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Original Article
A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Spatial Working Memory in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Contribution of Familial History of Alcohol Use Disorders
Article first published online: 16 OCT 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01880.x
Copyright © 2012 by the Research Society on Alcoholism
Additional Information
How to Cite
Norman, A. L., O'Brien, J. W., Spadoni, A. D., Tapert, S. F., Jones, K. L., Riley, E. P. and Mattson, S. N. (2013), A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Spatial Working Memory in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Contribution of Familial History of Alcohol Use Disorders. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 37: 132–140. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01880.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 JAN 2013
- Article first published online: 16 OCT 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 30 APR 2012
- Manuscript Received: 2 FEB 2012
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders;
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome;
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
- Spatial Working Memory;
- Family History of Alcoholism
Background
Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure leads to widespread cognitive deficits, including problems with spatial working memory (SWM). Neuroimaging studies report structural and functional abnormalities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), but interpretations may be complicated by the co-occurrence of a family history of alcoholism. Since this history is also linked to cognitive deficits and brain abnormalities, it is difficult to determine the extent to which deficits are unique to prenatal alcohol exposure.
Methods
Age-matched subjects selected from 2 neuroimaging studies underwent functional imaging while engaging in a task assessing memory for spatial locations relative to a vigilance condition assessing attention. Pairwise comparisons were made for the following 3 groups: children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (ALC, n = 18); those with no prenatal alcohol exposure, but a confirmed family history of alcoholism (FHP, n = 18); and nonexposed, family history negative controls (CON, n = 17).
Results
Relative to CON and FHP, the ALC group showed increased blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in the left middle and superior frontal gyri for the SWM condition relative to the vigilance condition (SWM contrast). Additionally, the ALC group showed unique BOLD response increases in the left lingual gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus relative to CON, and left cuneus and precuneus relative to FHP. Both ALC and FHP showed greater activation compared to CON in the lentiform nucleus and insular region.
Conclusions
These results confirm previous studies suggesting SWM deficits in FASD. Differences between the ALC group and the CON and FHP groups suggest the left middle and superior frontal region may be specifically affected in alcohol-exposed children. Conversely, differences from the CON group in the lentiform nucleus and insular region for the ALC and FHP groups may indicate this region is associated with family history of alcoholism rather than specifically with prenatal alcohol exposure.