Mapping White Matter Integrity and Neurobehavioral Correlates in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5067-07.2008
• Publication Date: 2008-02-06T17:27:56Z
• Authors: Elizabeth R. Sowell; Arianne Johnson; Eric Kan; Lisa H. Lu; John Darrell Van ...; Arthur W. Toga; Mary J. O'Connor; Susan Y. Bookheimer
• Keywords: Splenium; Neurocognitive; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Brain structural abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction have been observed in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Little is known about how white matter integrity related to these functional morphological deficits. We used a combination of diffusion tensor T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging evaluate FASDs findings Seventeen children adolescents were compared 19 typically developing age-and gender-matched controls. Lower fractional anisotropy (FA) was relative controls the right lateral temporal lobe bilaterally aspects splenium corpus callosum. White density also lower some, but not all regions which FA lower. confirmed be areas post hoc region interest analyses, further supporting that less myelin or disorganized fiber tracts are associated heavy prenatal exposure. Significant correlations between performance on test visuomotor integration bilateral splenium, within FASD group. Correlations task significant control group, for measures reading ability. This suggests this particularly susceptible damage from exposure disruption splenial fibers group poorer integration.