Prenatal Drug Exposure: Effects on the Adolescent Brain and Behavior Development

NCT01020669 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 99991045510-DA-N455
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: \- Recent research has suggested that prenatal exposure to drugs may affect specific brain processes, including working memory, stress response, and decision making. However, most of the research on the effects of prenatal drug exposure in humans has been conducted early in life, and very little is known about effects of prenatal drug exposure during the crucial brain development period that takes place during puberty and adolescence. The biological and psychological changes associated with puberty may increase adolescents' sensitivity to prenatal substance exposure. Researchers are interested in using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to study brain function and learn more about the effects of prenatal drug exposure on adolescents. Objectives: \- To examine the effects of prenatal substance exposure on working memory, decision making, and normal brain activity in adolescents. Eligibility: \- Adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age who are enrolled in a larger follow-up study of children exposed to drugs in utero. Design:

• The study will involve a single outpatient session with two fMRI scans that will test working memory and decision-making processes.
• Participants will have brief medical history, a physical examination, and a urine test for drugs of abuse.
• Participants will then be trained on the working memory and decision-making tasks before having an initial MRI scan to provide a baseline reading.
• The fMRI scans will take 40 to 45 minutes each, and participants will have break in between as needed.

Conditions

Drug Abuse; Prenatal Drug Exposure

Keywords

fMRI; Prenatal Drug Exposure; Decision Making; Working Memory; Vulnerability

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must be enrolled in the current UMB longitudinal study protocol.
• All participants will be between 12 and 17 years old (inclusive).
• All participants must be able to provide informed assent and have a parent/guardian who can provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Report of a history of significant medical/neurological illness that might interfere with imaging data such as HIV positive status, cerebral vascular accident (CVA), central nervous system (CNS) tumor, head trauma, multiple sclerosis (MS) or other demyelinating diseases, epilepsy, or movement disorders.
• Metallic devices in the body that preclude MRI scanning, as determined by self and parent (guardian) report.
• Current use of psychotropic medication that may alter attentional functioning (e.g., Clonidine, antipsychotics, Effexor, stimulants).
• Currently using respiratory, cardiovascular, anticonvulsant or other medications that might interfere with the mechanisms producing the BOLD signal.
• Currently abusing street drugs as assessed by history and urine testing.
• Pregnancy, which will be assessed by history during screening and by urine testing on scan days.
• Claustrophobia by self and/or parent (guardian) report severe enough to preclude toleration of the scanning environment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Maryland at Baltimore/MPRC

Catonsville, Maryland, 21228, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Accornero VH, Morrow CE, Bandstra ES, Johnson AL, Anthony JC. Behavioral outcome of preschoolers exposed prenatally to cocaine: role of maternal behavioral health. J Pediatr Psychol. 2002 Apr-May;27(3):259-69. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/27.3.259.

  PMID: 11909933 BACKGROUND

• Bandstra ES, Morrow CE, Anthony JC, Accornero VH, Fried PA. Longitudinal investigation of task persistence and sustained attention in children with prenatal cocaine exposure. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2001 Nov-Dec;23(6):545-59. doi: 10.1016/s0892-0362(01)00181-7.

  PMID: 11792524 BACKGROUND

• Ashtari M, Kumra S, Bhaskar SL, Clarke T, Thaden E, Cervellione KL, Rhinewine J, Kane JM, Adesman A, Milanaik R, Maytal J, Diamond A, Szeszko P, Ardekani BA. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a preliminary diffusion tensor imaging study. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Mar 1;57(5):448-55. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.11.047.

  PMID: 15737658 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 24, 2009
• First Posted: November 25, 2009
• Study Start: October 16, 2009
• Study Completion: July 13, 2011
• Last Updated: July 2, 2017

Record last verified: 2011-07-13

Locations

US (1)