Teratogenic effects of maternal drug abuse on developing brain and underlying neurotransmitter mechanisms

A coordinate-based meta-analysis of human amygdala connectivity alterations related to early life adversities

“…Concerning prenatal ELAs, while their exclusion yielded no significant result in the pooled analysis, further direction-, task-, and sample-specific sub-analyses do reveal the same convergence clusters in the ACC and the hippocampus (Table 1 ), supporting the robustness of the presented results. We also acknowledge that the effects—including the potential teratogenic effects 69 —of prenatal substance exposure, such as marijuana or cocaine, on the developing brain may differ from those of other ELAs, like maltreatment or poverty. However, as both types of ELAs are linked to changes in similar brain areas 4 , 70 , 71 , as well as to altered amygdala connectivity 72 , this seems to suggests some level of equifinality.…”

In utero and post-natal opioid exposure followed by mild traumatic brain injury contributes to cortical neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and behavioral deficits in juvenile rats

“…The ongoing opioid epidemic has seen record numbers of children born suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) caused by in utero opioid exposure ( Kuehn, 2018 ). The ability for opioids to pass both the placental barrier and blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes them particularly impactful neurological teratogens ( Yazdy et al, 2015 ; Larson et al, 2019 ; Little et al, 2021 ). First line therapeutic interventions for NOWS relies on a methadone weaning protocol to avoid withdrawal related complications, further extending the duration children are exposed to opioids ( Hall et al, 2015 ).…”

“…First line therapeutic interventions for NOWS relies on a methadone weaning protocol to avoid withdrawal related complications, further extending the duration children are exposed to opioids ( Hall et al, 2015 ). In utero opioid exposure causes many neuropathophysiological outcomes including cortical thinning, increased basal neuroinflammation, attenuated myelination, motor deficits, behavioral issues, and cognitive impairment ( Larson et al, 2019 ; Little et al, 2021 ; Yeoh et al, 2019 ; Hartwell et al, 2020 ; Vasan et al, 2021 ). Significant advances have been made in establishing the negative molecular and physiological sequelae associated with in utero opioid exposure, however, to date there has been few reports understanding how these changes would impact later life development.…”

Prenatal alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol exposure: Effects on spatial and working memory

“…Prenatal exposure to either alcohol or cannabis can influence a range of behavioral domains ( Fontaine et al, 2016 ; Mattson et al, 2019 ; Little et al, 2021 ; De Genna et al, 2022 ). For example, cognitive dysfunction associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can contribute to life-long challenges in school and independent living ( McLachlan et al, 2020 ), negatively affecting an individual’s quality of life ( Mattson et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Prenatal exposure to either substance separately can disrupt development of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex by interfering with the endocannabinoid system ( Basavarajappa, 2015 ; Smith et al, 2016 ; Beggiato et al, 2020 ; Manduca et al, 2020 ). THC exposure may weaken the developing nervous system, possibly acting as a “first hit” to the ECS, making the nervous system more vulnerable to other drug insults, as suggested by the “double hit hypothesis” ( Richardson et al, 2016 ; Little et al, 2021 ). In fact, preclinical studies have found interactive effects of prenatal alcohol and cannabis on physical birth defects (specifically malformations of the eyes, face, and brain), even at low doses of both drugs ( Fish et al, 2019 ).…”