title: Altered reward processing in adolescents with prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Higher rates of substance use and dependence have been observed in the offspring of mothers who smoked during pregnancy. Animal studies indicate that prenatal exposure to nicotine alters the development of brain areas related to reward processing, which might be a risk factor for substance use and addiction later in life. However, no study has examined the effect of maternal smoking on the offspring's brain response during reward processing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether adolescents with prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking differ from their nonexposed peers in the response of the ventral striatum to the anticipation or the receipt of a reward.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the IMAGEN Study, a European multicenter study of impulsivity, reinforcement sensitivity, and emotional reactivity in adolescents. The IMAGEN sample consists of 2078 healthy adolescents (age range, 13-15 years) recruited from March 1, 2008, through December 31, 2011, in local schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed an IMAGEN subsample of 177 adolescents with prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking and 177 nonexposed peers (age range, 13-15 years) matched by sex, maternal educational level, and imaging site.
  
  
  METHODS
  Response to reward in the ventral striatum measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In prenatally exposed adolescents, we observed a weaker response in the ventral striatum during reward anticipation (left side, F = 14.98 [P < .001]; right side, F = 15.95 [P < .001]) compared with their nonexposed peers. No differences were found regarding the responsivity of the ventral striatum to the receipt of a reward (left side, F = 0.21 [P = .65]; right side, F = 0.47 [P = .49]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The weaker responsivity of the ventral striatum to reward anticipation in prenatally exposed adolescents may represent a risk factor for substance use and development of addiction later in life. This result highlights the need for education and preventive measures to reduce smoking during pregnancy. Future analyses should assess whether prenatally exposed adolescents develop an increased risk for substance use and addiction and which role the reported neuronal differences during reward anticipation plays in this development.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neuroscience Systems, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mennigen
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ripke
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Banaschewski
authors.forename: Gareth J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Büchel
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conrod
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fauth-Bühler
authors.forename: Herta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flor
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garavan
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Loth
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martinot
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pausova
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rietschel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ströhle
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Struve
authors.forename: Bernadeta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walaszek
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paus
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Smolka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012201:Reward; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology