FAS: Neuropsychological Assessment of Children

描述（由申请人提供）：产前大量酒精暴露的影响超出了胎儿酒精综合征的诊断，并可能导致复杂的神经发育障碍模式。虽然这种模式的确切性质还没有很好地定义，但目前的研究正在朝着这个方向发展。同样，脑成像研究指出，产前大量饮酒对儿童大脑结构的影响模式，其中一些结构受到的影响程度大于其他结构。目前的应用程序提出的研究基于最近的神经心理学和神经解剖学的研究与大量产前酒精暴露的儿童。提出的研究旨在澄清三个重要的功能比较：“什么”与“什么”。，其中“视觉空间处理”，“全局”vs。“局部”分层视觉空间处理和“脱离”vs。视觉注意力的“转移”。这些区域与顶叶有关，顶叶是受产前酒精暴露影响的大脑区域。尽管先前对脑损伤个体的研究分别评估了这三个领域，但本文提出的研究旨在评估一个人群的这三个领域。首先，将使用计算机和传统测试来评估“在什么地方”的视觉空间功能。根据初步数据，预测“何处”处理的相对弱点。其次，对全局-局部处理的评估将使用层次图的召回和潜在偏倚效应的测试进行。在以往研究的基础上，预测了局部处理的相对弱点。最后，将使用经典的注意力空间定向测量来评估视觉注意力的分离转移。基于脑成像研究和先前的注意力转移研究，预测了脱离的相对弱点。因此，提出的一系列研究的目标是三个重要的功能分离是解剖学上的联系。这些研究的基本原理和假设是基于先前的神经心理学和影像学研究。澄清这些分离将有助于明确产前重度酒精暴露儿童的优缺点，并有助于确定这一人群的核心缺陷。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure reach beyond the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and can result in a complex pattern of neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the precise nature of this pattern is not well defined, current research is progressing toward this end. Similarly, brain imaging studies point to a pattern of effects in the brain structure of children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure with some structures affected to a greater degree than others. The current application proposes studies based on recent neuropsychological and neuroanatomical studies of children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. The proposed studies are aimed at clarifying three important functional comparisons: "what" vs. "where" visuospatial processing, "global" vs. "local" hierarchical visuospatial processing, and "disengaging" vs. "shifting" of visual attention. These areas have been linked to the parietal lobe, an area of the brain affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Although previous studies of individuals with brain damage have assessed these three areas separately, the research proposed herein aims to assess the three domains in one population. First, assessment of "what-where" visuospatial functioning will be conducted using computerized and traditional tests. Based on preliminary data, relative weaknesses in "where" processing are predicted. Second, assessment of global-local processing will be conducted using tests of both recall and potential biasing effects of hierarchical figures. Based on previous research, a relative weakness in local processing is predicted. Finally, assessment of disengaging-shifting of visual attention will be conducted using a classic measure of spatial orienting of attention. Based on both brain imaging studies and previous studies of attentional shifting, a relative weakness in disengagement is predicted. Thus, the proposed series of studies targets three important functional dissociations that are anatomically linked. The underlying rationale and hypotheses for these studies are based on previous neuropsychological and imaging studies. Clarification of these dissociations will help define the profile of weaknesses and strengths in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and help identify core deficits in this population.