Subcortical and cortical structural central nervous system changes and attention processing deficits in preschool-aged children with prenatal methamphetamine and tobacco exposure.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the independent contributions of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) and prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) on brain morphology among a sample of nonalcohol-exposed 3- to 5-year-old children followed prospectively since birth.


METHODS
The sample included 20 children with PME (19 with PTE) and 15 comparison children (7 with PTE), matched on race, birth weight, maternal education and type of insurance. Subcortical and cortical volumes and cortical thickness measures were derived through an automated segmentation procedure from T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images obtained on unsedated children. Attention was assessed using the computerized Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test Version 5 (K-CPT™ V.5). PME effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and cortical thickness were tested by general linear model with type III sum of squares, adjusting for PTE, prenatal marijuana exposure, age at time of scan, gender, handedness, pulse sequence and total intracranial volume (for volumetric outcomes). A similar analysis was done for PTE effects on subcortical and cortical brain volumes and thickness, adjusting for PME and the above covariates.


RESULTS
Children with PME had significantly reduced caudate nucleus volumes and cortical thickness increases in perisylvian and orbital-frontal cortices. In contrast, children with PTE showed cortical thinning in perisylvian and lateral occipital cortices and volumetric increases in frontal regions and decreases in anterior cingulate. PME was positively related and caudate volume was inversely related to K-CPT reaction time by inter-stimulus interval, a measure of the ability to adjust to changing task demands, suggesting that children with PME may have subtle attentional deficits mediated by caudate volume reductions.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that PME and PTE may have distinct differential cortical effects on the developing central nervous system. Additionally, PME may be associated with subtle deficits in attention mediated by caudate volume reductions.
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. derauf.donald@mayo.edu
Chris
C
Derauf
Barry M
BM
Lester
Nurunisa
N
Neyzi
Minal
M
Kekatpure
Luis
L
Gracia
James
J
Davis
Kalpana
K
Kallianpur
Jimmy T
JT
Efird
Barry
B
Kosofsky
D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000503:physiopathology; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology
D008694:Methamphetamine