ABSTRACT
Oxygenated (HBO) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HBR) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to determine if PFC activity during a cognitive inhibition task distinguishes children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE, n = 26) from both typically developing controls (n = 19) and a contrast group of children with other neurobehavioral problems (n = 14). Despite showing evidence of increased PFC activity in the non-inhibitory condition relative to controls, children in the PAE group displayed reduced PFC HBO and increased HBR relative to both other groups in the inhibitory condition, suggesting reduced PFC activity but increased oxygen consumption without sufficient oxygen replacement.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the children and their families who participated in this research, Sharon Paige-Whitaker for coordinating families, and the Pediatric Biostatistics Core in the Emory Department of Pediatrics for consultation on analyses.
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Ethics approval was obtained from the Internal Review Board of Emory University School of Medicine (Study No.: IRB00061788). All participants underwent an informed consent process and minors were required to provide oral or written assent for the assessments carried in the study. Participant recruitment and the study’s procedures were carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Declaration of Helsinki.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Availability of data and material
The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Competing interests
The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Authors’ contributions
JK and CC conceived of and designed the study. TEM and JH processed data for analyses. CEB and JK analyzed the results. CEB drafted the paper and all authors edited the manuscript.
List of Abbreviations
PAE | = | Prenatal alcohol exposure |
FASDs | = | Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders |
FAS | = | Fetal Alcohol Syndrome |
fNIRS | = | Functional near infrared spectroscopy |
HBO | = | Oxygenated hemoglobin |
HBR | = | Deoxygenated hemoglobin |
TEC | = | Task of Executive Control |