Mapping the Brain, the Face and Neurocognitive Function in FASD (U01)

描述（由申请人提供）：这份新申请是“胎儿酒精谱系障碍合作倡议（CIFASD）”竞争性更新的一部分。在此更新期间，整个CIFASD的总体目标之一是确定创新技术是否可用于识别大脑变化，神经行为缺陷和面部特征以及这些变量之间的关系，以帮助定义产前酒精谱系障碍（FASD）。为了帮助解决这个首要问题，我们将使用定量脑制图技术和高分辨率结构和功能MRI，从3个多文化数据收集点（圣地亚哥、洛杉矶和南非开普敦）收集80名FASD儿童的横切面和纵向数据。虽然这个脑成像项目可以通过识别广泛的FASD的大脑结构和功能异常来独立实现CIFASD的一些目标，但关键的是，通过我们与神经行为项目（Mattson PI）、面部成像项目（Foroud PI）和畸形学核心（Jones PI）的积极合作，这个资助机会将允许评估大脑、神经认知缺陷和面部畸形之间的关系。对照动物研究对于确定导致FASD的产前酒精的时间和剂量至关重要，但人体成像研究对于证实跨物种的解剖学发现至关重要。通过我们与加州大学洛杉矶分校神经成像实验室的合作，我们可以使用最先进的大脑测绘工具，可以对任何可以用MRI识别的大脑结构进行形态学评估。因此，我们处于一个独特的位置，允许动物研究的发现来推动基于假设的人类成像数据分析。所提议的纵向项目将强调如何将神经行为，功能和结构脑成像数据以及面部形态学测量相结合的综合方法可能对大脑-行为相互作用的复杂本质以及它们如何被产前酒精暴露所改变产生重要的新见解。据我们所知，这将是第一个应对此类挑战的研究，参与CIFASD对于实现我们的具体目标至关重要。最终，作为CIFASD的一部分，该项目将提高FASD确诊的能力，进而帮助临床医生管理和治疗神经行为缺陷和相关的继发性残疾。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This new application is part of the competitive renewal for the "Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD)". One of the overall goals of the entire CIFASD during this renewal period is to determine if innovative techniques can be used to identify brain alterations, neurobehavioral deficits and facial characteristics and relationships between these variables to help define prenatal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). To help address this overarching question, we will use quantitative brain mapping techniques with high-resolution structural and functional MRI collected both cross-sectionally and longitudinally from 80 FASD children evaluated across 3 multi-cultural data collection sites (San Diego, Los Angeles and Capetown, South Africa). While this brain imaging project can independently achieve some of the goals of the CIFASD by identifying brain structural and functional abnormalities across the broad spectrum of FASD, critically this funding opportunity will allow the assessment of relationships between the brain, neurocognitive deficits and facial dysmorphology through our active collaborations with the neurobehavioral project (Mattson PI), the facial imaging project (Foroud PI), and the dysmorphology core (Jones PI). Controlled animal studies are essential to determine timing and dosages of prenatal alcohol that result in FASD, but human imaging studies are essential to corroborate anatomical findings across species. Through our association with the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, we have access to state-of-the-art brain mapping tools that allow the morphological evaluation of any brain structure that can be identified with MRI. Thus, we are in a unique position to allow findings in animal studies to drive hypothesis-based analyses in the human imaging data. The proposed longitudinal project will highlight how an integrated approach relating neurobehavioral, functional and structural brain imaging data, and measures of facial morphology might yield important new insights on the complex nature of brain-behavior interactions and how they are altered by prenatal alcohol exposure. To our knowledge, this will be the first study to undertake such challenges, and participation, in the CIFASD is essential to address our specific aims. Ultimately, as part of the CIFASD, this project will enhance the capability for definitive FASD diagnoses that, in turn, will help clinicians manage and treat neurobehavioral deficits and associated secondary disabilities.