Prenatal Smoking May Fuel Impulsivity in Offspring, Possibly ADHD

Prenatal Smoking May Fuel Impulsivity in Offspring

Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke appears to lead to alterations in the brain similar to those seen with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study shows.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers from the Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Germany, showed that young adults exposed to tobacco smoke in utero had less activity in brain regions known to be involved in inhibitory control relative to their peers without this exposure.

“These findings point to a functional involvement of prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in neural alterations similar to ADHD, which underlines the importance of smoking prevention treatments,” the authors, led by Nathalie E. Holz, write.

via Blogger http://bit.ly/1tXpVsL