Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity

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dc.contributor.advisorThomas, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorRoos, Annerineen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorIpser, Jonathanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKwiatkowski, Maja Annaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-12T04:06:12Z
dc.date.available2015-08-12T04:06:12Z
dc.date.issued2015en_ZA
dc.description.abstractMethamphetamine use among pregnant women is an increasing problem in South Africa. The aim of this cross-sectional exploratory study was to examine the possible neurotoxic effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) on cognition and the developing brain in a sample of affected children in Cape Town, South Africa. Thus, this is a two-part study: the first part examines the effects of PME on neuropsychological outcomes, and the second part examines the effects of PME on intrinsic functional brain connectivity. Children with PME (n = 23) and unexposed controls (n = 22) completed a battery of neurocognitive assessments, and a smaller sub-sample (n = 36; 19 children with PME, 17 unexposed controls) also underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). Independent samples t-tests revealed that children with PME scored significantly more poorly on measures of IQ, learning and memory, confrontation naming, visual-motor integration, and fine motor co-ordination, when compared to controls. Hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that PME has a significant effect on cognitive performance, and that this effect largely withstands the effects of potentially confounding sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. Independent component analyses revealed significant betweengroup differences in functional brain networks detected in task-free RS-fMRI in children with PME. Specifically, there is evidence for compromised connectivity within and between the basal ganglia network and default mode network in children with PME. Overall, the findings contribute to the small but growing literature on the cognitive effects of PME. The current study is the first to document preliminary evidence indicating aberrant intrinsic functional brain connectivity in children with PME, and suggests that further investigation of potential associations between particular neurocognitive deficits and such aberrant connectivity might be warranted.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationKwiatkowski, M. A. (2015). <i>Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationKwiatkowski, Maja Anna. <i>"Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKwiatkowski, M. 2015. Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Kwiatkowski, Maja Anna AB - Methamphetamine use among pregnant women is an increasing problem in South Africa. The aim of this cross-sectional exploratory study was to examine the possible neurotoxic effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure (PME) on cognition and the developing brain in a sample of affected children in Cape Town, South Africa. Thus, this is a two-part study: the first part examines the effects of PME on neuropsychological outcomes, and the second part examines the effects of PME on intrinsic functional brain connectivity. Children with PME (n = 23) and unexposed controls (n = 22) completed a battery of neurocognitive assessments, and a smaller sub-sample (n = 36; 19 children with PME, 17 unexposed controls) also underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). Independent samples t-tests revealed that children with PME scored significantly more poorly on measures of IQ, learning and memory, confrontation naming, visual-motor integration, and fine motor co-ordination, when compared to controls. Hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that PME has a significant effect on cognitive performance, and that this effect largely withstands the effects of potentially confounding sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. Independent component analyses revealed significant betweengroup differences in functional brain networks detected in task-free RS-fMRI in children with PME. Specifically, there is evidence for compromised connectivity within and between the basal ganglia network and default mode network in children with PME. Overall, the findings contribute to the small but growing literature on the cognitive effects of PME. The current study is the first to document preliminary evidence indicating aberrant intrinsic functional brain connectivity in children with PME, and suggests that further investigation of potential associations between particular neurocognitive deficits and such aberrant connectivity might be warranted. DA - 2015 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity TI - Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationKwiatkowski MA. Effects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivity. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2015 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13717en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Neuropsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleEffects of methamphetamine on prenatally exposed children in Cape Town: cognition and intrinsic functional brain connectivityen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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