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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Subcortical and cortical structural central nervous system changes and attention processing deficits in
Chris Derauf1, Barry M Lester, Nurunisa Neyzi
1Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. derauf.donald@mayo.edu
Insights
Prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) uniquely impact brain development in young children. PME is linked to reduced caudate nucleus volume and potential attention deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to substances like methamphetamine (PME) and tobacco (PTE) can affect neurodevelopment.
- Understanding the distinct effects of PME and PTE is crucial for early intervention and support.
- Previous research has indicated potential links between prenatal substance exposure and altered brain structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent effects of PME and PTE on brain morphology in 3- to 5-year-old children.
- To assess the relationship between PME, PTE, and attentional performance.
- To differentiate the specific impacts of PME versus PTE on subcortical and cortical brain development.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of non-alcohol-exposed children.
- Structural MRI (T1-weighted) used for automated segmentation of brain volumes and cortical thickness.
- General Linear Models employed to analyze PME and PTE effects, controlling for relevant covariates.
- The Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) assessed attention.
Main Results:
- Prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) was associated with reduced caudate nucleus volumes and increased cortical thickness in specific brain regions.
- Prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) correlated with cortical thinning in certain areas and volumetric changes in frontal and cingulate regions.
- PME showed a positive relationship with attentional deficits, mediated by caudate nucleus volume reductions.
Conclusions:
- PME and PTE exert distinct, differential effects on the developing central nervous system.
- PME may be linked to subtle attentional deficits, potentially mediated by alterations in caudate nucleus volume.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering specific prenatal exposures when evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Objective:
To examine the independent contributions of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) on brain morphology among a sample of nonalcohol-exposed 3- to 5-year-old children followed prospectively since birth.
Study Design:
The sample included 20 children with PME (19 with PTE) and 15 comparison children (7 with PTE), matched on race, birth weight, maternal education and type of insurance. Subcortical and cortical volumes and cortical thickness measures were derived through an automated segmentation procedure from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images obtained on unsedated children. Attention was assessed using the computerized Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test Version 5 (K-CPT™ V.5). PME effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and cortical thickness were tested by general linear model with type III sum of squares, adjusting for PTE, prenatal marijuana exposure, age at time of scan, gender, handedness, pulse sequence and total intracranial volume (for volumetric outcomes). A similar analysis was done for PTE effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and thickness, adjusting for PME and the above covariates.
Results:
Children with PME had significantly reduced caudate nucleus volumes and cortical thickness increases in perisylvian and orbital-frontal cortices. In contrast, children with PTE showed cortical thinning in perisylvian and lateral occipital cortices and volumetric increases in frontal regions and decreases in anterior cingulate. PME was positively related and caudate volume was inversely related to K-CPT reaction time by inter-stimulus interval, a measure of the ability to adjust to changing task demands, suggesting that children with PME may have subtle attentional deficits mediated by caudate volume reductions.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that PME and PTE may have distinct differential cortical effects on the developing central nervous system. Additionally, PME may be associated with subtle deficits in attention mediated by caudate volume reductions.
