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Trajectories of brain white matter development in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure
Preeti Kar1,2, Jess E Reynolds1,2,3, William Ben Gibbard1,4
1Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) slows white matter development in young children, indicated by slower decreases in mean diffusivity (MD). This developmental trajectory difference impacts brain plasticity and learning in children with PAE.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to brain white matter changes.
- Previous studies show differing PAE effects in young vs. older children, necessitating longitudinal research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure in children with PAE.
- To examine age-related white matter development trajectories in relation to PAE.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 54 children with PAE and 89 controls (ages 2-8).
- Analysis of mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in 10 major white matter tracts.
- Linear mixed effects models assessed age, sex, group, and age-by-group interactions.
Main Results:
- Children with PAE exhibited slower decreases in mean diffusivity (MD) over time in specific white matter tracts.
- No significant age-by-group interactions were found for fractional anisotropy (FA).
- Findings indicate delayed white matter maturation in young children with PAE.
Conclusions:
- Slower white matter development in early childhood PAE connects to later findings of altered MD.
- Deviations in developmental trajectories suggest altered brain plasticity.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for addressing cognitive and behavioral outcomes in PAE.
Abstract:
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with alterations to brain white matter microstructure. Previous studies of PAE have demonstrated different findings in young children compared to older children and adolescents, suggesting altered developmental trajectories and highlighting the need for longitudinal research. 122 datasets in 54 children with PAE (27 males) and 196 datasets in 89 children without PAE (45 males) were included in this analysis. Children underwent diffusion tensor imaging between 2 and 8 years of age, returning approximately every 6 months. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 10 major brain white matter tracts and examined for age-related changes using linear mixed effects models with age, sex, group (PAE vs. control) and an age-by-group interaction. Children with PAE had slower decreases of MD over time in the genu of the corpus callosum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus. No significant age-by-group interactions were noted for FA. These findings show slower white matter development in young children with PAE than in unexposed controls. This connects previous cross-sectional findings of lower MD in young children with PAE to findings of higher MD in older children and adolescents with PAE, and further helps to understand brain development in children with PAE. This deviation from typical development trajectories may reflect altered brain plasticity, which has implications for cognitive and behavioral learning in children with PAE.
