Memory Profiles of Children and Youth with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: The Potential Role of Postnatal Risks
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2021-09
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Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that results from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). PAE is commonly associated with potential congenital disabilities and developmental delays. Cognitive domains, including those integral for memory and learning, can also be compromised following PAE. In addition to PAE, individuals with FASD tend to experience other prenatal (i.e., exposure to other substances before birth) and postnatal adversities (i.e., maltreatment following birth) that can negatively impact mental health, adaptive functioning, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the immediate free and cued recall abilities of children and youth with PAE compared to those without PAE. The potential influence of additional postnatal adversities on memory deficits in individuals with PAE is another research area that has been relatively overlooked. The current study first explored the short-term verbal memory profiles of children and youth with PAE (n = 26) compared to those without PAE (n = 26) and examined if distinctions in memory abilities between these groups may be better accounted for by differences in cognitive functioning (IQ). Second, this study exclusively analyzed children and youth with PAE (n = 29) to investigate if elevated exposure to postnatal adversities would be associated with more profound memory deficits. Two separate samples of exposed and unexposed children and youth between the ages of 7 and 15 were analyzed. Overall, participants with and without PAE differed significantly in their free and cued memory recall abilities, with exposed children and youth recalling significantly fewer details on a story task. However, after controlling for intellectual functioning, these group differences were no longer statistically significant. Lastly, we found that children and youth with PAE who experienced moderate-high levels of postnatal exposures had similar memory abilities as children and youth with PAE who had absent-low levels. Findings from the current study are consistent with the literature that documents verbal memory deficits within PAE populations; however, additional research on the potential associations between postnatal exposures and developmental outcomes within this population is needed. Areas for future research directions are discussed as well as study clinical implications and limitations.
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Wasylyshyn, T. (2021). Memory profiles of children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure: the potential role of postnatal risks (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.