Coincident with the opioid epidemic in the United States has been a dramatic increase in the number of children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a form of withdrawal resulting from opioid exposure during pregnancy. Many research efforts on NAS have focused on short-term care, including acute symptom treatment and weaning of the infants off their drug dependency prior to authorizing their release. However, investigations into the long-term effects of prenatal opioid exposure (POE) on brain development, from the cellular to the behavioral level, have not been as frequent. Given the importance of the perinatal period for human brain development, opioid-induced disturbances in the formation and function of nascent synaptic networks and glia have the potential to impact brain connectivity and cognition long after the drug supply is cutoff shortly after birth. In this review, we will summarize the current state of NAS research, bringing together findings from human studies and preclinical animal models to highlight what is known about how POE can induce significant, prolonged deficits in brain structure and function. With rates of NAS continuing to rise, particularly in regions that already face substantial socioeconomic challenges, we speculate as to the most promising avenues for future research to alleviate this growing multigenerational threat.

中文翻译：

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产前阿片类药物暴露对大脑发育的长期影响的临床和基础研究调查

与美国阿片类药物流行同时发生的是新生儿戒断综合征 (NAS) 的儿童数量急剧增加，这是一种因怀孕期间阿片类药物暴露而导致的戒断形式。许多关于 NAS 的研究工作都集中在短期护理上，包括急性症状治疗和婴儿在获准释放之前摆脱药物依赖。然而，对产前阿片类药物暴露 (POE) 对大脑发育（从细胞到行为水平）的长期影响的调查并不那么频繁。鉴于围产期对人类大脑发育的重要性，阿片类药物引起的新生突触网络和神经胶质的形成和功能紊乱有可能在出生后不久药物供应被切断后很长时间内影响大脑连接和认知。在这篇综述中，我们将总结 NAS 研究的现状，将人类研究和临床前动物模型的结果汇总在一起，以突出关于 POE 如何导致大脑结构和功能显着、长期缺陷的已知信息。随着 NAS 的发病率持续上升，特别是在已经面临重大社会经济挑战的地区，我们推测未来研究最有希望的途径来缓解这种日益增长的多代威胁。将人类研究和临床前动物模型的结果汇集在一起​​​​，以突出关于 POE 如何导致大脑结构和功能显着、长期缺陷的已知信息。随着 NAS 的发病率持续上升，特别是在已经面临重大社会经济挑战的地区，我们推测未来研究缓解这种日益严重的多代威胁的最有希望的途径。将人类研究和临床前动物模型的结果汇集在一起​​​​，以突出关于 POE 如何导致大脑结构和功能显着、长期缺陷的已知信息。随着 NAS 的发病率持续上升，特别是在已经面临重大社会经济挑战的地区，我们推测未来研究最有希望的途径来缓解这种日益增长的多代威胁。