Mari Videman1, Susanna Stjerna2, Reina Roivainen3, Taina Nybo4, Sampsa Vanhatalo2, Eija Gaily5, Jukka M Leppänen6. 1. Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: mari.videman@hus.fi. 2. Department of Children's Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center and Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Finland. 3. Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of Helsinki and Hyvinkää Hospital, Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District, Finland. 4. Clinical Neurosciences, Head and Neck Center, Neuropsychology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. 5. Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. 6. Infant Cognition Laboratory, Center for Child Health Research, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Prenatal antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and autism spectrum disorders detected mainly at the age of two to six years. We examined whether the developmental aberrations associated with prenatal AED exposure could be detected already in infancy and whether effects on visual attention can be observed at this early age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We compared a prospective cohort of infants with in utero exposure to AED (n=56) with infants without drug exposures (n=62). The assessments performed at the age of seven months included standardized neurodevelopmental scores (Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) as well as a novel eye-tracking-based test for visual attention and orienting to faces. Background information included prospective collection of AED exposure data, pregnancy outcome, neuropsychological evaluation of the mothers, and information on maternal epilepsy type. RESULTS: Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and valproate, but not lamotrigine or levetiracetam, were associated with impaired early language abilities at the age of seven months. The general speed of visuospatial orienting or attentional bias for faces measured by eye-tracker-based tests did not differ between AED-exposed and control infants. DISCUSSION: Our findings support the idea that prenatal AED exposure may impair verbal abilities, and this effect may be detected already in infancy. In contrast, the early development of attention to faces was spared after in utero AED exposure.
INTRODUCTION: Prenatal antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and autism spectrum disorders detected mainly at the age of two to six years. We examined whether the developmental aberrations associated with prenatal AED exposure could be detected already in infancy and whether effects on visual attention can be observed at this early age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We compared a prospective cohort of infants with in utero exposure to AED (n=56) with infants without drug exposures (n=62). The assessments performed at the age of seven months included standardized neurodevelopmental scores (Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) as well as a novel eye-tracking-based test for visual attention and orienting to faces. Background information included prospective collection of AED exposure data, pregnancy outcome, neuropsychological evaluation of the mothers, and information on maternal epilepsy type. RESULTS:Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and valproate, but not lamotrigine or levetiracetam, were associated with impaired early language abilities at the age of seven months. The general speed of visuospatial orienting or attentional bias for faces measured by eye-tracker-based tests did not differ between AED-exposed and control infants. DISCUSSION: Our findings support the idea that prenatal AED exposure may impair verbal abilities, and this effect may be detected already in infancy. In contrast, the early development of attention to faces was spared after in utero AED exposure.
Authors: Anton Tokariev; Michael Breakspear; Mari Videman; Susanna Stjerna; Lianne H Scholtens; Martijn P van den Heuvel; Luca Cocchi; Sampsa Vanhatalo Journal: Cereb Cortex Date: 2022-05-31 Impact factor: 4.861