Associations between low-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and brain development in childhood.

Journal: NeuroImage. Clinical

Volume: 42

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The University of Sydney, Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Kids Research, Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: peter.j.anderson@monash.edu.

Abstract summary 

The effects of low-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on brain development have been infrequently studied.To compare cortical and white matter structure between children aged 6 to 8 years with low-moderate PAE in trimester 1 only, low-moderate PAE throughout gestation, or no PAE.Women reported quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging was undertaken for 143 children aged 6 to 8 years with PAE during trimester 1 only (n = 44), PAE throughout gestation (n = 58), and no PAE (n = 41). T-weighted images were processed using FreeSurfer, obtaining brain volume, area, and thickness of 34 cortical regions per hemisphere. Fibre density (FD), fibre cross-section (FC) and fibre density and cross-section (FDC) metrics were computed for diffusion images. Brain measures were compared between PAE groups adjusted for age and sex, then additionally for intracranial volume.After adjustments, the right caudal anterior cingulate cortex volume (p = 0.045) and area (p = 0.008), and right cingulum tract cross-sectional area (p < 0.05) were smaller in children exposed to alcohol throughout gestation compared with no PAE.This study reports a relationship between low-moderate PAE throughout gestation and cingulate cortex and cingulum tract alterations, suggesting a teratogenic vulnerability. Further investigation is warranted.

Authors & Co-authors:  Thompson Kelly Dhollander Muggli Hearps Lewis Nguyen Spittle Elliott Penington Halliday Anderson

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations : 
Authors :  12
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103595
SSN : 2213-1582
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
Cortex;Diffusion imaging;Magnetic resonance imaging;Paediatric;Prenatal alcohol exposure;White matter tracts
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
Netherlands