Neuroimaging Studies of FAS Children in South Africa

南非 FAS 儿童的神经影像学研究

• 批准号: 7057793
• 负责人: SANDRA W. JACOBSON
• 金额: $ 3.58万
• 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/7057793
• 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

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 Groote Schuur 医院 (GSH) 与 Sandra W. Jacobson 博士合作进行，作为 NIH 拨款 U01 AAO14790 的延伸。总体目标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患有胎儿酒精综合症 (FAS) 和可能患有 FAS 的儿童。最近的研究表明，开普有色人种（混血）人群中胎儿酒精综合症（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已经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 进行检查。 GSH 目前运行一台 1.5T MR 扫描仪，但南非没有任何地点有能力进行 fMRI 或 DTI。 该项目的外国合作者 Ernesta Meintjes 博士是一位接受过 MR 成像培训的物理学家。约翰·戈尔 (John C. Gore) 博士是利用功能磁共振成像 (fMRI) 检查儿童信息处理领域的国际知名领导者。具体目标是 (1) 培训 Meintjes 博士在范德堡大学 Gore 博士实验室管理 fMRI 和 DTI； (2) 购买并安装 GSH 管理这些方法所需的必要软件和硬件，并培训放射技师熟练使用这些方法； (3) 对 15 名 FAS、15 名可能的 FAS 和 15 名匹配的对照儿童进行试点研究，以检查大脑形态、神经网络功能激活和白质束完整性的差异。选择用于 fMRI 评估的认知任务和在扫描仪之外进行的神经心理学测试，以提高我们对 FASD 核心缺陷的理解。生成的信息有可能改善胎儿酒精诊断，促进受影响儿童的早期识别，并为设计更早、更有针对性的干预措施提供基础。