title: Interhemispheric Functional Brain Connectivity in Neonates with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Preliminary Findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children exposed to alcohol in utero demonstrate reduced white matter microstructural integrity. While early evidence suggests altered functional brain connectivity in the lateralization of motor networks in school-age children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), the specific effects of alcohol exposure on the establishment of intrinsic connectivity in early infancy have not been explored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty subjects received functional imaging at 2 to 4 weeks of age for 6 to 8 minutes during quiet natural sleep. Thirteen alcohol-exposed (PAE) and 14 age-matched control (CTRL) participants with usable data were included in a multivariate model of connectivity between sensorimotor intrinsic functional connectivity networks. Seed-based analyses of group differences in interhemispheric connectivity of intrinsic motor networks were also conducted. The Dubowitz neurological assessment was performed at the imaging visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol exposure was associated with significant increases in connectivity between somatosensory, motor networks, brainstem/thalamic, and striatal intrinsic networks. Reductions in interhemispheric connectivity of motor and somatosensory networks did not reach significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although results are preliminary, findings suggest PAE may disrupt the temporal coherence in blood oxygenation utilization in intrinsic networks underlying motor performance in newborn infants. Studies that employ longitudinal designs to investigate the effects of in utero alcohol exposure on the evolving resting-state networks will be key in establishing the distribution and timing of connectivity disturbances already described in older children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Paediatrics (KAD), Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kirsten A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Donald
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (JCI, FMH, J-PF, NK, DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ipser
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (JCI, FMH, J-PF, NK, DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Fleur M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders (AR), Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Annerine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (JCI, FMH, J-PF, NK, DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.|Department of Psychiatry (J-PF), Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fouche
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology (EPR), San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (JCI, FMH, J-PF, NK, DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nastassja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (RPW, KLN), University of California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Roger P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Engineering (BB), New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biswal
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health & MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health (HJZ), Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (RPW, KLN), University of California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Narr
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (JCI, FMH, J-PF, NK, DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.|MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders (DJS), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000503:physiopathology; D009434:Neural Pathways; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Alcohol Exposure; Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; Functional MRI; Intrinsic Brain Activity; Newborn; Resting-State MRI