Gender-related Differences in Inhibitory Control and Sustained Attention among Adolescents with Prenatal Cocaine Exposure

Adolescence and prenatal cocaine exposure can impact risk-taking. In this study, we evaluated risk-taking and gender-related differences in adolescents with prenatal cocaine exposure in terms of electrophysiological correlates of inhibitory control and sustained attention. No differences related to gender were found within measures of risk-taking, or electrophysiological response relating to risk-taking. Greater responses during inhibition versus attention trials support previous studies, with boys showing the largest responses. Gender-related differences were found when comparing the trials before and after frustration was induced, with greater initial attention indices for girls in both trial types and greater sustained attention for both genders during inhibition trials and for boys during attention trials. These data suggest neural correlates of response inhibition show important gender-related differences in this population. Considering these relationships allows us to further understand underlying processes among adolescents who, as a group, tend to be more inclined toward greater risk behaviors.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk Factors in 18- to 20-Year-Old African Americans

OBJECTIVE

The long-term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on physical health are largely unknown. No human studies support or refute a relationship between PCE and the long-term risk for cardiovascular and/or metabolic disease. We investigated the association of PCE on primary cardiometabolic disease risk factors in African Americans (AA) aged 18 to 20 years.

DESIGN

Cohort, longitudinal, prospective.

SETTING

Miami-Dade County, Florida, and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

PARTICIPANTS

Healthy full-term inner-city AA adolescents (aged 18 to 20 years, n=350) previously enrolled at birth from 1990-1993.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Fasting serum insulin, glucose, lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; systolic and diastolic blood pressures; and the components and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.

RESULTS

There were no PCE-associated differences in cardiometabolic disease risk factors including the metabolic syndrome and its individual components in AAs aged 18 to 20 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study do not support an association between PCE and increased cardiometabolic disease risk in AAs aged 18 to 20 years. Whether PCE is associated with cardiovascular or metabolic disease in adulthood would require further investigation.