Brain Diffusion Abnormalities in Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Lebel, Catherine; Rasmussen, Carmen; Wyper, Katy; Walker, Lindsay; Andrew, Gail; Yager, Jerome Y.; Beaulieu, Christian

doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00750.x

Cited by 185 publications

(326 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Tractography. A previously described semiautomated tractography method (Lebel et al, 2008b) was used to delineate 10 major white matter tracts in each individual, according to a priori information on tract location (Wakana et al, 2004). The tracts delineated were as follows: genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum, corticospinal tracts, superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, superior and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, uncinate fasciculus, and cingulum.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Development of Human Brain Wiring Continues from Childhood into Adulthood

Lebel¹,

Beaulieu²

2011

Journal of Neuroscience

1,066

102

955

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Healthy human brain development is a complex process that continues during childhood and adolescence, as demonstrated by many cross-sectional and several longitudinal studies. However, whether these changes end in adolescence is not clear. We examined longitudinal white matter maturation using diffusion tensor tractography in 103 healthy subjects aged 5-32 years; each volunteer was scanned at least twice, with 221 total scans. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), parameters indicative of factors including myelination and axon density, were assessed in 10 major white matter tracts. All tracts showed significant nonlinear development trajectories for FA and MD. Significant within-subject changes occurred in the vast majority of children and early adolescents, and these changes were mostly complete by late adolescence for projection and commissural tracts. However, association tracts demonstrated postadolescent within-subject maturation of both FA and MD. Diffusion parameter changes were due primarily to decreasing perpendicular diffusivity, although increasing parallel diffusivity contributed to the prolonged increases of FA in association tracts. Volume increased significantly with age for most tracts, and longitudinal measures also demonstrated postadolescent volume increases in several association tracts. As volume increases were not directly associated with either elevated FA or reduced MD between scans, the observed diffusion parameter changes likely reflect microstructural maturation of brain white matter tracts rather than just gross anatomy.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Development of Human Brain Wiring Continues from Childhood into Adulthood

Lebel¹,

Beaulieu²

2011

Journal of Neuroscience

1,066

102

955

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are linked to reduced white matter structural integrity in the cerebellum [83] and abnormalities in axial diffusivity [84] as early as infancy. In addition, subtle changes in FA have been associated with deficits in cognitive function including processing speed, math ability, executive function, and eye-blink conditioning [50,81,[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] A recent study was also able to demonstrate that structural white matter changes are linked to disturbances in functional connectivity while at rest [83].…”

Section: Integrity Of White Matter Tractsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Review of Current Neuroimaging Studies of the Effects of Prenatal Drug Exposure: Brain Structure and Function

Willford¹,

Smith²,

Kuhn³

et al. 2016

Recent Advances in Drug Addiction Research and Clinical Applications

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Neuroimaging tools have provided novel methods for understanding the impact of prenatal drug exposure on brain structure and function and its relation to development and behavior. Information gained from neuroimaging studies allows for the investigation of how prenatal drug exposure alters the typical developmental trajectory. The current prevalence and characteristics of prenatal drug exposure and its implications for vulnerable periods of brain development are reviewed. Structural and functional neuroimaging methods are introduced with examples of how study results from prenatal alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and tobacco exposure further our understanding of the neurodevelopment impact of prenatal drug exposure. Prenatal drug neuroimaging studies have advanced our understanding of mechanisms and functional deficits associated with prenatal drug exposure. Studies have identified brain circuits associated with the default mode network, inhibitory control, and working memory that show differences in function as a result of prenatal drug exposure. The information gained from studies of prenatal drug exposure on brain structure and function can be used to make connections between animal models and human studies of prenatal drug exposure, identify biomarkers of documented effects of prenatal drug exposure on behavior, and inform prevention and intervention programs for young children.

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“…Children with FAS frequently suffer from neurological symptoms that demand clarification via MRI, e. g. epilepsy. A global low brain volume and structural abnormalities of the corpus callosum were detected in FAS children compared to non-exposed control groups [53,57]. However, reduced or retarded myelination, gyration disorders, reduced hippocampal and cerebellar volumes and reduced connectivity were also frequently observed [33, 58 -61].…”

Section: Alcohol In the Developing Brain: Fetal Alcohol Syndromementioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are often not aware that alcohol causes particularly significant and long-term damage of the brain in the fetal development phase [53,54]. Therefore, a number of up to 100 000 children and adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome is assumed to live in Germany [55].…”

Section: Alcohol In the Developing Brain: Fetal Alcohol Syndromementioning

confidence: 99%

The Whole Spectrum of Alcohol-Related Changes in the CNS: Practical MR and CT Imaging Guidelines for Daily Clinical Use

Keil

Greschus

Schneider

et al. 2015

Fortschr Röntgenstr

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Alcohol addiction is the most common drug addiction. Alcohol passes both the placenta as well as the blood-brain barrier and is in multiple ways neurotoxic. Liver diseases and other systemic alcohol-related diseases cause secondary damage to the CNS.?Especially in adolescents, even a single episode of severe alcohol intoxication (?binge drinking?) may result in life-threatening neurological consequences. Alcohol-related brain and spinal cord diseases derive from multiple causes including impairment of the cellular metabolism, often aggravated by hypovitaminosis, altered neurotransmission, myelination and synaptogenesis as well as alterations in gene expression. Modern radiological diagnostics, MRI in particular, can detect the resulting alterations in the CNS with a high sensitivity. Morphological aspects often strongly correlate with clinical symptoms of the patient. It is less commonly known that many diseases considered as ?typically alcohol-related?, such as Wernicke?s encephalopathy, are to a large extent not alcohol-induced. Visible CNS alterations are thus non-pathognomonic and demand careful evaluation of differential diagnoses. This review article elucidates the pathogenesis, clinical aspects and radiological image features of the most common alcohol-related CNS diseases and their differential diagnoses. Key Points: ??Alcohol-associated changes in the CNS are common and radiologically assessable. ??They are often subtle and allow multiple differential diagnoses besides alcohol consumption. ??Knowledge of clinical exams and lab results is crucial for diagnostic accuracy. Citation Format: ??Keil VC, Greschus S, Schneider C et?al. The Whole Spectrum of Alcohol-Related Changes in the CNS: Practical MR and CT Imaging Guidelines for Daily Clinical Use. Fortschr R?ntgenstr 2015; 187: 1073???1083

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Brain Diffusion Abnormalities in Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Abstract: These results demonstrate diffusion abnormalities in FASD beyond the corpus callosum and suggest that several specific white matter regions, particularly commissural and temporal connections, and deep gray matter areas of the brain are sensitive to prenatal alcohol exposure.

Cited by 185 publications

References 58 publications

Longitudinal Development of Human Brain Wiring Continues from Childhood into Adulthood

Longitudinal Development of Human Brain Wiring Continues from Childhood into Adulthood

Review of Current Neuroimaging Studies of the Effects of Prenatal Drug Exposure: Brain Structure and Function

The Whole Spectrum of Alcohol-Related Changes in the CNS: Practical MR and CT Imaging Guidelines for Daily Clinical Use

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