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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) offer unique, noninvasive methods of measuring, respectively, in vivo quantitative neuroanatomy and neurochemistry. The main purpose of the present study was to identify and compare the neuroanatomical and neurochemical abnormalities that are associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol in both fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)-diagnosed children and those diagnosed with fetal alcohol effects (FAE). MR data of three age-, gender- and race-balanced groups of children, FAS-diagnosed, FAE-diagnosed and non-exposed controls, were compared. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, regardless of diagnosis, were found in the caudate nucleus. Specifically, a significantly smaller caudate nucleus was found for the FAS and FAE participants compared to the controls. In addition, the metabolite ratio of N-acetyl-aspartate to …