White matter microstructural alterations in children with prenatal methamphetamine/polydrug exposure.

TitleWhite matter microstructural alterations in children with prenatal methamphetamine/polydrug exposure.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsColby JB, Smith L, O'Connor MJ, Bookheimer SY, Van Horn JD, Sowell ER
JournalPsychiatry Res
Volume204
Issue2-3
Pagination140-8
Date Published2012 Nov 30
ISSN1872-7123
KeywordsAdolescent, Anisotropy, Brain, Child, Cognition Disorders, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Leukoencephalopathies, Male, Methamphetamine, Neuropsychological Tests, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Abstract

Little is known about the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure on white matter microstructure, and the impact of concomitant alcohol exposure. Diffusion tensor imaging and neurocognitive testing were performed on 21 children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure (age 9.8±1.8 years; 17 also exposed to alcohol), 19 children with prenatal alcohol but not methamphetamine exposure (age 10.8±2.3 years) and 27 typically developing children (age 10.3±3.3 years). Whole-brain maps of fractional anisotropy (FA) were evaluated using tract-based spatial statistics. Relative to unexposed controls, children with prenatal methamphetamine exposure demonstrated higher FA mainly in left-sided regions, including the left anterior corona radiata (LCR) and corticospinal tract Post-hoc analyses of these FA differences showed they likely result more from lower radial diffusivity (RD) than higher axial diffusivity (AD). Relative to the methamphetamine-exposed group, children with prenatal alcohol exposure showed lower FA in frontotemporal regions-particularly, the right external capsule. We failed to find any group-performance interaction (on tests of executive functioning and visuomotor integration) in predicting FA; however, FA in the right external capsule was significantly associated with performance on a test of visuomotor integration across groups. This report demonstrates unique diffusion abnormalities in children with prenatal methamphetamine/polydrug exposure that are distinct from those associated with alcohol exposure alone, and illustrates that these abnormalities in brain microstructure are persistent into childhood and adolescence--long after the polydrug exposure in utero.

DOI10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.04.017
Alternate JournalPsychiatry Res
PubMed ID23149028
PubMed Central IDPMC3634917
Grant ListF30 AA020431 / AA / NIAAA NIH HHS / United States
F30 AA020431 / AA / NIAAA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA017830 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA017831 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R21 DA015878 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R21 DA15878 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R90 DA023422 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R90 DA023422 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
T32 GM008042 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
T32 GM008042 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
T90 DA022768 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AA017122 / AA / NIAAA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AA017122 / AA / NIAAA NIH HHS / United States
U54 RR021813 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
U54 RR021813 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR000124 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States