Prenatal cannabis: A fetal neuroimaging study of neurodevelopment

项目摘要 目前的估计表明，在北美，超过7%的妇女在怀孕期间使用大麻， 随着合法化越来越普遍，使用也越来越多。尽管产前大麻的流行率很高， 暴露，其对早期大脑和行为发育的影响仍然很难描述， 这种暴露是良性的或甚至可能有益的印象（例如，治疗妊娠期恶心）。 以前关于产前大麻影响的神经发育研究一直存在重要的局限性， 在生命的前两年（神经发育的关键时期），很少（如果有的话）进行大脑/行为评估， 对产后环境的描述，以及对产前和产后母亲情绪的有限评估 和焦虑，从而混淆产前大麻影响的解释。在我们的研究中，我们将招募妊娠 在妊娠前三个月和随后三个月期间有（n=300）和无大麻使用史（n=150）的女性 他们的后代在生命的头两年，重点是执行功能的神经发育。第一、 我们将通过自我报告措施和生物标本来描述产前大麻使用情况。 第二，我们将获得第三个三个月的胎儿MRI扫描，以表征后代的大脑结构和功能， 产后混乱第三，我们将评估前两种情况下后代的认知和行为发展。 年的生活与父母的报告和实验室为基础的行为评估。我们的设计考虑到了 包括父母-婴儿互动，产前和产后母亲情绪和焦虑症状，共享 遗传易感性和妊娠期间合并用药。鉴于大麻的安全性尚不明确， 在怀孕期间使用，这项研究的结果将通过告知 预防信息和战略，特别是在大麻使用日益增加的时代。

PROJECT SUMMARY Current estimates suggest that in North America over 7% of women use cannabis during pregnancy and this use is increasing as legalization becomes more common. Despite the high prevalence of prenatal cannabis exposure, its effects on early brain and behavioral development remain poorly characterized, leaving some with the impression that this exposure is benign or potentially even beneficial (e.g., to treat nausea during pregnancy). Prior neurodevelopmental research on prenatal cannabis effects have had been important limitations including few if any brain/behavioral assessments during first two years of life (a period critical to neurodevelopment), poor characterization of the post-natal environment, and limited assessments of pre- and post-natal maternal mood and anxiety, thus confounding interpretation of prenatal cannabis effects. In our study, we will enroll pregnant women with (n=300) and without a history (n=150) of cannabis use during the first trimester gestation and follow their offspring for the first two years of life with a focus on the neurodevelopment of executive functions. First, we will characterize prenatal cannabis use through pregnancy with self-report measures and biospecimens. Second, we will obtain third trimester fetal MRI scans to character offspring brain structure and function free of post-natal confounds. Third, we will assess offspring cognitive and behavioral development over the first two years of life with parent-report and laboratory-based behavioral assessments. Our design considers critical confounds including parent-infant interactions, pre- and postnatal maternal mood and anxiety symptoms, shared genetic liability, and concomitant drug use during pregnancy. Given the lack of clarity on the safety of cannabis use during pregnancy, findings from this study will have important public health implications by informing prevention messaging and strategies particularly in this era of increasing cannabis use.