Prediction of cerebral palsy and cognitive delay among high-risk children in a developing nation: A successful early detection programme.

Aim: To determine the feasibility of combining the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) and General Movements Assessment (GMA) within a standard follow-up schedule to predict developmental outcomes in infants at risk in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Method: A total of 201 Sri Lankan infants (128 male, 73 female) were prospectively assessed with the GMA before 44 weeks (writhing movements) and at 3 to 4 months (fidgeting movements), followed by the HINE at 5 to 6 months. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Fourth Edition and clinical assessment after 24 months.

A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of Music Training on Attention in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

Prior studies indicate differences in brain volume and neurophysiological responses of musicians relative to non-musicians. These differences are observed in the sensory, motor, parietal, and frontal cortex. Children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) experience deficits in auditory, motor, and executive function domains.

Decreased resting-state alpha peak frequency in children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or prenatal alcohol exposure.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in long-lasting changes to physical, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in children. PAE might result in decreased white matter integrity, corticothalamic tract integrity, and alpha cortical oscillations. Previous investigations of alpha oscillations in PAE/fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have focused on average spectral power at specific ages; therefore, little is known about alpha peak frequency (APF) or its developmental trajectory making this research novel.

Portable Acquisition of Auditory ERPs: A Pilot Study of Premature Infants.

Background: Prior work suggests that event-related potential (ERP) studies in infancy may help predict developmental outcome.

Methods: As part of a longitudinal study of early child development, we used the auditory oddball stimulus paradigm with a portable electroencephalography system to obtain ERP data from two-month-old infants (32 term, six preterm) in Sri Lanka. The mismatch negativity was calculated between 200 and 350 milliseconds after stimulus presentation.

Amplitude by Peak Interaction but No Evidence of Auditory Mismatch Response Deficits to Frequency Change in Preschool-Aged Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Background: Prior studies indicate that the auditory mismatch response is sensitive to early alterations in brain development in multiple developmental disorders. Prenatal alcohol exposure is known to impact early auditory processing. The current study hypothesized alterations in the mismatch response in young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

A Comparative Analysis of the ADOS-G and ADOS-2 Algorithms: Preliminary Findings.

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is a widely utilized observational assessment tool for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. The original ADOS was succeeded by the ADOS-G with noted improvements. More recently, the ADOS-2 was introduced to further increase its diagnostic accuracy.

Altered Neural Oscillations During Multisensory Integration in Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Background: Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), who were exposed to alcohol in utero, display a broad range of sensory, cognitive, and behavioral deficits, which are broadly theorized to be rooted in altered brain function and structure. Based on the role of neural oscillations in multisensory integration from past studies, we hypothesized that adolescents with FASD would show a decrease in oscillatory power during event-related gamma oscillatory activity (30 to 100 Hz), when compared to typically developing healthy controls (HC), and that such decrease in oscillatory power would predict behavioral performance.

Methods: We measured sensory neurophysiology using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during passive auditory, somatosensory, and multisensory (synchronous) stimulation in 19 adolescents (12 to 21 years) with FASD and 23 age- and gender-matched HC.

Aberrant development of post-movement beta rebound in adolescents and young adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Dependent on maternal (e.g. genetic, age) and exposure (frequency, quantity, and timing) variables, the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing fetus are known to vary widely, producing a broad range of morphological anomalies and neurocognitive deficits in offspring, referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Sex-related differences in auditory processing in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A magnetoencephalographic study.

Children exposed to substantial amounts of alcohol in utero display a broad range of morphological and behavioral outcomes, which are collectively referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Common to all children on the spectrum are cognitive and behavioral problems that reflect central nervous system dysfunction. Little is known, however, about the potential effects of variables such as sex on alcohol-induced brain damage.

Differences in MEG gamma oscillatory power during performance of a prosaccade task in adolescents with FASD.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is characterized by a broad range of behavioral and cognitive deficits that impact the long-term quality of life for affected individuals. However, the underlying changes in brain structure and function associated with these cognitive impairments are not well-understood. Previous studies identified deficits in behavioral performance of prosaccade tasks in children with FASD.

Primary visual response (M100) delays in adolescents with FASD as measured with MEG.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are debilitating, with effects of prenatal alcohol exposure persisting into adolescence and adulthood. Complete characterization of FASD is crucial for the development of diagnostic tools and intervention techniques to decrease the high cost to individual families and society of this disorder. In this experiment, we investigated visual system deficits in adolescents (12-21 years) diagnosed with an FASD by measuring the latency of patients' primary visual M100 responses using MEG.

Delays in auditory processing identified in preschool children with FASD.

Background: Both sensory and cognitive deficits have been associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol; however, very few studies have focused on sensory deficits in preschool-aged children. As sensory skills develop early, characterization of sensory deficits using novel imaging methods may reveal important neural markers of prenatal alcohol exposure.

Methods: Participants in this study were 10 children with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and 15 healthy control (HC) children aged 3 to 6 years.

From research to practice: an integrative framework for the development of interventions for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Since fetal alcohol syndrome was first described over 35 years ago, considerable progress has been made in the delineation of the neurocognitive profile in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Preclinical investigators have made impressive strides in elucidating the mechanisms of alcohol teratogenesis and in testing the effectiveness of pharmacological agents and dietary supplementation in the amelioration of alcohol-induced deficits. Despite these advances, only limited progress has been made in the development of evidence-based comprehensive interventions for functional impairment in alcohol-exposed children.

A baseline for the multivariate comparison of resting-state networks.

As the size of functional and structural MRI datasets expands, it becomes increasingly important to establish a baseline from which diagnostic relevance may be determined, a processing strategy that efficiently prepares data for analysis, and a statistical approach that identifies important effects in a manner that is both robust and reproducible. In this paper, we introduce a multivariate analytic approach that optimizes sensitivity and reduces unnecessary testing. We demonstrate the utility of this mega-analytic approach by identifying the effects of age and gender on the resting-state networks (RSNs) of 603 healthy adolescents and adults (mean age: 23.

A neurodevelopmental framework for the development of interventions for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Despite considerable data published on cognitive and behavioral disabilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), relatively little information is available on behavioral or pharmacological interventions for alcohol-affected children. The main goals of this article, therefore, are to summarize published intervention studies of FASD and to present a neurodevelopmental framework, based on recent findings from a number of disciplines, for designing new therapies for alcohol-affected children. This framework assumes a neuroconstructionist view, which posits that reciprocal interactions between neural activity and the brain's hardware lead to the progressive formation of intra- and interregional neural connections.

Neurocognitive profile in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

The question of whether children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) exhibit a unique neurocognitive profile has received considerable attention over the past three decades. The identification of a syndrome-specific neurocognitive profile would aid in diagnosing prenatally exposed children with cognitive deficits who do not exhibit clinically discernable physical anomalies. The current review of the literature, therefore, focuses on the studies of higher-order cognitive skills in children with FASDs with a view towards delineating a pattern of cognitive functioning.

Symptoms and coping in Sri Lanka 20-21 months after the 2004 tsunami.

Background: The estimated prevalence of clinically significant psychiatric and somatic symptoms in adults >1 year after the 2004 Asian tsunami is unknown.

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of psychiatric and somatic symptoms and impairment in Sri Lanka 20-21 months after the 2004 Asian tsunami, and to assess coping strategies used by tsunami-affected individuals that contribute to post-tsunami adjustment.

Method: Homes from one severely affected area were randomly selected, and adult respondents were sampled utilising a modified Kish method.

Language and literacy outcomes from a pilot intervention study for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in South Africa.

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a classroom language and literacy intervention in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The study forms part of a larger, ongoing study that includes metacognitive and family support interventions in addition to language and literacy training (LLT). For the LLT study, 65 nine-year-old children identified as either FASD or not prenatally exposed to alcohol, were recruited.

Concurrent validity of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II Motor Scale and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 in children with developmental delays.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore concurrent validity of the age equivalent and standard scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID II) Motor Scale and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2), including correlations and clinical agreement between the scores of the two tests.

Methods: One hundred ten children aged three to 41 months who were referred to an early childhood evaluation program because of concerns about their development were administered both the BSID II Motor Scale and the PDMS-2 as part of their developmental evaluations.

Results: The correlation coefficients were high to very high for age-equivalent scores, and the Locomotion Subscale had the closest agreement with the BSID II Motor Scale age equivalent.

Epidemiology of FASD in a province in Italy: Prevalence and characteristics of children in a random sample of schools.

Background: Accurate estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in a Western European population are lacking and are of particular interest in settings where the usual pattern of alcohol consumption is thought to be daily drinking with meals. To address these issues, an epidemiology study of FAS and other FASD was undertaken in Italian schools.

Methods: Primary schools (n = 25) in 2 health districts of the Lazio region were randomly selected and recruited for the study.

Neurobehavioral characteristics of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in communities from Italy: Preliminary results.

Background: There has been considerable effort expended on defining neurobehavioral characteristics of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Children with FASD display a range of cognitive deficits and behavioral problems. In this article, we report on the neurobehavioral characteristics of children with FASD in selected communities in Italy.

Letter and category fluency in children with fetal alcohol syndrome from a community in South Africa.

Objective: This study investigated whether there were differential effects of substantial prenatal alcohol exposure on letter and category fluency in children. Given that children with prenatal alcohol exposure are often impaired in executive functioning and that letter fluency taxes executive processes more than category fluency, it was expected that children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) would be more impaired in letter than in category fluency. A second objective of the study was to examine the developmental trends in the two types of fluency in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Fetal alcohol syndrome epidemiology in a South African community: a second study of a very high prevalence area.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in a second primary school cohort in a community in South Africa.

Method: Active case ascertainment, two-tier screening, and Institute of Medicine assessment methodology were employed among 857 first grade pupils, most born in 1993. Characteristics of children with FAS were contrasted with characteristics of a randomly selected control group from the same classrooms.

A practical clinical approach to diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: clarification of the 1996 institute of medicine criteria.

Background: The adverse effects of alcohol on the developing human represent a spectrum of structural anomalies and behavioral and neurocognitive disabilities, most accurately termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The first descriptions in the modern medical literature of a distinctly recognizable pattern of malformations associated with maternal alcohol abuse were reported in 1968 and 1973. Since that time, substantial progress has been made in developing specific criteria for defining and diagnosing this condition.