Statistical Methods In Human Development/clinical Studies

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Based on a case-control study completed several years ago in a local school district, we are continuing to investigate possible environmental risk factors for ADHD. We have recently published a paper documenting that socioeconomic status and parental history of ADHD interact as risk factors. (see Z01 ES49034; PI Dale Sandler, EB) Our ongoing work on ALS is in collaboration with researchers at Duke University and the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital using data from a case-control study of U.S. veterans. We have published a manuscript examining military and occupational exposures for associations with survival after ALS diagnosis. (collaboration with Freya Kamel, formerly EB, now retired) We have carried out an analysis using data from the Agricultural Health Study to examine environmental risk factors associated with dream-enacting behavior, a potentially prodromal symptom of Parkinson's disease. At present, we are also looking at certain non-motor symptoms such as reduced sense of smell and infrequent bowel movements as early biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. (collaboration with: Freya Kamel, formerly EB, now retired; and Honglei Chen, formerly EB, currently Michigan State University). Data collection for a study of the effects of soy estrogen on neonatal development carried out at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is now complete. We have published a paper showing that infant girls fed soy formula differ from breast-milk or cow-milk fed infants in their age trajectories of anatomical features that are likely influenced by estrogen. (collaboration with Walter Rogan, formerly EB, now retired)