Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) encompasses a broad range of disabilities involving both structural and functional changes. Among the most devastating effects are those caused by alterations in the central nervous system (CNS). These CNS changes result in the cognitive and behavioral deficits reported in most studies of FAS. In addition, there is a growing body of literature that suggests that brain and behavioral changes can occur in the absence of the facial features required for an FAS diagnosis. In our study, children with heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol (PEA), who do not have the obvious physical features of FAS, show changes in both brain and behavior similar to those seen in FAS. Previous work has documented broad, fairly general, deficits in general intellectual ability. More recently, attention has been paid to specific aspects of neuropsychological functioning, documenting deficits as well as relative strengths across various cognitive domains. Needed is greater understanding of the details of these strengths and weaknesses. This level of examination, coupled with brain imaging, will provide the framework for intervention and remediation strategies for alcohol-exposed children. The proposed project is multidisciplinary in nature, including neuropsychological assessment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electrophysiological evaluation. This proposal represents a continuation of work that we have been conducting for the last three years. We plan to continue our general evaluation and are proposing to expand the investigation of our three research domains. In the neuropsychological domain, in addition to our general test battery, we are proposing specific measures of learning, memory, and emotional functioning. In the MRI component, along with continuing to evaluate brain structure in children with FAS and PEA, we are proposing a study of developmental brain changes and a pilot study in functional MRI. Finally, in the electrophysiological component, we are proposing to continue to collect EEG and ERP data on children with PEA as well as a new component addressing emotional responses in alcohol-exposed children. We believe that our approach has been successful thus far, and that this multidisciplinary project will expand our understanding of the devastating effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, perhaps leading to new treatment strategies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01AA010417-09S2
Application #
6717388
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG4)
Program Officer
Silverman, Peter
Project Start
1995-01-01
Project End
2005-09-15
Budget Start
2003-05-21
Budget End
2005-09-15
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$125,761
Indirect Cost
Name
San Diego State University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
073371346
City
San Diego
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92182
Infante, M Alejandra; Moore, Eileen M; Nguyen, Tanya T et al. (2015) Objective assessment of ADHD core symptoms in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Physiol Behav 148:45-50
Crocker, Nicole; Riley, Edward P; Mattson, Sarah N (2015) Visual-spatial abilities relate to mathematics achievement in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropsychology 29:108-16
Cardenas, Valerie A; Price, Mathew; Infante, M Alejandra et al. (2014) Automated cerebellar segmentation: Validation and application to detect smaller volumes in children prenatally exposed to alcohol. Neuroimage Clin 4:295-301
O'Brien, Jessica W; Norman, Andria L; Fryer, Susanna L et al. (2013) Effect of predictive cuing on response inhibition in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 37:644-54
Norman, Andria L; O'Brien, Jessica W; Spadoni, Andrea D et al. (2013) A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of spatial working memory in children with prenatal alcohol exposure: contribution of familial history of alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 37:132-40
Bower, Emily; Szajer, Jacquelyn; Mattson, Sarah N et al. (2013) Impaired odor identification in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol 47:275-8
Fryer, Susanna L; Mattson, Sarah N; Jernigan, Terry L et al. (2012) Caudate volume predicts neurocognitive performance in youth with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 36:1932-41
Mattson, Sarah N; Riley, Edward P (2011) The quest for a neurobehavioral profile of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Res Health 34:51-5
Mattson, Sarah N; Crocker, Nicole; Nguyen, Tanya T (2011) Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: neuropsychological and behavioral features. Neuropsychol Rev 21:81-101
Riley, Edward P; Infante, M Alejandra; Warren, Kenneth R (2011) Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: an overview. Neuropsychol Rev 21:73-80

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