Fetal alcohol exposure remains a leading cause of preventable neurodevelopmental disabilities. Surprisingly, only a very limited amount of information is available on effective interventions for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The long-term goal of this research is to develop and test behavioral interventions for children with FASD within a clinical neuroscience framework. Based on the data from animal research, the current application proposes to assess the plasticity of the motor system in children with FASD as a function of unimanual and bimanual motor training. The main reason for targeting the motor system is that fine motor problems in children with FASD hamper their ability to acquire academic and life skills.
Specific Aims of the current research are: 1) to evaluate behavioral and electrophysiological indices of manual sequencing in children with FASD;and 2) to evaluate the effects of a motor training program on these behavioral and electrophysiological indices. Twenty children with FASD and twenty healthy controls, ages 10-17, will participate in this research, which is directly linked with another proposal that is being submitted under this P-20 application (Component 5). Participants will complete a neurobehavioral test battery assessing information processing and response inhibition (antisaccades) in Component 5 research, and tests of motor sequencing in the current project. High-density 128 channel EEG will be recorded during performance of a motor sequencing task. Following this initial assessment, the FASD group will receive a structured motor sequencing training program. Training-induced changes will be assessed with high-density EEG and behavioral measures. The health-relatedness of this project is that it may provide rich information pertaining to the training-induced changes in the motor system both at neural and behavioral level. It is possible that changes will be discernable with EEG in the absence of behavioral changes. This will allow the clinician to adjust the dose of treatment. Moreover, information from Component 5 will be used to assess if attentional processes predict motor skills learning. The finding of an association between attentional processes and motor skills learning will have implications for the development of future motor skills training programs for children with FASD.
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