AI Article Synopsis

  • Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a major cause of birth defects and cognitive issues, particularly affecting brain development and executive functions in children aged 3-8 years.
  • The study used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to analyze brain metabolites in children with PAE compared to unexposed children, revealing elevated levels of total choline (tCho) and glutamate + glutamine (Glx) in certain brain regions.
  • The findings suggest that altered brain metabolism in children with PAE is linked to their cognitive performance, with higher tCho associated with better executive function, while elevated Glx correlates with poorer inhibitory control specifically in the PAE group.

Article Abstract

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is the leading known cause of birth defects and cognitive disabilities, with impacts on brain development and executive functioning. Abnormalities in structural and functional brain features are well-documented in children with PAE, but the effects of PAE on brain metabolism in children have received less attention. Levels of brain metabolites can be measured non-invasively using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Here, we present the first study of PAE-related brain metabolite differences in early childhood (ages 3-8 years) and their associations with cognitive performance, including executive functioning (EF) and pre-reading skills. We measured metabolites in two cohorts of children with PAE and unexposed children using MRS in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; cohort 1) and left temporo-parietal cortex (LTP; cohort 2). Total choline (tCho), a marker of membrane/myelin metabolism, was elevated in both regions in children with PAE compared to unexposed children, and glutamate + glutamine (Glx), a marker of excitability, was elevated in the ACC. The PAE group exhibited more difficulties with EF, and higher tCho was associated with better EF in both PAE and unexposed groups. In addition, elevated Glx in the ACC was associated with poorer inhibitory control within the PAE group only. LTP metabolites were not significantly associated with pre-reading skills in PAE or unexposed groups. Together, these findings point to altered membrane metabolism and excitability in young children with PAE. These findings provide new insight to potential mechanisms by which PAE disrupts brain development and cognitive functioning in early childhood.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11582302PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11011-024-01432-6DOI Listing

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