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Decreased Cerebral Blood Flow in Young Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Mohammad Ghasoub1,2,3, Madison Long1,2,3, Jamie Roeske1,2,3
1Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in children is linked to reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF), particularly in frontal brain regions. These CBF changes may explain neurodevelopmental and behavioral deficits observed in children with PAE.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can impair child neurodevelopment, leading to behavioral and neurological deficits.
- PAE is associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities in animal models, but human data is limited.
- The impact of PAE on human CBF in young children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cerebral blood flow (CBF) in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).
- To determine if PAE affects CBF in specific brain regions in children.
- To understand the relationship between PAE, CBF alterations, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with arterial spin labeling was used to quantify CBF.
- 171 scans from 99 children (ages 3-8 years), including 35 with PAE, were analyzed.
- CBF maps were segmented, and linear mixed models compared CBF between children with and without PAE.
Main Results:
- Children with PAE exhibited significantly decreased CBF compared to unexposed controls.
- The most pronounced CBF reductions were observed in subcortical and medial frontal brain regions.
- These affected regions are critical for cognitive and behavioral functions.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) negatively impacts cerebral blood flow (CBF) in children.
- Reduced CBF may impair nutrient and oxygen delivery, contributing to neurodevelopmental deficits.
- Findings highlight the neurobiological effects of PAE and inform future research on behavior.
Background:
Alcohol exposure during pregnancy can hinder neurodevelopment, causing a range of behavioral and neurological deficits, including structural and functional brain alterations. Moreover, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities in preclinical models. However, it remains unclear to what extent CBF is affected by PAE in humans. In this study, we investigated CBF in young children with PAE.
Methods:
A total of 171 scans collected from 99 children (35 children [51 scans] with PAE) between the ages of 3 to 8 years were examined. Children underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan to acquire arterial spin labeling images to quantify CBF. CBF maps were segmented into 110 gray matter regions, and linear mixed models were used to test CBF differences between children with PAE and unexposed children in each region.
Results:
Children with PAE had decreased CBF compared with unexposed control children, with the largest effects seen in subcortical and medial frontal regions.
Conclusions:
CBF is negatively altered in children with PAE. CBF reductions may alter nutrient and oxygen delivery to the brain, resulting in impaired neurodevelopment and helping to explain functional deficits seen in PAE. The largest effects were seen in regions associated with cognitive and behavioral functions that are commonly impaired in individuals with PAE. Our findings contribute additional insight into the adverse effects of PAE on neurodevelopment and lay the groundwork for future studies to investigate CBF effects and how they relate to behavior.
