Some findings may be drug specific whereas others may appear across more than one drug class which could mean that there may be some common brain mechanism affected by prenatal exposure to any drug in addition to the specific effects of an individual drug. Both cocaine and methamphetamine were related to smaller volumes in subcortical regions including the dopamine rich putamen. There were effects on increased brain metabolism related to cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol. Effects on volumetric MRI, fMRI and DTI were found for cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol and tobacco suggesting that prenatal drug exposure has long lasting and widespread effects on brain. This is important in light of known mechanisms of brain recovery and plasticity following insult and suggests that some prenatal exposure effects are permanent. At the same time, we also saw evidence of potential compensatory mechanisms related to cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and tobacco from fMRI and MRS studies, perhaps suggesting mechanisms of neural plasticity and brain recovery. Thus, neuroimaging in children with prenatal drug exposure may be an opportunity to study mechanisms of brain adaptation in addition to
