Towards a Distinct Sleep and Behavioural Profile of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): A Comparison between FASD, Autism and Typically Developing Children.

Background: The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, the direct result of prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD encompasses a range of behavioural, cognitive and sleep patterns that are sometimes indiscernible from other neurodevelopmental conditions, one in particular being Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study aimed to provide a comparison of behavioural, cognitive, affect-related and sleep profiles in children aged between 6 and 15 years with diagnoses of FASD or ASD, in contrast to typically developing (TD) children.

Visual attention modulates the integration of goal-relevant evidence and not value.

When choosing between options, such as food items presented in plain view, people tend to choose the option they spend longer looking at. The prevailing interpretation is that visual attention increases value. However, in previous studies, 'value' was coupled to a behavioural goal, since subjects had to choose the item they preferred.