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. 2017 May 1:174:23-29.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.011. Epub 2017 Feb 28.

White-matter crossing-fiber microstructure in adolescents prenatally exposed to cocaine

Kristen P Morie  1 , Sarah W Yip  2 , Zu Wei Zhai  3 , Jiansong Xu  3 , Kristen R Hamilton  4 , Rajita Sinha  5 , Linda C Mayes  6 , Marc N Potenza  7
Affiliations

White-matter crossing-fiber microstructure in adolescents prenatally exposed to cocaine

Kristen P Morie et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with risk-taking behaviors, including increased initiation of substance use in adolescence. The neurobiological underpinnings of these behaviors in adolescents with PCE are not well understood. The goal of this study was to compare diffusion-weighted imaging data between adolescents with and without PCE using crossing-fiber models, which may provide more comprehensive estimates of white-matter microstructure within regions of multiple (e.g., primary and secondary) fiber orientations.

Methods: Thirty-nine PCE individuals and 17 comparably aged prenatally non-drug-exposed (NDE) youths were recruited from a longitudinal cohort followed since birth. White matter was examined using tensor-derived and crossing-fiber models. Whole-brain investigations were performed, as were analyses on seven white-matter regions, which included the splenium, body and genu of the corpus callosum, bilateral cingulum, and the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF).

Results: Whole-brain analyses revealed no group differences. However, ROI analyses for anisotropy estimates derived from the crossing-fiber model revealed significant group differences for secondary fibers, with reduced anisotropy among PCE adolescents compared to prenatally non-exposed youth in the right cingulum and the left SLF, and increased anisotropy in the genu.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that white-matter differences in PCE adolescents are subtle and localized primarily within secondary fiber orientations, perhaps arising from altered white-matter development.

Keywords: Cocaine; DTI; Pre-natal exposure; Substance abuse; White matter.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest and Disclosures

The authors report no conflict of interest with respect to the content of this manuscript.

Dr. Potenza has consulted for and advised Lundbeck, Ironwood, Shire, INSYS Rivermend Health, Opiant/Lakelight Therapeutics and Jazz Pharmaceuticals; received research support from the National Institutes of Health, Veteran’s Administration, Mohegan Sun Casino, the National Center for Responsible Gaming and its affiliated Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders, and Pfizer; participated in surveys, mailings, or telephone consultations related to drug addiction, impulse control disorders or other health topics; consulted for law offices and the federal public defender’s office in issues related to impulse control disorders; provides clinical care in the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Problem Gambling Services Program; performed grant reviews for the National Institutes of Health and other agencies; has guest-edited journal sections; given academic lectures in grand rounds, CME events and other clinical/scientific venues; and generated books or chapters for publishers of mental health texts. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the anisotropy of F1 (primary) and F2 (secondary) fiber orientations between prenatally cocaine exposed (PCE) and non-cocaine-exposed (NCE) adolescents in each of the seven regions of interest. Significant differences in anisotropy were found in the right cingulum, the genu, and the left SLF in F2 fiber orientations, as indicated with asterisks.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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