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Published on: July 13, 2014
Structural and functional brain network alterations in prenatal alcohol exposed neonates
Annerine Roos1,2, Jean-Paul Fouche3, Jonathan C Ipser3
1SU/UCT MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, 8000, Cape Town, South Africa. aroos@sun.ac.za.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure disrupts functional brain networks in neonates, affecting temporal and limbic hubs. These early brain network alterations may explain later behavioral and sensory difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to cognitive and behavioral deficits.
- Previous research has not integrated structural and functional brain imaging in infants with PAE.
- Understanding early brain alterations is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate disruptions in structural and functional brain network organization in neonates with PAE.
- To compare brain network organization between exposed and unexposed neonates.
- To identify early neural markers associated with PAE.
Main Methods:
- Used diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).
- Analyzed structural and functional covariance networks using graph theory.
- Compared global and regional network organization between 11 neonates with PAE and 14 controls.
Main Results:
- Global structural network organization was similar between groups.
- Functional networks in neonates with PAE showed temporal and limbic hubs, unlike controls' distributed hubs.
- Regional analysis revealed distinct structural and functional connectivity patterns in subcortical and occipital regions for the PAE group.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure causes early, global, and regional functional brain network disruptions.
- Suboptimal functional network organization in neonates with PAE may underlie sensory and behavioral issues.
- Early identification of these network differences is vital for addressing PAE consequences.
Abstract:
Prenatal alcohol exposure leads to alterations in cognition, behavior and underlying brain architecture. However, prior studies have not integrated structural and functional imaging data in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. The aim of this study was to characterize disruptions in both structural and functional brain network organization after prenatal alcohol exposure in very early life. A group of 11 neonates with prenatal alcohol exposure and 14 unexposed controls were investigated using diffusion weighted structural and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Covariance networks were created using graph theoretical analyses for each data set, controlling for age and sex. Group differences in global hub arrangement and regional connectivity were determined using nonparametric permutation tests. Neonates with prenatal alcohol exposure and controls exhibited similar global structural network organization. However, global functional networks of neonates with prenatal alcohol exposure comprised of temporal and limbic hubs, while hubs were more distributed in controls representing an early default mode network. On a regional level, controls showed prominent structural and functional connectivity in parietal and occipital regions. Neonates with prenatal alcohol exposure showed regionally, predominant structural and functional connectivity in several subcortical regions and occipital regions. The findings suggest early functional disruption on a global and regional level after prenatal alcohol exposure and indicate suboptimal organization of functional networks. These differences likely underlie sensory dysregulation and behavioral difficulties in prenatal alcohol exposure.
