Cited by 185Prenatal Substance Exposure EffectsFetal and Pediatric Neurological DisordersSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Neuroimaging effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing human brain: a magnetic resonance imaging review

Donald, Kirsten Ann, Eastman, Emma, Howells, Fleur Margaret, Adnams, Colleen, Riley, Edward Patrick, Woods, Roger Paul, Narr, Katherine Louise, Stein, Dan Joseph·2015·Acta Neuropsychiatrica

Abstract

Objective: This paper reviews the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) literature on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing human brain. Method: A literature search was conducted through the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Combinations of the following search terms and keywords were used to identify relevant studies: ‘alcohol’, ‘fetal alcohol spectrum disorders’, ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’, ‘FAS’, ‘FASD’, ‘MRI’, ‘DTI’, ‘MRS’, ‘neuroimaging’, ‘children’ and ‘infants’. Results: A total of 64 relevant articles were identified across all modalities. Overall, studies reported smaller total brain volume as well as smaller volume of both the white and grey matter in specific cortical regions. The most consistently reported structural MRI findings were alterations in the shape and volume of the corpus callosum, as well as smaller volume in the basal ganglia and hippocampi. The most consistent finding from diffusion tensor imaging studies was lower fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies are few to date, but showed altered neurometabolic profiles in the frontal and parietal cortex, thalamus and dentate nuclei. Resting-state functional MRI studies reported reduced functional connectivity between cortical and deep grey matter structures. Discussion: There is a critical gap in the literature of MRI studies in alcohol-exposed children under 5 years of age across all MRI modalities. The dynamic nature of brain maturation and appreciation of the effects of alcohol exposure on the developing trajectory of the structural and functional network argue for the prioritisation of studies that include a longitudinal approach to understanding this spectrum of effects and potential therapeutic time points.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1017/neu.2015.12

Cites

110 of 110 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Donald, K. A., Eastman, E., Howells, F. M., Adnams, C., Riley, E. P., Woods, R. P., Narr, K. L., & Stein, D. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Cape Town (ZA)
  • San Diego State University (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
Corresponding author
Donald, Kirsten Ann
Venue
Acta Neuropsychiatrica
Published
2015-03-17
Volume
27
Issue
5
Pages
251-269
ISSN
  • 0924-2708 (ISSN-L)
  • 1601-5215
OpenAlex
W2108986540
Cited by
185
References
110
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 5
FWCI
2.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Acta Neuropsychiatrica (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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, fetal alcohol syndrome, brain development, corpus callosum, basal ganglia, hippocampus, fractional anisotropy, brain volume, functional connectivity, neurometabolism, children, infants, therapeutic time window
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Alcohol Drinking, Brain, Child, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Infant, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Substance-Related Disorders, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Neuroimaging, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review