Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Brain Surface Morphometry in Neonates

• In Event: Associations Between Prenatal Biological Environmental Factors and Brain Development in Infancy

Abstract

Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) has been linked to neurodevelopmental consequences for the offspring in childhood; however, it is unclear if differences in neonatal brain structural morphometry (cortical thickness and surface area) are evident at birth. Data derived from the Moms Helping Moms study, a prospective pre-birth cohort of two groups of mother-infant pairs, 22 with prenatal cannabis exposure and 26 with no cannabis exposure. Maternal cannabis use was based on self-report during the 3rd trimester and again at delivery. T1-weighted structural images were obtained on neonates at a mean postnatal age of 24.48 days (SD = 8.68 days, range = 13-58 days) using a Siemens Magnetom Prisma. The analysis focused on the prefrontal, occipitotemporal, and temporal regions. An infant-adapted version of the CIVET tool was used to estimate mean cortical thickness and surface area based on the Destrieux cortical parcellation. Group differences in global brain volume as measured by total intracranial and total brain volume were evaluated using an ANCOVA with infant age at the time of the scan, infant sex, total intracranial volume, and maternal tobacco use as covariates. No significant differences in cortical thickness were detected in the regions of interest. However, surface area was significantly lower among the infants with PCE in the left superior frontal gyrus (β = -1.14, p < 0.05), left lingual gyrus (β = -1.76, p < 0.001), right lingual gyrus (β = -1.28, p < 0.05), and left fusiform gyrus (β = -2.22, p < 0.01), compared to infants with no PCE exposure. Consistent results were detected for total intracranial volume (β = -41290, p <0.05) and total brain volume (β = -41426, p < 0.01). These findings suggest structural differences associated with PCE can be detected shortly after birth and may reflect cannabis-related alterations in fetal brain development.

Authors

• Alexander Dufford, Northwestern University
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Stickrath, Denver Health Medical Center
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christine Conageski, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jocelyn Phipers, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Peter Fried
  Non-Presenting Author

• Erika Iisa, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tessa Crume, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Non-Presenting Author

• Pilyoung Kim, University of Denver
  Non-Presenting Author