Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Frontal–Striatal BOLD Response During Inhibitory Control

  1. Susanna L. Fryer1,
  2. Susan F. Tapert2,3,
  3. Sarah N. Mattson4,
  4. Martin P. Paulus2,3,
  5. Andrea D. Spadoni1,
  6. Edward P. Riley4

Article first published online: 9 JUN 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00443.x

Issue

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

Volume 31, Issue 8, pages 1415–1424, August 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Fryer, S. L., Tapert, S. F., Mattson, S. N., Paulus, M. P., Spadoni, A. D. and Riley, E. P. (2007), Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Frontal–Striatal BOLD Response During Inhibitory Control. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31: 1415–1424. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00443.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, California

  2. 2

    Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California

  3. 3

    VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California

  4. 4

    Department of Psychology and the Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California

*Reprint requests: S. L. Fryer, MS, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92120; Fax: 619-594-1895; E-mail: sfryer@ucsd.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 JUN 2007
  2. Article first published online: 9 JUN 2007
  3. Received for publication October 3, 2006; accepted March 30, 2007.

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Keywords:

  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders;
  • Response Inhibition;
  • Functional Neuroimaging;
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to widespread cognitive impairment and behavioral dysregulation, including deficits in attention and response inhibition. This study characterized the neural substrates underlying the disinhibited behavioral profile of individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Methods: Children and adolescents (ages 8–18) with (n=13) and without (n=9) histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a response inhibition (go/no-go) task.

Results: Despite similar task performance (mean response latency, performance accuracy, and signal detection), blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response patterns differed by group. Region-of-interest analyses revealed that during portions of the behavioral task that required response inhibition, alcohol-exposed participants showed greater BOLD response across prefrontal cortical regions (including the left medial and right middle frontal gyri), while they showed less right caudate nucleus activation, compared with control participants.

Conclusions: These data provide an account of response inhibition-related brain functioning in youth with FASD. Furthermore, results suggest that the frontal–striatal circuitry thought to mediate inhibitory control is sensitive to alcohol teratogenesis.

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