Neurobehavior Core for CIFASD (U24)

San Diego State University, San Diego CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of the Neurobehavioral Core is to provide for the assessment of the behavioral manifestations of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in order to provide a valid profile or profiles that would be useful in detecting prenatal alcohol effects. Since previous research suggests that there is a wide range of neurobehavioral outcomes, the core must be sensitive to the impact of prenatal exposure on cognitive, emotional and social functioning as it is manifest throughout infancy, childhood, into adulthood. The responsibilities of the Core will include: 1) Specification of an appropriate and flexible test battery that can be used by the Collaborative project sites to assess alcohol exposed individuals from birth into adulthood. The purpose of this aim is to be able to suggest a battery of tests capable of detecting prenatal alcohol exposure even in nondysmporphic individuals. 2) Support the various research sites with test and test materials. 3) To assist in the identification of the appropriate control factors that should be collected at all sites and to assist in determining what measures should be used in the collection of this information. 4) Respond to issues of training in the administration of these measures and to provide quality control over the assessments. 5) Establish and maintaining an interactive database of test outcomes and to interact fully with the Informatics Core to make these data available. 6) To interact with the Dysmorphology, Brain Imaging, 3D Facial Imaging, and Informatics Cores to determine the relationships between the various measures.