scholarly journals Understanding specific effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain structure in young adults

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1663-1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangchuan Chen ◽  
Claire D. Coles ◽  
Mary E. Lynch ◽  
Xiaoping Hu
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

scholarly journals White Matter Alterations in Young Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Kar ◽  
Jess E. Reynolds ◽  
Melody N. Grohs ◽  
W. Ben Gibbard ◽  
Carly McMorris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
The Body ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Pyramidal Tracts ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to cognitive, behavioural, and social-emotional challenges. Previous neuroimaging research has identified alterations to brain structure in newborns, older children, adolescents, and adults with PAE; however, little is known about brain structure in young children. Extensive brain development takes place during early childhood; therefore, understanding the neurological profiles of young children with PAE is critical for early identification and effective intervention. We studied 54 children (5.21 +/- 1.11 years; 27 males) with confirmed PAE compared to 54 age- and sex-matched children without PAE. Children underwent diffusion tensor imaging between 2 and 7 years of age. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 10 major white matter tracts, along with tract volume, axial and radial diffusivity (AD, RD). A univariate analysis of covariance was conducted to test for group differences (PAE vs. control) controlling for age, sex and tract volume. Our results reveal white matter microstructural differences between young children with PAE and unexposed controls. The PAE group had higher FA and/or lower MD (as well as lower AD and RD) in the genu and the body of the corpus callosum, as well as the bilateral uncinate fasciculus and pyramidal tracts. Our findings align with studies of newborns with PAE finding lower AD, but contrast those in older populations with PAE, which consistently report lower FA and higher MD. These findings may reflect premature development of white matter that may then plateau too early, leading to the lower FA/higher MD observed at older ages.

scholarly journals A DTI-based tractography study of effects on brain structure associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in newborns

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Taylor ◽  
Sandra W. Jacobson ◽  
André van der Kouwe ◽  
Christopher D. Molteno ◽  
Gang Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Structure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

scholarly journals Caudate asymmetry: A neurobiological marker of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure in young adults

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 589-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Willford ◽  
Richard Day ◽  
Howard Aizenstein ◽  
Nancy Day
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

Effects of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure on measures of volume, asymmetry, and shape in the caudate nucleus in young adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Jennifer Willford ◽  
Richard Day ◽  
Aizenstein Howard ◽  
Bethany Ground ◽  
Ryan Kruk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Caudate Nucleus ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol

Sex- and tissue-specific effects of binge levels of prenatal alcohol consumption on DNA methylation at birth

Epigenomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuk Jing Loke ◽  
Evelyne Muggli ◽  
Richard Saffery ◽  
Joanne Ryan ◽  
Sharon Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Developmental Abnormalities ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Background: Binge level prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes developmental abnormalities, which may be mediated in part by epigenetic mechanisms. Despite this, few studies have characterised the association of binge PAE with DNA methylation in offspring. Methods: We investigated the association between binge PAE and genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in a sex-specific manner in neonatal buccal and placental samples. Results: We identified no differentially methylated CpGs or differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at false discovery rate <0.05. However, using a sum-of-ranks approach, we identified a DMR in each tissue of female offspring. The DMR identified in buccal samples is located near regions with previously-reported associations to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and binge PAE. Conclusion: Our findings warrant further replication and highlight a potential epigenetic link between binge PAE and FASD.

scholarly journals Prenatal Adversity Alters the Epigenetic Profile of the Prefrontal Cortex: Sexually Dimorphic Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Food-Related Stress

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1773
Author(s):  
Alexandre A. Lussier ◽  
Tamara S. Bodnar ◽  
Michelle Moksa ◽  
Martin Hirst ◽  
Michael S. Kobor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Physiological Systems

Prenatal adversity or stress can have long-term consequences on developmental trajectories and health outcomes. Although the biological mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, have the potential to link early-life environments to alterations in physiological systems, with long-term functional implications. We investigated the consequences of two prenatal insults, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and food-related stress, on DNA methylation profiles of the rat brain during early development. As these insults can have sex-specific effects on biological outcomes, we analyzed epigenome-wide DNA methylation patterns in prefrontal cortex, a key brain region involved in cognition, executive function, and behavior, of both males and females. We found sex-dependent and sex-concordant influences of these insults on epigenetic patterns. These alterations occurred in genes and pathways related to brain development and immune function, suggesting that PAE and food-related stress may reprogram neurobiological/physiological systems partly through central epigenetic changes, and may do so in a sex-dependent manner. Such epigenetic changes may reflect the sex-specific effects of prenatal insults on long-term functional and health outcomes and have important implications for understanding possible mechanisms underlying fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

scholarly journals Early School Years follow up of the Asking Questions in Alcohol Longitudinal Study in Melbourne, Australia (AQUA at 6): Cohort profile

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne Muggli ◽  
Jane Halliday ◽  
Elizabeth Elliott ◽  
Anthony Penington ◽  
Deanne K Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Early School ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The Asking Questions about Alcohol in Pregnancy (AQUA) study, established in 2011, is a pre-birth cohort of 1570 mother and child pairs designed to assess the effects of low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and sporadic binge drinking on long-term child development. The current follow-up of the children, now aged 6 to 8 years, aims to strengthen our understanding of the relationship between these levels of prenatal alcohol exposure and neuropsychological functioning, facial dysmorphology, and brain structure & function. Findings to date Over half (59%) of mothers consumed some alcohol during pregnancy, with one in five reporting at least one binge drinking episode prior to pregnancy recognition. Children's craniofacial shape was examined at 12 months of age, and low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with subtle midface changes. At two years of age, formal developmental assessments showed no evidence that cognitive, language or motor outcome was associated with any of the prenatal alcohol exposures investigated. Participants Between June 2018 and April 2021, 802 of the 1342 eligible AQUA study families completed a parent-report questionnaire (60%). Restrictions associated with COVID-19 pandemic disrupted recruitment, but early school-age neuropsychological assessments were undertaken with 696 children (52%), and 482 (36%) craniofacial images were collected. A pre-planned, exposure-representative subset of 146 random children completed a brain MRI. The existing AQUA study biobank was extended through collection of 427 (32%) child buccal swabs. Future plans We will investigate the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and specific aspects of neurodevelopment at 6-8 years, including brain structure & function. We will also determine whether craniofacial changes identified at 12 months of age are predictive of later developmental impairments. The contribution of genetics and epigenetics to individual variations in outcomes will be examined in conjunction with established and future national and international collaborations.

Complex Trauma and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Clinical Implications

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvette D. Hyter
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Academic Outcomes ◽  
Complex Trauma ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Complex trauma resulting from chronic maltreatment and prenatal alcohol exposure can significantly affect child development and academic outcomes. Children with histories of maltreatment and those with prenatal alcohol exposure exhibit remarkably similar central nervous system impairments. In this article, I will review the effects of each on the brain and discuss clinical implications for these populations of children.

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