Neurodevelopment of Methamphetamine Exposed Children

描述（由申请人提供）： 指导患者为导向的研究职业发展奖将使我保护的研究时间和支持，以发展所需的专业知识，从一个主要集中在临床服务，教学和管理，以一个专注于独立的研究和跨学科的研究项目开发我的职业生涯。夏威夷是进行儿童发展纵向研究的理想环境，因为人口长期相对稳定，地理位置偏僻，文化和文化习俗多样。夏威夷大学迅速扩大的研究基础设施。伯恩斯医学院与皇后医学中心和夏威夷大学KapPolani医学中心临床研究中心的资源相结合，将为我提供必要的机构环境，以研究产前MA暴露对发育中CNS的化学，结构和功能能力的影响。通过琳达常博士的指导，以及经验丰富的科学和临床研究人员网络，以及精心设计的培训计划，我将获得成为独立研究人员所需的基础和经验。拟议研究的目的是研究与产前甲基苯丙胺（MA）暴露相关的人类神经系统发育中的潜在解剖和代谢变化，以及这些变化与学龄前儿童行为和发育可测量变化的关系。初步研究表明，产前MA暴露与特定CNS区域的体积和生化组成的改变以及注意力和言语记忆障碍有关。该提案的具体目的是：（1）确定产前MA暴露对3岁儿童CNS结构和代谢的影响，以及（2）检查产前MA暴露、CNS结构和代谢与2岁和3岁时评估的两个认知领域（注意力和唤醒/自我调节）之间的关系。我自己的初步研究结果表明，唤醒和自我调节领域发生了变化。拟议的研究和培训计划将为我提供成为独立研究者所需的经验和知识。从拟议的研究结果也将指导我在我未来的研究方向。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award will allow me protected research time and support to develop the expertise needed to transition my career from one primarily focused on clinical service, teaching and administration to one focused on independent research and inter-disciplinary research program development. Hawaii is an ideal environment for longitudinal studies related to children's development, given the relative stability of the population over time, its geographic isolation and its varied cultures and cultural practices. The rapidly expanding research infrastructure at the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine combined with resources at the Queen's Medical Center and the University of Hawaii-Clinical Research Center at KapPolani Medical Center will provide me with the institutional environments necessary to study the impact of prenatal MA exposure on the chemical, structural and functional capacities of the developing CNS. Through the mentorship of Dr. Linda Chang, and a network of experienced scientific and clinical researchers, as well as a well designed training plan, I will obtain the foundation and experience necessary to become an independent researcher. The purpose of the proposed research is to study the potential anatomic and metabolic changes in the developing human nervous system associated with prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure, and the relationship of these changes to measurable alterations in child behavior and development in the preschool period. Preliminary studies suggest that prenatal MA exposure is associated with alterations in the volume and biochemical composition of specific CNS regions, and with disordered attention and verbal memory. The specific aims of the proposal are: (1) To identify the effects of prenatal MA exposure on CNS structure and metabolism in three year old children, and (2) to examine the relationship between prenatal MA exposure, CNS structure and metabolism, and two cognitive domains, attention and arousal/self-regulation, assessed at 2 and 3 years of age. My own preliminary findings suggest alterations in the domains of arousal and self-regulation. The proposed research studies and training plan will provide me with the necessary experience and knowledge to become an independent investigator. Findings from the proposed research also will guide me in my future research direction.