CROSS-CULTURAL FASD: BRAIN IMAGING (U24 CORE)

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 这个拟议的成像核心的首要目标是通过促进CIFASD成员使用先进的脑图像处理工具，更好地了解产前酒精暴露对发育中的大脑结构和功能的影响。了解严重产前酒精暴露对发育中大脑的作用的关键限制之一是任何一个研究小组研究的受试者数量有限。我们打算利用这个机会，通过标准化用于获取图像数据的成像协议，并标准化用于比较胎儿酒精谱系障碍(FASD)患者和对照组的图像分析工具，跨多个研究地点汇集结构性脑成像数据。我们将利用我们的专业知识为联盟成员提供相对简单的自动化图像分析工具，他们可以在实验室中使用这些工具来评估胼胝体(CC)和其他规则形状的脑结构的形状和大小。将开发更专门的工具，以评估皮质和皮质下结构中大脑形态的差异，并将功能和结构磁共振数据结合起来，用于项目内的功能-结构磁共振研究。具体地说，我们的努力将针对以下方面：1)图像采集协议的标准化，并验证通过使用人体和机械模型研究来控制扫描仪特定几何失真的方法；2)调整自动图像分析工具以分发给CIFASD成员；3)修改和创建更复杂的工具，用于评估大脑形状和大脑皮质下区域的组织分布异常，并改进旨在促进结合脑功能和结构成像数据的工具；以及4)评估脑图像数据与其他CIFASD项目和核心收集的数据之间的关系。该联盟成员提议收集470多名患有FASD的儿童和青少年和310名对照受试者的功能性或结构性(或两者兼而有之)脑成像数据。在成像核心内开发的战略和方法将首次允许对在不同地点收集的数据进行直接比较，从而极大地增强我们从大脑成像数据中潜在地概述诊断标准的能力，并最终帮助开发FASD的干预和治疗方法。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The overarching goal of this proposed Imaging Core is to understand better the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the structure and function of the developing brain by facilitating the use of advanced brain image processing tools by CIFASD members. One of the key limitations in understanding the role of severe prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing brain has been the limited number of subjects studied by any single research group. It is our intent to use this opportunity to pool structural brain imaging data across multiple research sites by standardizing the imaging protocols used to acquire image data, and standardizing image analysis tools used to compare individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) to controls. We will use our expertise to provide members of the Consortium with access to relatively simple automated image analysis tools that they can use in their laboratories to assess the shape and size of the corpus callosum (CC) and other regularly shaped brain structures. More specialized tools will be developed to assess differences in brain morphology in cortical and subcortical structures and to combine functional and structural MRI data for within-project functional-structural MRI studies. Specifically, our efforts will be directed towards: 1) the standardization of image acquisition protocols and validation of methods for controlling scanner specific geometric distortion through the use of human and mechanical phantom studies; 2) the adaptation of automated image analysis tools for distribution to CIFASD members; 3) adaptation and creation of more sophisticated tools for assessment of brain shape and tissue distribution abnormalities in cortical and subcortical regions, and the refinement of tools designed to facilitate the combination of functional and structural brain imaging data; and 4) the assessment of relationships between brain image data, and data collected by the other CIFASD projects and cores. Consortium members are proposing to collect either functional or structural (or both) brain imaging data from over 470 children and adolescents with FASD and 310 control subjects. The strategies and methods developed within the Imaging Core will for the first time allow the direct comparison of data collected at various sites, dramatically increasing our power to potentially outline diagnostic criteria from brain imaging data, and ultimately to help develop intervention and treatment approaches for FASD.