Sex-Specific Alterations of White Matter Developmental Trajectories in Infants With Prenatal Exposure to Methamphetamine and Tobacco.

ABSTRACT: Importance:Methamphetamine is a common illicit drug used worldwide. Methamphetamine and/or tobacco use by pregnant women remains prevalent. However, little is known about the effect of comorbid methamphetamine and tobacco use on human fetal brain development. Objective:To investigate whether microstructural brain abnormalities reported in children with prenatal methamphetamine and/or tobacco exposure are present at birth before childhood environmental influences. Design, Setting, and Participants:A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted between September 17, 2008, and February 28, 2015, at an ambulatory academic medical center. A total of 752 infant-mother dyads were screened and 139 of 195 qualified neonates were evaluated (36 methamphetamine/tobacco exposed, 32 tobacco exposed, and 71 unexposed controls). They were recruited consecutively from the community. Exposures:Prenatal methamphetamine and/or tobacco exposure. Main Outcomes and Measures:Quantitative neurologic examination and diffusion tensor imaging performed 1 to 3 times through age 4 months; diffusivities and fractional anisotropy (FA) assessed in 7 white matter tracts and 4 subcortical brain regions using an automated atlas-based method. Results:Of the 139 infants evaluated, 72 were female (51.8%); the mean (SE) postmenstrual age at baseline was 41.5 (0.27) weeks. Methamphetamine/tobacco-exposed infants showed delayed developmental trajectories on active muscle tone (group?×?age, P?

SUBMITTER: Chang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6467201 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature