👉 The Lopez Research, conducted by Dr. Richard Lopez at the University of California, San Diego, in the early 2000s, was a pivotal study that aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine on fetal brain development. Lopez and his team used a cohort of pregnant women who had been exposed to methamphetamine during pregnancy, comparing their offspring's neurodevelopmental outcomes with those of unexposed controls. The research revealed significant alterations in brain structure and function in the exposed children, particularly in areas associated with attention, emotion regulation, and cognitive processing. These findings provided compelling evidence that prenatal exposure to methamphetamine can lead to long-lasting neurodevelopmental deficits, underscoring the critical importance of addressing substance abuse during pregnancy to protect fetal brain health.
