White matter microstructure in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A systematic review of diffusion tensor imaging studies

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has revolutionized our understanding of the neural underpinnings of alcohol teratogenesis. This technique can detect alterations in white matter in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Using Prisma guidelines, we identified 23 DTI studies conducted on individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). These studies confirm the widespread nature of brain damage in PAE by reporting diffusivity alterations in commissural, association, and projection fibers; and in relation to increasing cognitive impairment. Reduced integrity in terms of lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) is reported more consistently in the corpus callosum, cerebellar peduncles, cingulum, and longitudinal fasciculi connecting frontal and temporoparietal regions. Although these interesting results provide insight into FASD neuropathology, it is important to investigate the clinical diversity of this disorder for better treatment options and prediction of progression. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of different patterns of neural structure between PAE and typically developed individuals. We further discuss the association of alterations in diffusivity with demographic features and symptomatology of PAE. With the accumulated knowledge of the neural correlates of FASD presenting symptoms, a comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity in FASD will potentially improve the disease management and will highlight the diagnostic challenges and potential areas of future research avenues, where neural markers may be beneficial.