Gómez María José C, Beaulieu Christian, McMorris Carly A, Gibbard Ben, Tortorelli Christina, Lebel Catherine
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2022 Oct;46(10):1808-1818. doi: 10.1111/acer.14929. Epub 2022 Sep 5.
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits, but relationships between brain alterations and neurocognitive deficits remain unclear.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained from 31 participants with PAE and 31 unexposed controls aged 7-15 years. Mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), bilateral cingulum, and inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF, SLF). Participants completed language subtests from the NEPSY-II. Executive functioning was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF-PR) and verbal learning was assessed using the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C) only in children with PAE. Group differences in diffusion metrics and cognitive scores were tested. Principal component analysis was used to reduce redundancy in cognitive and behavior variables; associations between components and brain measures were then assessed.
Children with PAE had lower MD in the right SLF compared with unexposed controls. FA was positively related to age in 6 of 9 tracts and MD negatively related to age in all tracts; there were no significant age-by-group interactions. Participants with PAE scored lower than unexposed peers on the NEPSY-II Comprehension of Instructions and Phonological Processing and above population norms (indicating worse performance) on the BRIEF-PR. Children with PAE had a negative association between a principal component closely associated with Speeded Naming and FA in the left SLF (PAE: p = 0.002) and left ILF (PAE: p = 0.002); unexposed controls showed no significant associations.
We found widespread cognitive difficulties in children with PAE, but relatively limited differences in brain metrics and associations with age. Different brain-cognitive relationships were found in children with PAE compared with controls. Overall, the results provide additional evidence that PAE may lead to cognitive difficulties and disrupt typical brain-function relationships.
产前酒精暴露（PAE）与大脑改变和神经认知缺陷有关，但大脑改变与神经认知缺陷之间的关系仍不清楚。
从31名7至15岁有PAE的参与者和31名未暴露的对照者中获取扩散张量成像（DTI）数据。平均扩散率（MD）和各向异性分数（FA）来自胼胝体（CC）的膝部、体部和压部、双侧扣带束以及下纵束和上纵束（ILF、SLF）。参与者完成了NEPSY-II的语言子测试。仅对有PAE的儿童使用执行功能行为评定量表（BRIEF-PR）测量执行功能，并使用加利福尼亚言语学习测验儿童版（CVLT-C）评估言语学习。测试了扩散指标和认知分数的组间差异。使用主成分分析来减少认知和行为变量中的冗余；然后评估各成分与脑测量之间的关联。
与未暴露的对照者相比，有PAE的儿童右侧SLF的MD较低。9条纤维束中有6条的FA与年龄呈正相关，所有纤维束的MD与年龄呈负相关；没有显著的年龄×组交互作用。有PAE的参与者在NEPSY-II的指令理解和语音处理方面的得分低于未暴露的同龄人，在BRIEF-PR上高于总体规范（表明表现较差）。有PAE的儿童在与快速命名密切相关的主成分与左侧SLF的FA（PAE：p = 0.002）和左侧ILF的FA（PAE：p = 0.002）之间存在负相关；未暴露的对照者没有显著关联。
我们发现有PAE的儿童存在广泛的认知困难，但脑指标和与年龄的关联差异相对有限。与对照儿童相比，有PAE的儿童发现了不同的脑-认知关系。总体而言，结果提供了额外的证据，表明PAE可能导致认知困难并破坏典型的脑功能关系。
