paternal lineage suggesting that aspartame's adverse cognitive effects are heritable, and that they are more pervasive than current estimates, which consider effects in the directly exposed individuals only. Traditionally, deleterious environmental exposures of pregnant and nursing women are viewed as risk factors for the health of future generations. Environmental exposures of men are not considered to pose similar risks. Our findings suggest that environmental exposures of men can produce adverse impact on cognitive function in future generations and demonstrate the need for considering heritable effects via the paternal lineage as part of the regulatory evaluations of artificial sweeteners.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Jones
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Deirdre M McCarthy
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Eiden RD, Ettekal I, Zhao J, Kelm MR, Nickerson AB, Ostrov JM, Schuetze P, Godleski S. Prenatal substance exposure, early-life adversity, and parenting: Associations with adolescent stress response. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22365. [PMID: 36811371 PMCID: PMC9971663 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22365] [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: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We tested a conceptual model examining associations between prenatal substance exposure and adolescent cortisol reactivity profiles in response to an acute social evaluative stressor. We included cortisol reactivity in infancy, and direct and interactive effects of early-life adversity and parenting behaviors (sensitivity, harshness) from infancy to early school age on adolescent cortisol reactivity profiles in model testing. Participants were 216 families (51% female children; 116 cocaine-exposed) recruited at birth, oversampled for prenatal substance exposure, and assessed from infancy to early adolescence (EA). Majority of participants self-identified as Black (72% mothers, 57.2% adolescents), and caregivers were primarily from low-income families (76%), were single (86%), and had high school or below education (70%) at recruitment. Latent profile analyses identified three cortisol reactivity patterns including elevated (20.4%), moderate (63.1%), and blunted (16.5%) reactivity groups. Prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with higher likelihood of membership in the elevated reactivity compared to the moderate reactivity group. Higher caregiver sensitivity in early life was associated with lower likelihood of membership in the elevated reactivity group. Prenatal cocaine exposure was associated with higher maternal harshness. Interaction effects among early-life adversity and parenting indicated that caregiver sensitivity buffered, and harshness exacerbated, the likelihood that high early adversity would be associated with the elevated and blunted reactivity groups. Results highlight the potential importance of prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure for cortisol reactivity and the role of parenting as exacerbating or buffering the impact of early-life adversity on adolescent stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rina D. Eiden
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | | | - Junru Zhao
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
| | | | | | - Jamie M. Ostrov
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Min MO, Minnes S, Kim SK, Kim JY, Singer LT. Prenatal cocaine exposure and substance use disorder in emerging adulthood at age 21. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 242:109736. [PMID: 36516550 PMCID: PMC9772296 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has been associated with child and adolescent externalizing behaviors and early substance use, yet few studies investigated its association with substance use disorder (SUD) in emerging adults. The present study examined the association of PCE with SUD in emerging adulthood, and whether childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use mediated the relationship. METHODS Participants were 367 (187 PCE; 53% female) adults at age 21, primarily urban African American who were recruited at birth. PCE and exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana were determined using biologic assays for drug metabolites and/or maternal self-report at birth. Offspring externalizing problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report at age 12, substance use and substance use-related problems via biologic assays and/or self-report at age 15, and SUD determined using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria at age 21. RESULTS About 32.3% of the emerging adults were determined to have marijuana use disorder, 30.3% tobacco use disorder, and 15.5% alcohol use disorder. PCE was related to greater externalizing behaviors at age 12 (β = 0.12, p = .042), which in turn was related to SUD (β = 0.22, p = .008). PCE was also related to substance use, mainly marijuana, at age 15 (β = 0.22, p = .011), which was related to SUD (β = 0.51, p < .001). Total indirect effects including these two pathways were significant (β = 0.19, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS PCE may increase risk for SUD in emerging adulthood through childhood externalizing behaviors and adolescent substance use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, USA
| | - Sun-Kyung Kim
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, USA
| | - June-Yung Kim
- Department of Social Work, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota, USA
| | - Lynn T Singer
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sithisarn T, Legan SJ, Westgate PM, Bada HS, Wilson ME. Understanding the effects of opioids vs non-opioids in the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome, an in vitro model. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:1068330. [PMID: 36483468 PMCID: PMC9723166 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.1068330] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) refers to cadre of withdrawal manifestations in infants born to mothers who used illicit and licit substances during pregnancy. The increasing prevalence of NAS has been largely due to the maternal use of opioids during pregnancy. NAS contributes to increased morbidity and long-term disability in surviving infants. Clinically, oral opioid therapies for opioid exposure have been a standard treatment with morphine (MO) being the most commonly used medication. Recently, a non-opioid agent, clonidine (CD) has also been used with potentially favorable short- and long-term outcomes in infants. However, data regarding the cellular and molecular effects of these treatments on the developing brain is still lacking due to a lack of a reliable animal model that targets the neonatal brain. To address this gap in knowledge we determined the effects of MO or CD on the cell death of neonatal cortical explant cultures that were exposed to oxycodone (OXY) in utero. Sprague Dawley rats were randomized and implanted with programmable infusion pumps before mating to receive either the OXY (dose increasing from 1.21-1.90 mg/kg/day to a maximum dose of 2.86-3.49 mg/kg/day) or normal saline (NS) throughout pregnancy and until one week after delivery. Male and female rat pups were sacrificed on postnatal day 4, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC) were dissected and treated with MO (0.10-1.00 µM) or CD (1.20-120.00 µM) in culture media. After 5 days of treatment the explants were labeled with propidium iodide to detect cell death. Dead cells were analyzed and counted under fluorescence microscopy. In explants from the PFC, cell death was greater in those prenatally exposed to OXY and postnatally treated with MO (OXY/MO) (736.8 ± 76.5) compared to OXY/CD (620.9 ± 75.0; p = 0.005). In the HC explants, mean cell death counts were not significantly different between groups regardless of prenatal exposure or postnatal treatment (p = 0.19). The PFC is vital in controlling higher-order executive functions such as behavioral flexibility, learning and working memory. Therefore, our finding is consistent with executive function problems in children with prenatal opioid exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thitinart Sithisarn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States
| | - Sandra J Legan
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States
| | - Philip M Westgate
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States
| | - Henrietta S Bada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States
| | - Melinda E Wilson
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dufford AJ, Spann M, Scheinost D. How prenatal exposures shape the infant brain: Insights from infant neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:47-58. [PMID: 34536461 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Brain development during the prenatal period is rapid and unparalleled by any other time during development. Biological systems undergoing rapid development are at higher risk for disorganizing influences. Therefore, certain prenatal exposures impact brain development, increasing risk for negative neurodevelopmental outcome. While prenatal exposures have been associated with cognitive and behavioral outcomes later in life, the underlying macroscopic brain pathways remain unclear. Here, we review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies investigating the association between prenatal exposures and infant brain development focusing on prenatal exposures via maternal physical health factors, maternal mental health factors, and maternal drug and medication use. Further, we discuss the need for studies to consider multiple prenatal exposures in parallel and suggest future directions for this body of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marisa Spann
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, USA; Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Allen MC, Moog NK, Buss C, Yen E, Gustafsson HC, Sullivan EL, Graham AM. Co-occurrence of preconception maternal childhood adversity and opioid use during pregnancy: Implications for offspring brain development. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 88:107033. [PMID: 34601061 PMCID: PMC8578395 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.107033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding of the effects of in utero opioid exposure on neurodevelopment is a priority given the recent dramatic increase in opioid use among pregnant individuals. However, opioid abuse does not occur in isolation-pregnant individuals abusing opioids often have a significant history of adverse experiences in childhood, among other co-occurring factors. Understanding the specific pathways in which these frequently co-occurring factors may interact and cumulatively influence offspring brain development in utero represents a priority for future research in this area. We highlight maternal history of childhood adversity (CA) as one such co-occurring factor that is more prevalent among individuals using opioids during pregnancy and which is increasingly shown to affect offspring neurodevelopment through mechanisms beginning in utero. Despite the high incidence of CA history in pregnant individuals using opioids, we understand very little about the effects of comorbid prenatal opioid exposure and maternal CA history on fetal brain development. Here, we first provide an overview of current knowledge regarding effects of opioid exposure and maternal CA on offspring neurodevelopment that may occur during gestation. We then outline potential mechanistic pathways through which these factors might have interactive and cumulative influences on offspring neurodevelopment as a foundation for future research in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine C Allen
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Nora K Moog
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Elizabeth Yen
- Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Hanna C Gustafsson
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Elinor L Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States; Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, 505 NW 185(th) Ave., Beaverton, OR 97006, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Alice M Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vassoler FM, Wimmer ME. Consequences of Parental Opioid Exposure on Neurophysiology, Behavior, and Health in the Next Generations. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:a040436. [PMID: 32601130 PMCID: PMC8485740 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Substance abuse and the ongoing opioid epidemic represents a large societal burden. This review will consider the long-term impact of opioid exposure on future generations. Prenatal, perinatal, and preconception exposure are reviewed with discussion of both maternal and paternal influences. Opioid exposure can have long-lasting effects on reproductive function, gametogenesis, and germline epigenetic programming, which can influence embryogenesis and alter the developmental trajectory of progeny. The potential mechanisms by which preconception maternal and paternal opioid exposure produce deleterious consequences on the health, behavior, and physiology of offspring that have been identified by clinical and animal studies will be discussed. The timing, nature, dosing, and duration of prenatal opioid exposure combined with other important environmental considerations influence the extent to which these manipulations affect parents and their progeny. Epigenetic inheritance refers to the transmission of environmental insults across generations via mechanisms independent of the DNA sequence. This topic will be further explored in the context of prenatal, perinatal, and preconception opioid exposure for both the maternal and paternal lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fair M Vassoler
- Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
McCarthy DM, Bhide PG. Heritable consequences of paternal nicotine exposure: from phenomena to mechanisms†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:632-643. [PMID: 34126634 PMCID: PMC8444703 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the interactions between genetic and environmental factors in shaping behavioral phenotypes has expanded to include environment-induced epigenetic modifications and the intriguing possibility of their association with heritable behavioral phenotypes. The molecular basis of heritability of phenotypes arising from environment-induced epigenetic modifications is not well defined yet. However, phenomenological evidence in favor of it is accumulating rapidly. The resurgence of interest has led to focus on epigenetic modification of germ cells as a plausible mechanism of heritability. Perhaps partly because of practical reasons such as ease of access to male germ cells compared to female germ cells, attention has turned toward heritable effects of environmental influences on male founders. Public health implications of heritable effects of paternal exposures to addictive substances or to psycho-social factors may be enormous. Considering nicotine alone, over a billion people worldwide use nicotine-containing products, and the majority are men. Historically, the adverse effects of nicotine use by pregnant women received much attention by scientists and public policy experts alike. The implications of nicotine use by men for the physical and mental well-being of their children were not at the forefront of research until recently. Here, we review progress in the emerging field of heritable effects of paternal nicotine exposure and its implications for behavioral health of individuals in multiple generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
DNA methylation in children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure and environmental adversity. Pediatr Res 2021; 89:1152-1156. [PMID: 32663835 PMCID: PMC7855315 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-1058-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (MA) use during pregnancy is a significant public health concern in the United States and affects long-term brain and behavioral development in children. We hypothesized that prenatal MA exposure would be related to greater DNA methylation of HSD11B2 and postnatal environmental stress. METHODS The Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study (IDEAL), a longitudinal study of prenatal MA exposure enrolled mother-infant dyads in California, Hawaii, Iowa, and Oklahoma. Prenatal exposure was defined by maternal self-report and/or meconium toxicology screening. At ages 10-11 years, 100 children were assessed for drug exposure and DNA methylation of HSD11B2. Hierarchical linear models were used to determine the association between prenatal MA exposure and methylation of HSD11B2 at four CpG sites. RESULTS Prenatal MA exposure (1.4% vs 0.31%, P < 0.01) and early childhood adversity (3.0 vs 2.0, P < 0.01) were associated with greater DNA methylation of HSD11B2 at the CpG2 site. The statistically significant effects of early childhood adversity (B = 0.11, P < 0.01) and prenatal MA exposure (B = 0.32, P = 0.03) on DNA methylation remained after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal MA exposure is related to postnatal childhood adversity and epigenetic alterations in HSD11B2, an important gene along the stress response pathway suggesting prenatal and postnatal programming effects. IMPACT Prenatal methamphetamine exposure has been associated with developmental issues in newborns, yet little is known about the stress pathophysiology of methamphetamine on neurobehavior. This is the first evidence that prenatal methamphetamine exposure acts as a stressor, confirming the third pathophysiology of methamphetamine exposure.
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhao Y, Wang P, Zhou Y, Xia B, Zhu Q, Ge W, Li J, Shi H, Xiao X, Zhang Y. Prenatal fine particulate matter exposure, placental DNA methylation changes, and fetal growth. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 147:106313. [PMID: 33341587 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to examine the impact of prenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on fetal growth and the underlying placental epigenetic mechanism in a cohort of Chinese women. Within the prospective Shanghai Mother-Child Pairs cohort (Shanghai MCPC), 329 women carrying singleton pregnancy with a due date in 2018 were recruited between 2017 and 2018. Maternal PM2.5 exposure levels were estimated using gestational exposure prediction model combining satellite-driven ambient concentrations and personal air sampling. Fetal growth characteristics were evaluated by prenatal ultrasound examinations and anthropometric measurements at birth. In a discovery phase, whole-genome DNA methylation analysis was performed using the Infinium 850 K array. In a validation phase, placental DNA methylation was measured using bisulfite pyrosequencing for five candidate genes that showed the most significant alterations and function relevance in our methylation array screen, including BID (BH3 interacting domain death agonist), FOXN3 (Forkhead box N3), FOXP1 (Forkhead box P1), IGF2 (Insulin-like growth factor 2) and HSD11B2 (Hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 2). Multivariate linear regression models were applied to examine the associations among PM2.5 exposure, fetal growth characteristics and DNA methylation on placental candidate genes. Sobel tests were used to evaluate the mediating role of DNA methylation in multivariable models. After excluding women who withdrew or failed to provide placenta, a total of 287 pregnant women with an average age of 30 entered the final analysis. Increased PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with reduced biparietal diameter (BPD) (β: -0.136 mm, 95% CI: -0.228 to -0.043), head circumference (HC) (β: -0.462 mm, 95% CI: -0.782 to -0.142), femur length (FL) (β: -0.113 mm, 95% CI: -0.185 to -0.041) and abdominal circumference (AC) (β: -0.371 mm, 95% CI: -0.672 to -0.071) in the second trimester and birth length (β: -0.013 cm, 95% CI: -0.025 to -0.001). Prenatal PM2.5 exposure could lead to aberrant changes in DNA methylation profile of placenta genome, which were mainly enriched in reproductive development, energy metabolism and immune response. DNA methylation of IGF2 and BID showed significant associations with PM2.5 exposures during all exposure windows. In addition, BID methylation was negatively correlated with HC (β: -1.396 mm, 95% CI: -2.582 to -0.209) and BPD (β: -0.330 mm, 95% CI: -0.635 to -0.026) in the second trimester. Further mediation analysis indicated that BID methylation mediated about 30% of the effects of PM2.5 exposure on HC. These findings collectively suggested that prenatal PM2.5 exposure may cause adverse effects on fetal growth by modifying placental DNA methylation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingya Zhao
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Pengpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yuhan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Bin Xia
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), China
| | - Qingyang Zhu
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), China
| | - Wenzhen Ge
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., New York, NY, USA
| | - Jialin Li
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huijing Shi
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xirong Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (Fudan University), China; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jaekel J, Kim HM, Lee SJ, Schwartz A, Henderson JMT, Woodward LJ. Emotional and Behavioral Trajectories of 2 to 9 Years Old Children Born to Opioid-Dependent Mothers. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2021; 49:443-457. [PMID: 33433780 PMCID: PMC7943531 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00766-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Maternal opioid use in pregnancy has increased dramatically. Knowledge about children's longer-term emotional and behavioral development after prenatal opioid exposure is scarce. A regional sample of 89 opioid-exposed and 104 non-exposed comparison children were studied prospectively at ages 2, 4.5, and 9 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by primary caregivers. Across all childhood assessments, opioid-exposed children obtained significantly higher total difficulties scores than non-exposed comparison children. Growth curve modeling revealed that, relative to their same age peers, opioid-exposed children's emotional and behavioral difficulties significantly worsened over time. Moreover, fixed effects estimates showed that total difficulties trajectories were poorer for children subject to higher prenatal risk (Est = 1.78, 95% CI = [0.46, 3.09]) who were born to mothers with high levels of social adversity (1.11 [0.51, 1.71]), and were then raised in families characterized by high levels of psychosocial risk (1.94 [0.90, 2.98]) and unstable caregiving (1.91 [0.33, 3.48]). A complex set of pre- and postnatal processes contribute to opioid-exposed children's emotional and behavioral development. Efforts to mitigate the long-term consequences of opioid use in pregnancy need to consider both children's and their caregivers' biopsychosocial risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jaekel
- Department of Child & Family Studies, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
| | - Hyun M Kim
- School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Samantha J Lee
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Ashlyn Schwartz
- Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, USA
| | | | - Lianne J Woodward
- School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Beauchamp KG, Lowe J, Schrader RM, Shrestha S, Aragón C, Moss N, Stephen JM, Bakhireva LN. Self-regulation and emotional reactivity in infants with prenatal exposure to opioids and alcohol. Early Hum Dev 2020; 148:105119. [PMID: 32679473 PMCID: PMC7478127 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infants with prenatal substance exposure are at increased risk for developmental problems, with self-regulatory challenges being some of the most pronounced. The current study aimed to investigate the extent to which prenatal substance exposure (alcohol, opioids) impacts infant self-regulation during a relational stressor and the association between self-regulation and infant affect. METHODS Participants were 100 mother-child dyads recruited prenatally (Mean = 23.8 gestational weeks) and completed the Still Face Paradigm (SFP) when infants were 5 to 8 months of age (Mean = 6.9 months) as part of an ENRICH prospective birth cohort study. Based on prospective repeated assessment of maternal substance use in pregnancy, infants were grouped into: 1) Unexposed controls; 2) Alcohol-exposed; 3) Opioid-exposed due to maternal use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with or without other opioids; 4) MOUD and alcohol. Infant stress reactivity (negative affect) and self-regulation were assessed during the validated 5-episode SFP. Mixed effects linear models were used to analyze differences in the percent of self-regulation and percent of negative affect among the study groups across SFP episodes, as well as the group-by-self-regulation interaction with respect to infant negative affect. RESULTS The MOUD+Alcohol group demonstrated significantly lower self-regulation at baseline compared to controls (p < 0.05). There was a significant group-by-self-regulation interaction (p = 0.028). Higher self-regulation was associated with lower negative affect across SFP episodes in the MOUD+Alcohol group (p = 0.025) but not other groups. CONCLUSION Self-regulation skills are particularly important for emotional modulation in infants with prenatal polysubstance exposure, highlighting the development of these skills as a promising intervention target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Beauchamp
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Jean Lowe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | | | - Shikhar Shrestha
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Crystal Aragón
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Natalia Moss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | | | - Ludmila N Bakhireva
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ellis BJ, Shakiba N, Adkins DE, Lester BM. Early external-environmental and internal-health predictors of risky sexual and aggressive behavior in adolescence: An integrative approach. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:556-571. [PMID: 32869286 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
External predictive adaptive response (PAR) models assume that developmental exposures to stress carry predictive information about the future state of the environment, and that development of a faster life history (LH) strategy in this context functions to match the individual to this expected harsh state. More recently internal PAR models have proposed that early somatic condition (i.e., physical health) critically regulates development of LH strategies to match expected future somatic condition. Here we test the integrative hypothesis that poor physical health mediates the relation between early adversity and faster LH strategies. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study (birth to age 16; N = 1,388) of mostly African American participants with prenatal substance exposure. Results demonstrated that both external environmental conditions early in life (prenatal substance exposure, socioeconomic adversity, caregiver distress/depression, and adverse family functioning) and internal somatic condition during preadolescence (birthweight/gestational age, physical illness) uniquely predicted the development of faster LH strategies in adolescence (as indicated by more risky sexual and aggressive behavior). Consistent with the integrative hypothesis, the effect of caregiver distress/depression on LH strategy was mostly mediated by worse physical health. Discussion highlights the implications of these findings for theory and research on stress, development, and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Ellis
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Nila Shakiba
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Daniel E Adkins
- Departments of Sociology and Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Barry M Lester
- Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Salzwedel A, Chen G, Chen Y, Grewen K, Gao W. Functional dissection of prenatal drug effects on baby brain and behavioral development. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4789-4803. [PMID: 32779835 PMCID: PMC7643353 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal drug exposure (PDE) is known to affect fetal brain development with documented long‐term consequences. Most studies of PDE effects on the brain are based on animal models. In this study, based on a large sample of 133 human neonates and leveraging a novel linear mixed‐effect model designed for intersubject variability analyses, we studied the effects of six prenatally exposed drugs (i.e., nicotine, alcohol, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids) on neonatal whole‐brain functional organization and compared them with five other critical nondrug variables (i.e., gestational age at birth/scan, sex, birth weight, and maternal depression). The behavioral implications were also examined. Magnitude‐wise, through summing across individual drug effects, our results highlighted ~5% of whole‐brain functional connections (FCs) affected by PDE, which was highly comparable with the combined effects of the five nond rug variables. Spatially, the detected PDE effects featured drug‐specific patterns with a common bias in higher‐order brain regions/networks. Regarding brain–behavioral relationships, the detected connections showing significant drug effects also demonstrated significant correlations with 3‐month behavioral outcomes. Further mediation analyses supported a mediation role of the detected brain FCs between PDE status and cognitive/language outcomes. Our findings of widespread, and spatially biased PDE effect patterns coupled with significant behavioral implications may hopefully stimulate more human‐based studies into effects of PDE on long‐term developmental outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Salzwedel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Imaging, and Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Imaging, and Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Karen Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, and Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Imaging, and Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wanner NM, Colwell ML, Faulk C. The epigenetic legacy of illicit drugs: developmental exposures and late-life phenotypes. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2019; 5:dvz022. [PMID: 31777665 PMCID: PMC6875650 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvz022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The effects of in utero exposure to illicit drugs on adult offspring are a significant and widespread but understudied global health concern, particularly in light of the growing opioid epidemic and emerging therapeutic uses for cannabis, ketamine, and MDMA. Epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and expression of non-coding RNAs provide a mechanistic link between the prenatal environment and health consequences years beyond the original exposure, and shifts in the epigenome present in early life or adolescence can lead to disease states only appearing during adulthood. The current review summarizes the literature assessing effects of perinatal illicit drug exposure on adult disease phenotypes as mediated by perturbations of the epigenome. Both behavioral and somatic phenotypes are included and studies reporting clinical data in adult offspring, epigenetic readouts in offspring of any age, or both phenotypic and epigenetic measures are prioritized. Studies of licit substances of abuse (i.e. alcohol, nicotine) are excluded with a focus on cannabis, psychostimulants, opioids, and psychedelics; current issues in the field and areas of interest for further investigation are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Wanner
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 1988 Fitch Ave, 495B AnSc/VetMed, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Mathia L Colwell
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Natural Resource Sciences, 1988 Fitch Ave, 495B AnSc/VetMed, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Christopher Faulk
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, 1988 Fitch Ave, 495B AnSc/VetMed, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Natural Resource Sciences, 1988 Fitch Ave, 495B AnSc/VetMed, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Clark CAC, Massey SH, Wiebe SA, Espy KA, Wakschlag LS. Does early maternal responsiveness buffer prenatal tobacco exposure effects on young children's behavioral disinhibition? Dev Psychopathol 2019; 31:1285-1298. [PMID: 30428950 PMCID: PMC6520205 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Children with prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) exhibit early self-regulatory impairments, reflecting a life-course persistent propensity toward behavioral disinhibition. Previously, we demonstrated the protective role of parental responsiveness for reducing the risk of exposure-related disruptive behavior in adolescence. Here, we expanded this line of inquiry, examining whether responsiveness moderates the relation of PTE to a broader set of behavioral disinhibition features in early childhood and testing alternative diathesis-stress versus differential susceptibility explanatory models. PTE was assessed prospectively using interviews and bioassays in the Midwestern Infant Development Study (MIDS). Mother-child dyads (N = 276) were re-assessed at approximately 5 years of age in a preschool follow-up. We quantified maternal responsiveness and child behavioral disinhibition using a combination of directly observed activities in the lab and developmentally sensitive questionnaires. Results supported a diathesis-stress pattern. Children with PTE and less responsive mothers showed increased disruptive behavior and lower effortful control compared with children without PTE. In contrast, exposed children with more responsive mothers had self-regulatory profiles similar to their non-exposed peers. We did not observe sex differences. Findings provide greater specification of the protective role of maternal responsiveness for self-regulation in children with PTE and help clarify mechanisms that may underscore trajectories of exposure-related behavioral disinhibition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caron A C Clark
- Department of Educational Psychology,University of Nebraska-Lincoln,Lincoln, NE,USA
| | - Suena H Massey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,Chicago, IL,USA
| | - Sandra A Wiebe
- Department of Psychology,University of Alberta,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Office of the Provost,University of San Antonio at Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA;Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory,University of Nebraska-Lincoln,Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University,Chicago,IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Li Z, Lei K, Coles CD, Lynch ME, Hu X. Longitudinal changes of amygdala functional connectivity in adolescents prenatally exposed to cocaine. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 200:50-58. [PMID: 31085378 PMCID: PMC6607904 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with arousal dysregulation, but interactions between exposure and age are rarely investigated directly with longitudinal study designs. Our previous study had examined task-elicited emotional arousal and noted persistently high amygdala activations in the development of adolescents with PCE. However, while externally imposed emotional arousal could be considered a "state" effect depending on specific task stimuli, it is still unclear whether similar developmental alterations extend to intrinsic functional connectivity (FC), reflecting more of a "trait" effect. METHODS We used a longitudinal design and analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired twice from 25 adolescents with PCE and 16 non-exposed controls. Both groups were each scanned first at the mean age of 14.3 and then again at 16.6 years. Seeding in bilateral amygdalae and comparing the 2nd scan with the 1st, we examined the interaction effect between PCE and age on FCs in the emotional network. RESULTS Compared with the younger age, we observed a generally decreased FC in the emotional network of the control group at the older age, but these FCs were generally increased at the older age in this same network of the PCE group. Additionally, this interaction effect of exposure by age in the right fusiform was positively correlated with the emotional interference imposed by external task stimuli. CONCLUSIONS These results provided additional data directly characterizing developmental changes in the emotional network of adolescents with PCE, complementing and extending the notion of a PCE-associated long-term teratogenic effect on arousal regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Li
- School of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, PR China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Kaikai Lei
- School of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, PR China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Microorganisms in the Placenta: Links to Early-Life Inflammation and Neurodevelopment in Children. Clin Microbiol Rev 2019; 32:32/3/e00103-18. [PMID: 31043389 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00103-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to various stressors can influence both early and later life childhood health. Microbial infection of the intrauterine environment, specifically within the placenta, has been associated with deleterious birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, as well as adverse neurological outcomes later in life. The relationships among microorganisms in the placenta, placental function, and fetal development are not well understood. Microorganisms have been associated with perinatal inflammatory responses that have the potential for disrupting fetal brain development. Microbial presence has also been associated with epigenetic modifications in the placenta, as well other tissues. Here we review research detailing the presence of microorganisms in the placenta and associations among such microorganisms, placental DNA methylation, perinatal inflammation, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Collapse
|
21
|
Gao W, Grewen K, Knickmeyer RC, Qiu A, Salzwedel A, Lin W, Gilmore JH. A review on neuroimaging studies of genetic and environmental influences on early brain development. Neuroimage 2019; 185:802-812. [PMID: 29673965 PMCID: PMC6191379 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decades witnessed a surge of interest in neuroimaging study of normal and abnormal early brain development. Structural and functional studies of normal early brain development revealed massive structural maturation as well as sequential, coordinated, and hierarchical emergence of functional networks during the infancy period, providing a great foundation for the investigation of abnormal early brain development mechanisms. Indeed, studies of altered brain development associated with either genetic or environmental risks emerged and thrived. In this paper, we will review selected studies of genetic and environmental risks that have been relatively more extensively investigated-familial risks, candidate risk genes, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the genetic side; maternal mood disorders and prenatal drug exposures on the environmental side. Emerging studies on environment-gene interactions will also be reviewed. Our goal was not to perform an exhaustive review of all studies in the field but to leverage some representative ones to summarize the current state, point out potential limitations, and elicit discussions on important future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CA, United States; Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| | - Karen Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, and Psychology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Rebecca C Knickmeyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C, United States
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew Salzwedel
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, CA, United States
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Terrell S, Conradt E, Dansereau L, Lagasse L, Lester B. A developmental origins perspective on the emergence of violent behavior in males with prenatal substance exposure. Infant Ment Health J 2018; 40:54-66. [PMID: 30576590 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Children with prenatal substance exposure are at increased risk for externalizing behavior problems and violence. However, the contribution of early life experiences for placing these individuals at risk is not well understood. Utilizing a sample of 1,388 children with prenatal substance exposure from the Maternal Lifestyle Study, we attempt to shed light on these contributing factors by examining the impact of infant temperament, maternal sensitivity, and early life stress on the expression of violent behavior at ages 12 through 14 years. Males may be more at risk for increases in violent behavior in early adolescence through a number of early life experiences, such as variability in responses to maternal flexibility and engagement related to individual differences in temperament, as well as exposure to early adversity. Comparing two prevailing developmental theoretical frameworks, deficit models and differential susceptibility, we aim to understand the developmental origins of violent behavior in males by identifying children who may be most susceptible to early caregiving experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Terrell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | | | - Lynne Dansereau
- Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Linda Lagasse
- Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Barry Lester
- Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Armstrong B, Buckingham-Howes S, Black MM. Cortisol reactivity and weight gain among adolescents who vary in prenatal drug exposure. Pediatr Obes 2018; 13:786-793. [PMID: 30110715 PMCID: PMC6289691 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Low inhibitory control is linked with weight gain among youth. Inhibitory problems are associated with disruption to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis cortisol response. Increased cortisol predicts appetite and weight gain (though may be gender specific). This study hypothesized that cortisol reactivity explains the association between inhibition and weight gain while considering the moderating factors of early stressors to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (e.g. prenatal-drug exposure) and gender. METHODS Adolescents with prenatal-drug exposure (n = 76) and non-exposed comparison adolescents (NE; n = 61) completed the Conner's Continuous Performance Test and provided salivary cortisol samples. BMI z-score were measured at the initial and 12-month follow-up evaluations. A bootstrapped moderated mediation analysis was conducted to test for conditional indirect effects of cortisol reactivity. RESULTS Lower inhibition was associated with increased cortisol reactivity among youth who were NE, and increased cortisol reactivity was associated with weight gain among girls. Cortisol reactivity mediated the relation between inhibition and BMI z-score change for the girls in the group who was NE. CONCLUSION Increased cortisol reactivity may play a mechanistic role in predicting weight gain among non-prenatally drug-exposed girls. Cortisol reactivity may be a biomarker for targeted interventions to improve biological regulation and ultimately health risk among girls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Armstrong
- University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
| | | | - Maureen M. Black
- University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
- RTI International
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Conradt E, Crowell SE, Lester BM. Early life stress and environmental influences on the neurodevelopment of children with prenatal opioid exposure. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:48-54. [PMID: 30151420 PMCID: PMC6108075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal opioid exposure has reached epidemic proportions. In the last 10 years, there has been a 242% increase in the number of babies born with the drug withdrawal syndrome known as Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Developmental outcome studies of infants with prenatal opioid exposure are limited by methodological issues including small sample sizes and lack of control for confounding variables such as exposure to poverty and maternal psychopathology. Thus, there is a critical gap in the literature that limits our ability to predict short-term effects of opioid exposure. Here we review direct neurotoxic, indirect, and stress-related pathophysiologies of prenatal opioid exposure. We describe the literature on short and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with prenatal opioid exposure, highlighting sex differences and the role of early life stress. We conclude by prioritizing avenues for future research for this group of underserved women and their children at risk for neurodevelopmental delays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Barry M. Lester
- The Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Willford JA, Singhabahu D, Herat A, Richardson GA. An examination of the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and brain activation measures of arousal and attention in young adults: An fMRI study using the Attention Network Task. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2018; 69:1-10. [PMID: 29953942 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal drug exposure, including cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, is associated with deficits in behavioral regulation and attention. Using fMRI, the objective of this study was to characterize the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and the underlying neural substrates associated with behavioral outcomes of attention. Forty-seven young adults were recruited for this study from the ongoing Maternal Health Practices and Child Development (MHPCD) Project, a longitudinal study of the effects of PCE on growth, behavior, and cognitive function. Three groups were compared: 1) prenatal exposure to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco (CAMT, n = 15), 2) prenatal exposure to alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco (AMT, n = 17), and 3) no prenatal exposure to drugs (Controls, n = 15). Subjects were frequency matched on gender, race, handedness, and 15-year IQ. This study used the theoretical model proposed by Posner and Peterson (1990), which posits three dissociable components of attention: alerting, orienting, and executive attention. Subjects completed a functional MRI (fMRI) scan while performing the Attention Network Task, a validated neuroimaging measure of the 3-network model of attention. Behavioral and fMRI data revealed no associations between PCE and task accuracy, speed of processing, or activation in key brain regions associated with each of the attention networks. The results of this study show that any subtle differences in brain function associated with PCE are not detectable using the ANT task and fMRI. These results should be interpreted in the context of other studies that have found associations between PCE and arousal with emotionally arousing stimuli, compared to this study that found no associations using emotionally neutral stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Willford
- Department of Psychology, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Dil Singhabahu
- Department of Mathematics, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Athula Herat
- Department of Physics, Slippery Rock University, 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock, PA 16057, United States of America.
| | - Gale A Richardson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Lin B, Ostlund BD, Conradt E, Lagasse LL, Lester BM. Testing the programming of temperament and psychopathology in two independent samples of children with prenatal substance exposure. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:1023-1040. [PMID: 30068412 PMCID: PMC6074047 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000391] [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: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal programming models have rarely been applied to research on children with prenatal substance exposure, despite evidence suggesting that prenatal drug exposure is a form of stress that impacts neurodevelopmental outcomes and risk for psychopathology. Utilizing data from two longitudinal multisite studies comprising children prenatally exposed to substances as well as a nonexposed comparison group (Maternal Lifestyle Study, n = 1,388; Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle study, n = 412), we tested whether early phenotypic indicators of hypothesized programming effects, indexed by growth parameters at birth and infant temperament, served as a link between prenatal substance exposure and internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 5. Latent profile analysis indicated that individual differences in reactivity and regulation for infants prenatally exposed to substances was best characterized by four temperament profiles. These profiles were virtually identical across two independent samples, and demonstrated unique associations with adjustment difficulties nearly 5 years later. Results of path analysis using structural equation modeling also showed that increased prenatal substance exposure was linked to poorer growth parameters at birth, profiles of temperamental reactivity in infancy, and internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 5. This pathway was partially replicated across samples. This study was among the first to link known individual-level correlates of prenatal substance exposure into a specific pathway to childhood problem behavior. Implications for the developmental origins of a child's susceptibility to psychopathology as a result of intrauterine substance exposure are discussed.
Collapse
|
27
|
Cai J, Zhao Y, Liu P, Xia B, Zhu Q, Wang X, Song Q, Kan H, Zhang Y. Exposure to particulate air pollution during early pregnancy is associated with placental DNA methylation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 607-608:1103-1108. [PMID: 28724248 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Maternal exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <10μm (PM10) during pregnancy results in adverse birth outcomes. Changes in placental DNA methylation might mediate those adverse effects. In this study, we examined the associations between prenatal PM10 exposure and DNA methylation of LINE1, HSD11B2 and NR3C1 in human placenta. One hundred and eighty-one mother newborn pairs (80 fetal growth restriction newborns, 101 normal newborns) participated in this study. The average PM10 exposure of each trimester and of the whole pregnancy was calculated using daily air pollution concentration data. Placental DNA methylation was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction-pyrosequencing. Placental LINE-1 DNA methylation was reversely associated with first trimester PM10 exposure 1.78% (-β=1.78, 95% CI: -3.35, -0.22%), while placental HSD11B2 DNA methylation was associated with both first and second trimester PM10 exposure, and relatively increased by 1.03% (95% CI: 0.07, 1.98%) and 2.33% (95% CI: 0.69, 3.76%) for each 10μg/m3 increase in exposure to PM10. Those associations were much more evident in fetal growth restriction newborns than those in normal newborns. In summary, early pregnancy PM10 exposure was associated with placental DNA methylation of LINE1 and HSD11B2, suggesting that such methylation alterations might mediate PM-induced reproductive and developmental toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Bin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingyang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Song
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Landi N, Avery T, Crowley MJ, Wu J, Mayes L. Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Impacts Language and Reading Into Late Adolescence: Behavioral and ERP Evidence. Dev Neuropsychol 2017; 42:369-386. [PMID: 28949778 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2017.1362698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Extant research documents impaired language among children with prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) relative to nondrug exposed (NDE) children, suggesting that cocaine alters development of neurobiological systems that support language. The current study examines behavioral and neural (electrophysiological) indices of language function in older adolescents. Specifically, we compare performance of PCE (N = 59) and NDE (N = 51) adolescents on a battery of cognitive and linguistic assessments that tap word reading, reading comprehension, semantic and grammatical processing, and IQ. In addition, we examine event related potential (ERP) responses in in a subset of these children across three experimental tasks that examine word level phonological processing (rhyme priming), word level semantic processing (semantic priming), and sentence level semantic processing (semantic anomaly). Findings reveal deficits across a number of reading and language assessments, after controlling for socioeconomic status and exposure to other substances. Additionally, ERP data reveal atypical orthography to phonology mapping (reduced N1/P2 response) and atypical rhyme and semantic processing (N400 response). These findings suggest that PCE continues to impact language and reading skills into the late teenage years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Landi
- a Psychological Sciences , University of Connecticut , Storrs , Connecticut.,b Haskins Laboratories , New Haven , Connecticut
| | - Trey Avery
- b Haskins Laboratories , New Haven , Connecticut
| | | | - Jia Wu
- c Yale Child Study Center , New Haven , Connecticut
| | - Linda Mayes
- c Yale Child Study Center , New Haven , Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Min MO, Minnes S, Kim JY, Yoon M, Singer LT. Association of prenatal cocaine exposure, childhood maltreatment, and responses to stress in adolescence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 177:93-100. [PMID: 28582699 PMCID: PMC5541909 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may alter responses to stress. Children with PCE tend to grow up in suboptimal caregiving environments, conducive to child maltreatment (CM). Guided by the diathesis-stress model, the present study examined differences in self-reported responses to stress and coping in adolescents with and without PCE and explored whether childhood maltreatment (CM) moderated the effects of PCE. METHODS Adolescents (N=363; 184 PCE, 179 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)), primarily African-American and of low socioeconomic status, were prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal study at birth. The Responses to Stress Questionnaire was used to assess volitional coping (primary control, secondary control, disengagement) and involuntary responses (involuntary engagement, involuntary disengagement) to stress at the 15- and 17-year follow-up visits. CM was assessed retrospectively at age 17 using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. RESULTS Findings from longitudinal mixed model analyses indicated that PCE was associated with poorer coping strategies only among adolescents with a history of CM. Adolescents with PCE who experienced CM reported less dominant use of primary (e.g., problem solving, emotional regulation) and secondary control (e.g., cognitive restructuring) and more dominant use of disengagement (e.g., denial, avoidance) and involuntary disengagement (e.g., inaction) than adolescents with PCE who did not experience CM or NCE adolescents regardless of CM. CM was associated with more dominant use of involuntary engagement (e.g., intrusive thoughts). CONCLUSIONS PCE may increase sensitivity to CM, predisposing increased vulnerability to environmental risk. Continued studies into adulthood will elucidate how coping and involuntary stress responses affect social, vocational, and behavioral adjustment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meeyoung O Min
- The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - Sonia Minnes
- The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - June-Yung Kim
- The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Miyoung Yoon
- The Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lynn T Singer
- School of Medicine, Departments of Environmental Health Sciences, Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Minnes S, Min MO, Kim JY, Francis MW, Lang A, Wu M, Singer LT. The association of prenatal cocaine exposure, externalizing behavior and adolescent substance use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 176:33-43. [PMID: 28514694 PMCID: PMC5637277 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may increase adolescent substance use through alterations of neurotransmitter systems affecting fetal brain development. The relationship between PCE and substance use at 15 and 17 years was examined. Subjects (365: 186 PCE; 179 non-cocaine exposed (NCE)) supplied biologic and self-report data using the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (C-DISC 4) at ages 15 and 17. The relationship between PCE and substance use was assessed using General Estimating Equation (GEE) analyses controlling for confounding factors including violence exposure and preschool lead level. Teens with PCE vs. NCE teens were 2 times more likely to use tobacco (OR=2.1; 95% CI 1.21-3.63; p<.001) and marijuana (OR=1.85; CI 1.18-2.91; p<.001) and have a substance use disorder at age 17 (OR=2.51; CI 1.00-6.28; p<.05). Evaluation of PCE status by gender revealed an association between PCE and marijuana use that was more pronounced for boys than girls at 17 years. Violence exposure was also a significant predictor of alcohol (p<.001), tobacco (p<.05), and marijuana (p<.0006) use and substance abuse/dependence (p<.01). Externalizing behavior at age 12 fully mediated the effects of PCE on substance use disorder at age 17 and partially mediated effects of PCE on tobacco use, but did not mediate effects on marijuana use. The percentage of substance use reported increased between 15 and 17 years, with no differences between the PCE and NCE groups. Data suggest specialized drug use prevention measures for children with PCE may benefit this high risk group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Minnes
- The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.
| | - Meeyoung O Min
- The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - June-Yung Kim
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Meredith W Francis
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Adelaide Lang
- The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Miaoping Wu
- The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lynn T Singer
- School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Cocaína durante la gestación y conducta materna postparto en ratones. ACTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGIA 2017. [DOI: 10.14718/acp.2017.20.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
El abuso materno de cocaína durante la gestación se relaciona con negligencia, maltrato y perturbación del vínculo madre- hijo, lo que incide directamente en el desarrollo de los infantes; por esto, las diversas problemáticas neuroconductuales de los hijos de padres drogodependientes podrían atribuirse a la inadecuada conducta materna o a la exposición prenatal a la droga. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar los efectos de la administración crónica de cocaína durante la gestación en la conducta materna postparto de ratones. Para esto se asignaron aleatoriamente 21 ratones CD1 hembras gestantes para la administración de solución salina y cocaína (25 mg/kg/día y 50 mg/kg/día), desde el octavo hasta el día veintiuno de gestación. Después del parto, durante 20 días (15 minutos diarios), se registró individualmente la frecuencia de presentación de 16 índices de conducta materna mediante un etograma. Se encontró que la cocaína afectó levemente la frecuencia de la conducta materna, aunque posiblemente afecte otros parámetros como la latencia, duración y secuencia de esta conducta.
Collapse
|
32
|
Mardini V, Rohde LA, Ceresér KMM, Gubert CDM, da Silva EG, Xavier F, Parcianello R, Röhsig LM, Pechansky F, Pianca TG, Szobot CM. IL-6 and IL-10 levels in the umbilical cord blood of newborns with a history of crack/cocaine exposure in utero: a comparative study. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2017; 38:40-9. [PMID: 27074340 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2015-0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with neurobehavioral problems during childhood and adolescence. Early activation of the inflammatory response may contribute to such changes. Our aim was to compare inflammatory markers (IL-6 and IL-10) both in umbilical cord blood and in maternal peripheral blood at delivery between newborns with history of crack/cocaine exposure in utero and non-exposed newborns. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 57 newborns with a history of crack/cocaine exposure in utero (EN) and 99 non-exposed newborns (NEN) were compared for IL-6 and IL-10 levels. Sociodemographic and perinatal data, maternal psychopathology, consumption of nicotine and other substances were systematically collected in cases and controls. RESULTS After adjusting for potential confounders, mean IL-6 was significantly higher in EN than in NEN (10,208.54, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1,328.54-19,088.55 vs. 2,323.03, 95%CI 1,484.64-3,161.21; p = 0.007; generalized linear model [GLM]). Mean IL-10 was also significantly higher in EN than in NEN (432.22, 95%CI 51.44-812.88 vs. 75.52, 95%CI 5.64-145.39, p = 0.014; GLM). Adjusted postpartum measures of IL-6 were significantly higher in mothers with a history of crack/cocaine use (25,160.05, 95%CI 10,958.15-39,361.99 vs. 8,902.14, 95%CI 5,774.97-12,029.32; p = 0.007; GLM), with no significant differences for IL-10. There was no correlation between maternal and neonatal cytokine levels (Spearman test, p ≥ 0.28 for all measures). CONCLUSIONS IL-6 and IL-10 might be early biomarkers of PCE in newborns. These findings could help to elucidate neurobiological pathways underlying neurodevelopmental changes and broaden the range of possibilities for early intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mardini
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Emily Galvão da Silva
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Medicina Translacional, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Flávio Pechansky
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Scheinost D, Sinha R, Cross SN, Kwon SH, Sze G, Constable RT, Ment LR. Does prenatal stress alter the developing connectome? Pediatr Res 2017; 81:214-226. [PMID: 27673421 PMCID: PMC5313513 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2016.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human neurodevelopment requires the organization of neural elements into complex structural and functional networks called the connectome. Emerging data suggest that prenatal exposure to maternal stress plays a role in the wiring, or miswiring, of the developing connectome. Stress-related symptoms are common in women during pregnancy and are risk factors for neurobehavioral disorders ranging from autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction, to major depression and schizophrenia. This review focuses on structural and functional connectivity imaging to assess the impact of changes in women's stress-based physiology on the dynamic development of the human connectome in the fetal brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Child Study, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sarah N. Cross
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Soo Hyun Kwon
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Gordon Sze
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Laura R. Ment
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,()
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine stress reactivity in a sample of adolescents with prenatal drug exposure (PDE) by examining the consequences of PDE on stress-related adrenocortical reactivity, behavioral problems, and drug experimentation during adolescence. METHODS Participants (76 PDE, 61 non-drug exposed [NE]; 99% African-American; 50% male; mean age = 14.17 yr, SD = 1.17) provided a urine sample, completed a drug use questionnaire, and provided saliva samples (later assayed for cortisol) before and after a mild laboratory stress task. Caregivers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC II) and reported their relationship to the adolescent. RESULTS The NE group was more likely to exhibit task-related cortisol reactivity compared to the PDE group. Overall behavior problems and drug experimentation were comparable across groups with no differences between PDE and NE groups. In unadjusted mediation analyses, cortisol reactivity mediated the association between PDE and BASC II aggression scores (95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI], 0.04-4.28), externalizing problems scores (95% bootstrap CI, 0.03-4.50), and drug experimentation (95% bootstrap CI, 0.001-0.54). The associations remain with the inclusion of gender as a covariate but not when age is included. CONCLUSION Findings support and expand current research in cortisol reactivity and PDE by demonstrating that cortisol reactivity attenuates the association between PDE and behavioral problems (aggression) and drug experimentation. If replicated, PDE may have long-lasting effects on stress-sensitive physiological mechanisms associated with behavioral problems (aggression) and drug experimentation in adolescence.
Collapse
|
35
|
Salzwedel AP, Grewen KM, Goldman BD, Gao W. Thalamocortical functional connectivity and behavioral disruptions in neonates with prenatal cocaine exposure. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2016; 56:16-25. [PMID: 27242332 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) affects neurobehavioral development, however, disentangling direct drug-related mechanisms from contextual effects (e.g., socioeconomic status) has proven challenging in humans. The effects of environmental confounds are minimal immediately after birth thus we aimed to delineate neurobehavioral correlates of PCE in a large cohort of neonates (2-6weeks of age, N=152) with and without drug exposure using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and developmental assessments at 3months with the Bayley Scales of Infant & Toddler Development, 3rd edition. The cohort included healthy controls and neonates with similar poly-drug exposure±cocaine. We focused on the thalamus given its critical importance in early brain development and its unique positioning in the dopamine system. Our results revealed PCE-related hyper-connectivity between the thalamus and frontal regions and a drug-common hypo-connective signature between the thalamus and motor-related regions. PCE-specific neonatal thalamo-frontal connectivity was inversely related to cognitive and fine motor scores and thalamo-motor connectivity showed a positive relationship with composite (gross plus fine) motor scores. Finally, cocaine by selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor (SSRI) interactions were detected, suggesting the combined use of these drugs during pregnancy could have additional consequences on fetal development. Overall, our findings provide the first delineation of PCE-related disruptions of thalamocortical functional connectivity, neurobehavioral correlations, and drug-drug interactions during infancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Salzwedel
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karen M Grewen
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, and Psychology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Barbara D Goldman
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, FPG Child Development Institute, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Fisher PA, Beauchamp KG, Roos LE, Noll LK, Flannery J, Delker BC. The Neurobiology of Intervention and Prevention in Early Adversity. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2016; 12:331-57. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032814-112855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip A. Fisher
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| | - Kate G. Beauchamp
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| | - Leslie E. Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| | - Laura K. Noll
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| | - Jessica Flannery
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| | - Brianna C. Delker
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403;
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Li Z, Coles CD, Lynch ME, Luo Y, Hu X. Longitudinal changes of amygdala and default mode activation in adolescents prenatally exposed to cocaine. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2015; 53:24-32. [PMID: 26577285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with long-term and negative effect on arousal regulation. Recent neuroimaging studies have examined brain mechanisms related to arousal dysregulation with cross-sectional experimental designs; but longitudinal changes in the brain, reflecting group differences in neurodevelopment, have never been directly examined. To directly assess the interaction of PCE and neurodevelopment, the present study used a longitudinal design to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from 33 adolescents (21 with PCE and 12 non-exposed controls) while they performed the same working memory task with emotional distracters at two points in time. The mean age of participants was 14.3 years at time_1 and 16.7 years at time_2. With confounding factors statistically controlled, the fMRI data revealed significant exposure-by-time interaction in the activations of the amygdala and default mode network (DMN). For the control adolescents, brain activations associated with emotional arousal (amygdala) and cognitive effort (DMN) were both reduced at time_2 as compared to that at time_1. However, these activation reductions were not observed in the PCE group, indicating persistently high levels of emotional arousal and cognitive effort. In addition, correlations between longitudinal changes in the brain and in behavior have shown that adolescents with persistently high emotional arousal were more likely in need of high cognitive effort; and their cognitive performance was more likely to be affected by distractive challenges. The present results complement and extend previous findings from cross-sectional studies with further evidence supporting the view of PCE associated long-term teratogenic effects on arousal regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Li
- Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong, PR China; Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, GA, USA.
| | - Claire D Coles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, GA, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, GA, USA
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30322, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Behavioral epigenetics and the developmental origins of child mental health disorders. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2015; 3:395-408. [PMID: 25084292 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174412000426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Advances in understanding the molecular basis of behavior through epigenetic mechanisms could help explain the developmental origins of child mental health disorders. However, the application of epigenetic principles to the study of human behavior is a relatively new endeavor. In this paper we discuss the 'Developmental Origins of Health and Disease' including the role of fetal programming. We then review epigenetic principles related to fetal programming and the recent application of epigenetics to behavior. We focus on the neuroendocrine system and develop a simple heuristic stress-related model to illustrate how epigenetic changes in placental genes could predispose the infant to neurobehavioral profiles that interact with postnatal environmental factors potentially leading to mental health disorders. We then discuss from an 'Evo-Devo' perspective how some of these behaviors could also be adaptive. We suggest how elucidation of these mechanisms can help to better define risk and protective factors and populations at risk.
Collapse
|
39
|
Maccani JZJ, Koestler DC, Lester B, Houseman EA, Armstrong DA, Kelsey KT, Marsit CJ. Placental DNA Methylation Related to Both Infant Toenail Mercury and Adverse Neurobehavioral Outcomes. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2015; 123:723-9. [PMID: 25748564 PMCID: PMC4492267 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1408561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal mercury (Hg) exposure is associated with adverse child neurobehavioral outcomes. Because Hg can interfere with placental functioning and cross the placenta to target the fetal brain, prenatal Hg exposure can inhibit fetal growth and development directly and indirectly. OBJECTIVES We examined potential associations between prenatal Hg exposure assessed through infant toenail Hg, placental DNA methylation changes, and newborn neurobehavioral outcomes. METHODS The methylation status of > 485,000 CpG loci was interrogated in 192 placental samples using Illumina's Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadArray. Hg concentrations were analyzed in toenail clippings from a subset of 41 infants; neurobehavior was assessed using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS) in an independent subset of 151 infants. RESULTS We identified 339 loci with an average methylation difference > 0.125 between any two toenail Hg tertiles. Variation among these loci was subsequently found to be associated with a high-risk neurodevelopmental profile (omnibus p-value = 0.007) characterized by the NNNS. Ten loci had p < 0.01 for the association between methylation and the high-risk NNNS profile. Six of 10 loci reside in the EMID2 gene and were hypomethylated in the 16 high-risk profile infants' placentas. Methylation at these loci was moderately correlated (correlation coefficients range, -0.33 to -0.45) with EMID2 expression. CONCLUSIONS EMID2 hypomethylation may represent a novel mechanism linking in utero Hg exposure and adverse infant neurobehavioral outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Z J Maccani
- Penn State Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Liebschutz J, Crooks D, Rose-Jacobs R, Cabral HJ, Heeren TC, Gerteis J, Appugliese DP, Heymann OD, Lange AV, Frank DA. Prenatal substance exposure: What predicts behavioral resilience by early adolescence? PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2015; 29:329-37. [PMID: 26076097 PMCID: PMC4593628 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding behavioral resilience among at-risk adolescents may guide public policy decisions and future programs. We examined factors predicting behavioral resilience following intrauterine substance exposure in a prospective longitudinal birth-cohort study of 136 early adolescents (ages 12.4-15.9 years) at risk for poor behavioral outcomes. We defined behavioral resilience as a composite measure of lack of early substance use initiation (before age 14), lack of risky sexual behavior, or lack of delinquency. Intrauterine substance exposures included in this analysis were cocaine, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. We recruited participants from Boston Medical Center as mother-infant dyads between 1990 and 1993. The majority of the sample was African American/Caribbean (88%) and 49% female. In bivariate analyses, none and lower intrauterine cocaine exposure level predicted resilience compared with higher cocaine exposure, but this effect was not found in an adjusted model. Instead, strict caregiver supervision (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.90, 19.00], p = .002), lower violence exposure (AOR = 4.07, 95% CI [1.77, 9.38], p < .001), and absence of intrauterine tobacco exposure (AOR = 3.71, 95% CI [1.28, 10.74], p = .02) predicted behavioral resilience. In conclusion, caregiver supervision in early adolescence, lower violence exposure in childhood, and lack of intrauterine tobacco exposure predicted behavioral resilience among a cohort of early adolescents with significant social and environmental risk. Future interventions should work to enhance parental supervision as a way to mitigate the effects of adversity on high-risk groups of adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Liebschutz
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Denise Crooks
- Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, 840 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Ruth Rose-Jacobs
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, 72 East Concord Street, MA, 02118
| | - Howard J Cabral
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Timothy C Heeren
- Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Jessie Gerteis
- Abt Associates, Inc., 55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138
| | - Danielle P. Appugliese
- Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Orlaith D. Heymann
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Allison V. Lange
- Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Deborah A. Frank
- Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, 840 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, 72 East Concord Street, MA, 02118
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Eiden RD, Godleski S, Schuetze P, Colder CR. Prenatal substance exposure and child self-regulation: Pathways to risk and protection. J Exp Child Psychol 2015; 137:12-29. [PMID: 25913650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A conceptual model of the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and child self-regulation via maternal harshness and language development was examined. Specifically, the model tested whether PCE was associated with self-regulation either directly or indirectly via high maternal harshness and poor language development. The role of child sex, autonomic reactivity, and cumulative environmental risk as potential moderators was also explored. The sample was 216 mother-child dyads recruited at birth and assessed at 2, 7, 13, 24, 36, and 48 months of child ages. Participating mothers were primarily African American (72%). Results indicated a significant indirect association between PCE and child effortful control at 36 months via higher maternal harshness. Autonomic reactivity moderated the association between maternal harshness and self-regulation such that among children with poor autonomic reactivity, high maternal harshness was associated with lower conscience at 3 years. Child sex and environmental risk did not moderate the association between PCE and self-regulation. Thus, the quality of caregiving experience played a significant role in the development of self-regulation among PCE children, especially those at higher autonomic risk. In particular, PCE children who also exhibit poor autonomic reactivity may be particularly susceptible to environmental influences such as parenting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rina D Eiden
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Stephanie Godleski
- Research Institute on Addictions, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Pamela Schuetze
- Department of Psychology, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
| | - Craig R Colder
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Green BB, Armstrong DA, Lesseur C, Paquette AG, Guerin DJ, Kwan LE, Marsit CJ. The Role of Placental 11-Beta Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 and Type 2 Methylation on Gene Expression and Infant Birth Weight. Biol Reprod 2015; 92:149. [PMID: 25788665 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.128066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal stress has been linked to infant birth weight outcomes, which itself may be associated with health later in life. The placenta acts as a master regulator for the fetal environment, mediating intrauterine exposures to stress through the activity of genes regulating glucocorticoids, including the 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD11B) type 1 and 2 genes, and so we hypothesized that variation in these genes will be associated with infant birth weight. We investigated DNA methylation levels at six sites across the two genes, as well as mRNA expression for each, and the relationship to infant birth weight. Logistic regressions correcting for potential confounding factors revealed a significant association between methylation at a single CpG site within HSD11B1 and being born large for gestational age. In addition, our analysis identified correlations between methylation and gene expression, including sex-specific transcriptional regulation of HSD11B2. Our work is one of the first comprehensive views of DNA methylation and expression in the placenta for both HSD11B types 1 and 2, linking epigenetic alterations with the regulation of fetal stress and birth weight outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B Green
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - David A Armstrong
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Alison G Paquette
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Dylan J Guerin
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Lauren E Kwan
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Ross EJ, Graham DL, Money KM, Stanwood GD. Developmental consequences of fetal exposure to drugs: what we know and what we still must learn. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:61-87. [PMID: 24938210 PMCID: PMC4262892 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Most drugs of abuse easily cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development. In utero exposures to drugs thus can have long-lasting implications for brain structure and function. These effects on the developing nervous system, before homeostatic regulatory mechanisms are properly calibrated, often differ from their effects on mature systems. In this review, we describe current knowledge on how alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamine, Ecstasy, and opiates (among other drugs) produce alterations in neurodevelopmental trajectory. We focus both on animal models and available clinical and imaging data from cross-sectional and longitudinal human studies. Early studies of fetal exposures focused on classic teratological methods that are insufficient for revealing more subtle effects that are nevertheless very behaviorally relevant. Modern mechanistic approaches have informed us greatly as to how to potentially ameliorate the induced deficits in brain formation and function, but conclude that better delineation of sensitive periods, dose-response relationships, and long-term longitudinal studies assessing future risk of offspring to exhibit learning disabilities, mental health disorders, and limited neural adaptations are crucial to limit the societal impact of these exposures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Ross
- Chemical & Physical Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Devon L Graham
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kelli M Money
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Conradt E, Abar B, Lester BM, LaGasse LL, Shankaran S, Bada H, Bauer CR, Whitaker TM, Hammond JA. Cortisol reactivity to social stress as a mediator of early adversity on risk and adaptive outcomes. Child Dev 2014; 85:2279-98. [PMID: 25376131 PMCID: PMC4236260 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Children chronically exposed to stress early in life are at increased risk for maladaptive outcomes, though the physiological mechanisms driving these effects are unknown. Cortisol reactivity was tested as a mediator of the relation between prenatal substance exposure and/or early adversity on adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Data were drawn from a prospective longitudinal study of prenatal substance exposure (N = 860). Cortisol reactivity was assessed at age 11. Among African Americans, prenatal substance exposure exerted an indirect effect through early adversity and cortisol reactivity to predict externalizing behavior, delinquency, and a positive student-teacher relationship at age 11. Decreased cortisol reactivity was related to maladaptive outcomes, and increased cortisol reactivity predicted better executive functioning and a more positive student-teacher relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Beau Abar
- University of Rochester Medical Center Emergency Medicine,
Psychiatry, and Public Health Sciences
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Department of
Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI
- Department of Psychiatry, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI
| | - Linda L. LaGasse
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Department of
Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI
- Department of Psychiatry, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown
University, Providence, RI
| | - Seetha Shankaran
- Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of
Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Henrietta Bada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of
Medicine, Lexington, KY
| | - Charles R. Bauer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miller School of
Medicine, Miami, FL
| | | | - Jane A. Hammond
- Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC
(RTI)
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Conradt E, Degarmo D, Fisher P, Abar B, Lester BM, Lagasse LL, Shankaran S, Bada H, Bauer CR, Whitaker TM, Hammond JA. The contributions of early adverse experiences and trajectories of respiratory sinus arrhythmia on the development of neurobehavioral disinhibition among children with prenatal substance exposure. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 26:901-16. [PMID: 24909973 PMCID: PMC4447302 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941400056x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND) is a complex condition reflecting a wide range of problems involving difficulties with emotion regulation and behavior control. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a physiological correlate of emotion regulation that has been studied in a variety of at-risk populations; however, there are no studies of RSA in children with ND. Data were drawn from a prospective longitudinal study of prenatal substance exposure that included 1,073 participants. Baseline RSA and RSA reactivity to an attention-demanding task were assessed at 3, 4, 5, and 6 years. ND was assessed at ages 8/9, 11, and 13/14 years via behavioral dysregulation and executive dysfunction composite measures. Greater exposure to early adversity was related to less RSA reactivity at 3 years, increases in RSA reactivity from ages 3 to 6 years, and increased behavioral dysregulation from ages 8/9 to 13/14. RSA reactivity was examined as a moderator of the association between early adversity and changes in ND. A significant Early Adversity × RSA Reactivity quadratic interaction revealed that children with decelerations in RSA reactivity exhibited increases in behavioral dysregulation, regardless of their exposure to early adversity. However, greater exposure to early adversity was related to greater increases in behavioral dysregulation, but only if children exhibited accelerations in RSA reactivity from ages 3 to 6 years. The results contribute to our understanding of how interactions across multiple levels of analysis contribute to the development of ND.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Conradt
- Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
| | | | - Phil Fisher
- Oregon Social Learning Center
- University of Oregon
| | - Beau Abar
- Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- University of Oregon
| | - Linda L. Lagasse
- Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- University of Oregon
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zeskind PS, McMurray MS, Cox Lippard ET, Grewen KM, Garber KA, Johns JM. Translational analysis of effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on human infant cries and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110349. [PMID: 25338015 PMCID: PMC4206414 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spectral and temporal features of human infant crying may detect neurobehavioral effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE). Finding comparable measures of rodent ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) would promote translational analyses by controlling the effects of correlated variables that confound human studies. To this end, two studies examined the sensitivity of similar acoustic structures in human infant and rat pup vocalizations to effects of PCE. In Study 1, cry sounds of 107 one month-old infants were spectrum analyzed to create a novel set of measures and to detect the presence of hyperphonation - a qualitative shift to an atypically high fundamental frequency (basic pitch) associated with neurobehavioral insult. Infants with PCE were compared to infants with prenatal polydrug-exposure (PPE) without cocaine and with infants in a standard comparison (SC) group with no prenatal drug exposure. In Study 2, USVs of 118 five day-old rat pups with either PCE, prenatal saline exposure or no prenatal exposures were spectrum analyzed to detect the presence of frequency shifts - acoustic features that have a frequency waveform similar to that of hyperphonation. Results of study 1 showed PCE had two sets of sex-dependent effects on human infants: PCE males had higher pitched cries with more dysphonation (turbulence); PCE females had longer pauses between fewer cry sounds that were of lower amplitude than comparison groups. PCE and PPE infants had more cries with hyperphonation than SC infants. In study 2, PCE pups had a greater percentage of USVs with shift in the acoustic structure than pups in the two control groups. As such, the novel measures of human infant crying and rat pup USVs were sensitive to effects of PCE. These studies provide the first known translational analysis of similar acoustic structures of vocalizations in two species to detect adverse effects of prenatal drug exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Sanford Zeskind
- Department of Pediatrics, Carolina Healthcare System's Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Matthew S. McMurray
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Karen M. Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kristin A. Garber
- Department of Pediatrics, Carolina Healthcare System's Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Josephine M. Johns
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Provençal N, Binder EB. The effects of early life stress on the epigenome: From the womb to adulthood and even before. Exp Neurol 2014; 268:10-20. [PMID: 25218020 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress (ELS), such as childhood abuse and neglect is a well established major risk factor for developing psychiatric and behavioral disorders later in life. Both prenatal and postnatal stressors have been shown to have a long-lasting impact on adult pathological states where the type and timing of the stressor are important factors to consider. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms play a major role in the biological embedding of ELS. A number of studies now indicate that the epigenome is responsive to external environmental exposures, including the social environment, both during intra-uterine development and after birth. In this review, we summarize the evidence of long-lasting effects of ELS on mental health and behavior and highlight common and distinct epigenetic effects of stress exposure at different stages during development. These stages include postnatal stress, prenatal stress, i.e. in utero and stress occurring pre-conception, i.e. effects of stress exposure transmitted to the next generation. We also delineate the evidence for the possible molecular mechanisms involved in epigenetic programming by ELS and how these maybe distinct, according to the timing of the stress exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Provençal
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Paquette AG, Lester BM, Koestler DC, Lesseur C, Armstrong DA, Marsit CJ. Placental FKBP5 genetic and epigenetic variation is associated with infant neurobehavioral outcomes in the RICHS cohort. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104913. [PMID: 25115650 PMCID: PMC4130612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse maternal environments can lead to increased fetal exposure to maternal cortisol, which can cause infant neurobehavioral deficits. The placenta regulates fetal cortisol exposure and response, and placental DNA methylation can influence this function. FK506 binding protein (FKBP5) is a negative regulator of cortisol response, FKBP5 methylation has been linked to brain morphology and mental disorder risk, and genetic variation of FKBP5 was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder in adults. We hypothesized that placental FKBP5 methylation and genetic variation contribute to gene expression control, and are associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed using the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scales (NNNS). In 509 infants enrolled in the Rhode Island Child Health Study, placental FKBP5 methylation was measured at intron 7 using quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. Placental FKBP5 mRNA was measured in a subset of 61 infants by quantitative PCR, and the SNP rs1360780 was genotyped using a quantitative allelic discrimination assay. Relationships between methylation, expression and NNNS scores were examined using linear models adjusted for confounding variables, then logistic models were created to determine the influence of methylation on membership in high risk groups of infants. FKBP5 methylation was negatively associated with expression (P = 0.08, r = -0.22); infants with the TT genotype had higher expression than individuals with CC and CT genotypes (P = 0.06), and those with CC genotype displayed a negative relationship between methylation and expression (P = 0.06, r = -0.43). Infants in the highest quartile of FKBP5 methylation had increased risk of NNNS high arousal compared to infants in the lowest quartile (OR 2.22, CI 1.07-4.61). TT genotype infants had increased odds of high NNNS stress abstinence (OR 1.98, CI 0.92-4.26). Placental FKBP5 methylation reduces expression in a genotype specific fashion, and genetic variation supersedes this effect. These genetic and epigenetic differences in expression may alter the placenta's ability to modulate cortisol response and exposure, leading to altered neurobehavioral outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison G. Paquette
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Corina Lesseur
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - David A. Armstrong
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, Section of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Beeghly M, Rose-Jacobs R, Martin BM, Cabral HJ, Heeren TC, Frank DA. Level of intrauterine cocaine exposure and neuropsychological test scores in preadolescence: subtle effects on auditory attention and narrative memory. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2014; 45:1-17. [PMID: 24978115 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychological processes such as attention and memory contribute to children's higher-level cognitive and language functioning and predict academic achievement. The goal of this analysis was to evaluate whether level of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) alters multiple aspects of preadolescents' neuropsychological functioning assessed using a single age-referenced instrument, the NEPSY: A Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY) (Korkman et al., 1998), after controlling for relevant covariates. Participants included 137 term 9.5-year-old children from low-income urban backgrounds (51% male, 90% African American/Caribbean) from an ongoing prospective longitudinal study. Level of IUCE was assessed in the newborn period using infant meconium and maternal report. 52% of the children had IUCE (65% with lighter IUCE, and 35% with heavier IUCE), and 48% were unexposed. Infants with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, HIV seropositivity, or intrauterine exposure to illicit substances other than cocaine and marijuana were excluded. At the 9.5-year follow-up visit, trained examiners masked to IUCE and background variables evaluated children's neuropsychological functioning using the NEPSY. The association between level of IUCE and NEPSY outcomes was evaluated in a series of linear regressions controlling for intrauterine exposure to other substances and relevant child, caregiver, and demographic variables. Results indicated that level of IUCE was associated with lower scores on the Auditory Attention and Narrative Memory tasks, both of which require auditory information processing and sustained attention for successful performance. However, results did not follow the expected ordinal, dose-dependent pattern. Children's neuropsychological test scores were also altered by a variety of other biological and psychosocial factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Beeghly
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Ruth Rose-Jacobs
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Brett M Martin
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Howard J Cabral
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Timothy C Heeren
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Deborah A Frank
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Lester BM, Conradt E, Marsit CJ. Are epigenetic changes in the intrauterine environment related to newborn neurobehavior? Epigenomics 2014; 6:175-8. [PMID: 24811786 PMCID: PMC4407197 DOI: 10.2217/epi.14.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Barry M Lester
- Department of Pediatrics, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA and Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Elisabeth Conradt
- Department of Pediatrics, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Community & Family Medicine, Section Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| |
Collapse
|