Neuroimaging Studies of FAS Children in South Africa

南非 FAS 儿童的神经影像学研究

• 批准号: 6930792
• 负责人: SANDRA W. JACOBSON
• 金额: $ 4.03万
• 依托单位: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-05-01 至 2008-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6930792
• 关键词: Africa; adolescence (12-20); bioimaging /biomedical imaging; brain disorder diagnosis; brain electrical activity; brain imaging /visualization /scanning; brain mapping; brain morphology; clinical research; diffusion magnetic resonance imaging; fetal alcohol syndrome; functional magnetic resonance imaging; health disparity; human subject; interview; medically underserved population; middle childhood (6-11); neuropsychological tests; patient oriented research; training; Africa; adolescence (12-20); bioimaging /biomedical imaging; brain disorder diagnosis; brain electrical activity; brain imaging /visualization /scanning; brain mapping; brain morphology; clinical research; diffusion magnetic resonance imaging; fetal alcohol syndrome; functional magnetic resonance imaging; health disparity; human subject; interview; medically underserved population; middle childhood (6-11); neuropsychological tests; patient oriented research; training

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research will be conducted primarily at University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town, South Africa, in collaboration with Sandra W. Jacobson, Ph.D., as an extension of NIH grant U01 AAO14790. The overall aim is to introduce two new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies- functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-to South Africa and to apply them to evaluate children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and possible FAS. Recent studies have documented an exceptionally high incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the Cape Coloured (mixed ancestry) population. Dr. Jacobson's research in Cape Town and Detroit has identified specific aspects of arithmetic and executive function that may be core deficits of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which could be examined using MR technologies. To date FAS and FASD generally have not been examined using fMRI or DTI. GSH currently operates a 1.5T MR scanner, but no sites in South Africa have the capacity to conduct fMRI or DTI. Ernesta Meintjes, Ph.D., the foreign collaborator for this project, is a physicist trained in MR imaging. John C. Gore, Ph.D., is an internationally respected leader in the use of fMRI to examine information processing in children. The specific aims are to (1) train Dr. Meintjes to administer fMRI and DTI in Dr. Gore's laboratory at Vanderbilt University; (2) purchase and install the necessary software and hardware needed to administer these methodologies at GSH and train the radiographers to become proficient in their use; and (3) conduct a pilot study with 15 FAS, 15 possible FAS, and 15 matched control children to examine differences in brain morphology, functional activation of neural networks, and the integrity of white matter tracts. The cognitive tasks to be used in the fMRI assessment and neuropsychological tests to be performed outside the scanner have been selected to improve our understanding of the core deficits of FASD. The information to be generated has the potential to improve fetal alcohol diagnosis, facilitate earlier identification of affected children, and provide the basis to design earlier, more targeted interventions.

描述（由申请人提供）： 这项研究将主要在南非开普敦的开普敦大学和格罗特·舒尔医院（GSH）与Sandra W. Jacobson博士合作，作为NIH Grant U01 AAO14790的扩展。总体目的是将两种新的磁共振成像（MRI）技术 - 功能性MRI和扩散张量成像（DTI）引入南非，并将其应用于评估被诊断为胎儿酒精综合征（FAS）的儿童和可能的FAS。最近的研究表明，斗篷有色人种（混合血统）种群中胎儿酒精综合征（FAS）的发病率异常高。雅各布森博士在开普敦和底特律的研究确定了算术和执行功能的特定方面，这些方面可能是胎儿酒精谱系障碍（FASD）的核心缺陷，可以使用MR技术进行检查。迄今为止，FAS和FASD通常尚未使用fMRI或DTI检查。 GSH目前经营1.5吨Scanner先生，但南非没有任何地点可以进行fMRI或DTI。 该项目的外国合作者Ernesta Meintjes博士是一位受过MR Imaging培训的物理学家。约翰·戈尔（John C.具体的目的是（1）培训Meintjes博士在范德比尔特大学的戈尔博士实验室管理fMRI和DTI； （2）购买并安装在GSH上管理这些方法所需的必要软件和硬件，并训练射线照相仪以精通其使用； （3）进行一项试点研究，使用15个FA，15个可能的FA和15个匹配的对照儿童，以检查脑形态的差异，神经网络的功能激活以及白质区的完整性。已经选择了在扫描仪以外进行的功能磁共振成像评估和神经心理学测试中使用的认知任务，以提高我们对FASD核心缺陷的理解。要生成的信息具有改善胎儿酒精诊断的潜力，促进了受影响儿童的早期识别，并提供了设计较早，更有针对性的干预措施的基础。