Understanding fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs): toward identification of
a behavioral phenotype
#MMPMID18836653
Nash K
; Sheard E
; Rovet J
; Koren G
ScientificWorldJournal
2008[Sep]; 8
(?): 873-82
PMID18836653
show ga
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) currently represent the leading cause of
mental retardation in North America, ahead of Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
The damaging effects of alcohol on the developing brain have a cascading impact
on the social and neurocognitive profiles of affected individuals. Researchers
investigating the profiles of children with FASDs have found impairments in
learning and memory, executive functioning, and language, as well as
hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor communication skills, difficulties with social
and moral reasoning, and psychopathology. The primary goal of this review paper
is to examine current issues pertaining to the identification of a behavioral
phenotype in FASDs, as well as to address related screening and diagnostic
concerns. We conclude that future research initiatives comparing children with
FASDs to nonalcohol-exposed children with similar cognitive and socioemotional
profiles should aid in uncovering the unique behavioral phenotype for FASDs.
|Attention
[MESH]
|Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis
[MESH]
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