RT Journal
A1 Liu J, Lester BM, Neyzi N, et al
T1 REgional brain morphometry and impulsivity in adolescents following prenatal exposure to cocaine and tobacco
JF JAMA Pediatrics
JO JAMA Pediatrics
YR 2013
FD April 1
VO 167
IS 4
SP 348
OP 354
DO 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.550
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.550
AB Importance 
                  Animal studies have suggested that prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) deleteriously influences the developing nervous system, in part attributable to its site of action in blocking the function of monoamine reuptake transporters, increasing synaptic levels of serotonin and dopamine.Objective 
                  To examine the brain morphologic features and associated impulsive behaviors in adolescents following prenatal exposure to cocaine and/or tobacco.Design 
                  Magnetic resonance imaging data and behavioral measures were collected from adolescents followed up longitudinally in the Maternal Lifestyle Study.Setting 
                  A hospital-based research center.Participants 
                  A total of 40 adolescent participants aged 13 to 15 years were recruited, 20 without PCE and 20 with PCE; a subset of each group additionally had tobacco exposure. Participants were selected and matched based on head circumference at birth, gestational age, maternal alcohol use, age, sex, race/ethnicity, IQ, family poverty, and socioeconomic status.Main Outcome Measures 
                  Subcortical volumetric measures of the thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens; cortical thickness measures of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and ventral medial prefrontal cortex; and impulsivity assessed by Conners' Continuous Performance Test and the Sensation Seeking Scale for Children.Results 
                  After controlling for covariates, cortical thickness of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was significantly thinner in adolescents following PCE (P = .03), whereas the pallidum volume was smaller in adolescents following prenatal tobacco exposure (P = .03). Impulsivity was correlated with thalamic volume following either PCE (P = .05) or prenatal tobacco exposure (P = .04).Conclusions and Relevance 
                  Prenatal cocaine or tobacco exposure can differentially affect structural brain maturation during adolescence and underlie enhanced susceptibility to impulsivity. Additional studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.