Imaging the Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on the Structure of the Developing Human Brain
Open accessAbstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure has numerous effects on the developing brain, including damage to selective brain structure. We review structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of brain abnormalities in subjects prenatally exposed to alcohol. The most common findings include reduced brain volume and malformations of the corpus callosum. Advanced methods have been able to detect shape, thickness and displacement changes throughout multiple brain regions. The teratogenic effects of alcohol appear to be widespread, affecting almost the entire brain. The only region that appears to be relatively spared is the occipital lobe. More recent studies have linked cognition to the underlying brain structure in alcohol-exposed subjects, and several report patterns in the severity of brain damage as it relates to facial dysmorphology or to extent of alcohol exposure. Future studies exploring relationships between brain structure, cognitive measures, dysmorphology, age, and other variables will be valuable for further comprehending the vast effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and for evaluating possible interventions.
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MRI studies have shown that prenatal alcohol exposure can impact on many areas of the brain involved in speech and language development, including the corpus collosum.
“magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that prenatal alcohol exposure can impact on many areas of the brain involved in speech and language development, including the corpus collosum [22].”
From The effect of moderate gestational alcohol consumption during pregnancy on speech and language outcomes in children: a systematic review (2014) · cites this paper as [22]
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References 98 · Cited by 290
- Authors
- Lebel, C., Roussotte, F., & Sowell, E. R.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lebel, Catherine
- Venue
- Neuropsychology Review
- Published
- 2011-03-03
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 102-118
- ISSN
- 1040-7308 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6660
- PMC
- PMC3098972
- OpenAlex
- W1976053890
- Cited by
- 290
- References
- 98
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 2.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Neuropsychology Review (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U01AA017122)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- prenatal alcohol exposure, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, brain structure, brain atrophy, corpus callosum malformation, teratogenic effects of alcohol, facial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment
- MeSH terms
- Alcohols, Behavioral Symptoms, Brain, Brain Mapping, Developmental Disabilities, Facial Asymmetry, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
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