Cognitive and functional brain alterations can occur in children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). We examined the functional connectivity (FC) among regions within and between attention networks, and whether inter- and intranetwork FC moderated cognition in children with PAE (n = 37; age 12.8 ± 2.8 years) and nonexposed controls (n = 40; age 13.2 ± 2.8 years). Participants completed standardized attention and executive functioning tasks and resting state functional MRI. Inter- and intra-network FC and graph-theoretical metrics were calculated among attention network regions. Relative to controls, PAE was associated with reduced FC between the left temporoparietal junction and left ventral frontal cortex and anterior insula/frontal operculum (aI/fO), and between the left intraparietal sulcus and bilateral aI/fO. PAE was associated with increased FC between the right precuneus and intraparietal lobes, the right anterior prefrontal cortex and left ventral frontal cortex and aI/fO, and the left thalamus and dorsal frontal cortex. Graph-theoretical metrics did not differ by group. FC predicted cognitive performance, negatively in the children with PAE and positively in controls. Increased intra-network together with reduced internetwork FC suggests inefficient network specialization and impaired long-range FC among attention network regions after PAE. Results further suggest that those alterations may underlie attention and executive dysfunction in children with PAE.

产前酒精暴露 (PAE) 的儿童可能会发生认知和功能性大脑改变。我们检查了注意力网络内部和之间区域之间的功能连接 (FC)，以及网络间和网络内 FC 是否调节了 PAE（n = 37；年龄 12.8 ± 2.8 岁）和未暴露对照组（n= 40; 13.2 ± 2.8 岁）。参与者完成了标准化的注意力和执行功能任务以及静息状态功能 MRI。在注意力网络区域之间计算网络间和网络内的 FC 和图论指标。相对于对照，PAE 与左颞顶交界处和左腹侧额叶皮层和前岛叶/额叶盖 (aI/fO) 之间以及左顶内沟和双侧 aI/fO 之间的 FC 减少有关。PAE 与右侧楔前叶和顶内叶、右侧前前额叶皮层和左腹侧额叶皮层和 aI/fO 以及左侧丘脑和背额叶皮层之间的 FC 增加有关。图论指标没有因组而异。FC 预测认知能力，在 PAE 儿童中为负值，而在对照组中为正值。增加的网络内网络以及减少的互联网络 FC 表明 PAE 后注意力网络区域之间的网络专业化效率低下和远程 FC 受损。结果进一步表明，这些改变可能是 PAE 儿童注意力和执行功能障碍的基础。