title: Prenatal drug exposure to illicit drugs alters working memory-related brain activity and underlying network properties in adolescence.
abstract: The persistence of effects of prenatal drug exposure (PDE) on brain functioning during adolescence is poorly understood. We explored neural activation to a visuospatial working memory (VSWM) versus a control task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in adolescents with PDE and a community comparison group (CC) of non-exposed adolescents. We applied graph theory metrics to resting state data using a network of nodes derived from the VSWM task activation map to further explore connectivity underlying WM functioning. Participants (ages 12-15 years) included 47 adolescents (27 PDE and 20 CC). All analyses controlled for potentially confounding differences in birth characteristics and postnatal environment. Significant group by task differences in brain activation emerged in the left middle frontal gyrus (BA 6) with the CC group, but not the PDE group, activating this region during VSWM. The PDE group deactivated the culmen, whereas the CC group activated it during the VSWM task. The CC group demonstrated a significant relation between reaction time and culmen activation, not present in the PDE group. The network analysis underlying VSWM performance showed that PDE group had lower global efficiency than the CC group and a trend level reduction in local efficiency. The network node corresponding to the BA 6 group by task interaction showed reduced nodal efficiency and fewer direct connections to other nodes in the network. These results suggest that adolescence reveals altered neural functioning related to response planning that may reflect less efficient network functioning in youth with PDE.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, United States; MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, United States. Electronic address: Julie.schwetizer@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
authors: Julie B
authors: JB
authors: Schweitzer
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland College Park, United States.
authors: Tracy
authors: T
authors: Riggins
authors: Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, United States.
authors: Xia
authors: X
authors: Liang
authors: Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, United States.
authors: Courtney
authors: C
authors: Gallen
authors: Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, United States.
authors: Pradeep K
authors: PK
authors: Kurup
authors: Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, United States.
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Ross
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors: Maureen M
authors: MM
authors: Black
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States.
authors: Prasanna
authors: P
authors: Nair
authors: Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, United States.
authors: Betty Jo
authors: BJ
authors: Salmeron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin; D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Adolescence; Cocaine; Graph theory; Illicit drugs; Prenatal drug exposure; Working memory; fMRI