Long, XiangyuLittle, GrahamTreit, SarahBeaulieu, ChristianGong, GaolangLebel, Catherine2022-06-102022-06-102020-04-01Long, X., Little, G., Treit, S. et al. Altered brain white matter connectome in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Struct Funct 225, 1123–1133 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-020-02064-zhttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/114718https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46088Diffuson tensor imaging (DTI) has demonstrated widespread alterations of brain white matter structure in children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), yet it remains unclear how these alterations affect the structural brain network as a whole. The present study aimed to examine changes in the DTI-based structural connectome in children and adolescents with PAE compared to unexposed controls. Participants were 121 children and adolescents with PAE (51 females) and 119 typically-developing controls (49 females) aged 5-18 years with DTI data collected at one of four research centers across Canada. Graph-theory based analysis was performed on the connectivity matrix constructed from whole-brain white matter fibers via deterministic tractography. The PAE group had significantly decreased whole-brain global efficiency, degree centrality, and participation coefficients, as well as increased shortest path length and betweenness centrality compared to unexposed controls. Individuals with PAE had decreased connectivity between the attention, somatomotor, and default mode networks compared to controls. This study demonstrates decreased structural white matter connectivity in children and adolescents with PAE at a whole-brain level, suggesting widespread alterations in how networks are connected with each other. This decreased connectivity may underlie cognitive and behavioural difficulties in children with PAE.engUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.journal articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00429-020-02064-z