Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T18:44:29.114Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Neuropsychological Comparison of Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and an IQ-Matched Comparison Group

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Linnea Vaurio ,
Edward P. Riley  and
Sarah N. Mattson
Linnea Vaurio
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
Edward P. Riley
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
Sarah N. Mattson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Sarah N. Mattson, Ph.D., 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An objective in current research on children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is to determine neurobehavioral profiles to identify affected individuals. Deficits observed when children with FASD are compared to typically developing controls may be confounded by lower IQ scores in the subjects with FASD. To determine if prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with neurobehavioral deficits after controlling for IQ differences, multivariate analyses were conducted to compare alcohol-exposed (ALC) subjects to a comparison group closely matched on IQ (IQC). The initial analysis included a broad neuropsychological battery with measures of language, executive function, visual–motor integration, motor ability, and academic achievement. Additional, in depth comparisons focused on visual sustained attention, verbal learning and memory and parent/guardian-reported behavior problems. Group differences (ALC < IQC) were found on verbal learning and parent-rated behavior problems. Group differences were marginally significant (measures within the broad neuropsychological comparison) or not significant (visual attention, retention of verbal material) on the remaining comparisons. Therefore, some deficits (e.g., verbal learning and behavior problems) in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be explained by the lower FSIQ observed in the population. These areas of relative weakness could be useful in distinguishing children with FASD from other children with lowered IQ. (JINS, 2011, 17, 463–473)

Keywords

Fetal alcohol spectrum disordersFetal alcohol syndromeIQ-matched control groupNeurobehavioral profileIntelligenceTeratology
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , May 2011 , pp. 463 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Achenbach, T.M. (1991). Manual for the child behavior checklist/4-18 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Archibald, S.L., Fennema-Notestine, C., Gamst, A., Riley, E.P., Mattson, S.N., Jernigan, T.L. (2001). Brain dysmorphology in individuals with severe prenatal alcohol exposure. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 43(3), 148–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beery, K.E. (1997). Manual for the Beery-Buktenica developmental test of visual-motor integration (4th ed.). Parsippany, NJ: Modern Curriculum Press.Google Scholar
Bertrand, J., Floyd, R.L., Weber, M.K., O'Connor, M., Riley, E.P., Johnson, K.A., Cohen, D.E. (2004). National Task Force on FAS/FAE: Guidelines for referral and diagnosis. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Google Scholar
Carmichael Olson, H., Feldman, J.J., Streissguth, A.P., Sampson, P.D., Bookstein, F.L. (1998). Neuropsychological deficits in adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome: Clinical findings. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22(9), 1998–2012. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb05909.xGoogle Scholar
Carmichael Olson, H., Streissguth, A.P., Sampson, P.D., Barr, H.M., Bookstein, F.L., Thiede, K. (1997). Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with behavioral and learning problems in early adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(9), 1187–1194. doi:10.1097/00004583-199709000-00010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coles, C.D., Lynch, M.E., Kable, J.A., Johnson, K.C., Goldstein, F.C. (2010). Verbal and nonverbal memory in adults prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 34(5), 897–906. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01162.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coles, C.D., Platzman, K.A., Lynch, M.E., Freides, D. (2002). Auditory and visual sustained attention in adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26(2), 263–271. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02533.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coles, C.D., Platzman, K.A., Raskind-Hood, C.L., Brown, R.T., Falek, A., Smith, I.E. (1997). A comparison of children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 21(1), 150–161. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1997.tb03743.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Delis, D.C., Kramer, J.H., Kaplan, E., Ober, B.A. (1994). Manual for the California verbal learning test – Children's version. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Dennis, M., Francis, D.J., Cirino, P.T., Schachar, R., Barnes, M.A., Fletcher, J.M. (2009). Why IQ is not a covariate in cognitive studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15(3), 331–343. doi:10.1017/S1355617709090481Google Scholar
Dunn, L.M., Dunn, L.M. (1997). Examiner's manual for the Peabody picture vocabulary test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.Google Scholar
Famy, C., Streissguth, A.P., Unis, A.S. (1998). Mental illness in adults with fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(4), 552–554.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fryer, S.L., McGee, C.L., Matt, G.E., Riley, E.P., Mattson, S.N. (2007). Evaluation of psychopathological conditions in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Pediatrics, 119, e733–e741. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1606CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenbaum, R.L., Stevens, S.A., Nash, K., Koren, G., Rovet, J. (2009). Social cognitive and emotion processing abilities of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A comparison with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(10), 1656–1670. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01003.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffith, D.R., Azuma, S.D., Chasnoff, I.J. (1994). Three-year outcome of children exposed prenatally to drugs. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(1), 20–27. doi:10.1097/00004583-199401000-00004Google Scholar
Heaton, R.K., Chelune, G.J., Talley, J.L., Kay, G.G., Curtiss, G. (1993). Wisconsin card sorting test manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.Google Scholar
Holm, S. (1979). A simple sequentially rejective multiple test procedure. Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, 6(2), 65–70.Google Scholar
Hoyme, H.E., May, P.A., Kalberg, W.O., Kodituwakku, P., Gossage, J.P., Trujillo, P.M., Robinson, L.K. (2005). A practical clinical approach to diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Clarification of the 1996 Institute of Medicine criteria. Pediatrics, 115(1), 39–47. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-0259Google Scholar
Kaplan, E., Goodglass, H., Weintraub, S. (1983). Boston naming test. Philadelphia, PA: Lea & Febiger.Google Scholar
Kodituwakku, P.W., Handmaker, N.S., Cutler, S.K., Weathersby, E.K., Handmaker, S.D. (1995). Specific impairments in self-regulation in children exposed to alcohol prenatally. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 19(6), 1558–1564. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1995.tb01024.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kooistra, L., Crawford, S., Gibbard, B., Ramage, B., Kaplan, B.J. (2010). Differentiating attention deficits in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 52(2), 205–211. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03352.xGoogle Scholar
Leark, R.A., Dupuy, T.R., Greenberg, L.M., Corman, C.L., Kindschi, C.L. (1999). T.O.V.A. Test of variables of attention: Professional guide. Los Alamitos, CA: Universal Attention Disorders, Inc.Google Scholar
Mattson, S.N., Calarco, K.E., Lang, A.R. (2006). Focused and shifting attention in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropsychology, 20(3), 361–369. doi:10.1037/0894-4105.20.3.361Google Scholar
Mattson, S.N., Goodman, A.M., Caine, C., Delis, D.C., Riley, E.P. (1999). Executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23(11), 1808–1815. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04077.xGoogle Scholar
Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P. (2000). Parent ratings of behavior in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and IQ-matched controls. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 24(2), 226–231. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2000.tb04595.xGoogle Scholar
Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P., Delis, D.C., Stern, C., Jones, K.L. (1996). Verbal learning and memory in children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 20(5), 810–816. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb05256.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P., Gramling, L.J., Delis, D.C., Jones, K.L. (1997). Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome leads to IQ deficits. Journal of Pediatrics, 131(5), 718–721. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(97)70099-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P., Gramling, L.J., Delis, D.C., Jones, K.L. (1998). Neuropsychological comparison of alcohol-exposed children with or without physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome. Neuropsychology, 12(1), 146–153.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattson, S.N., Roebuck, T.M. (2002). Acquisition and retention of verbal and nonverbal information in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26(6), 875–882. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02617.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattson, S.N., Vaurio, L. (2010). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. In Yeates, K.O., Ris, M.D., Taylor, H.G., Pennington, B.F. (Eds.), Pediatric neuropsychology: Research, theory, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 265–293). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
McGee, C.L., Bjorkquist, O.A., Riley, E.P., Mattson, S.N. (2009). Impaired language performance in young children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 31(2), 71–75. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2008.09.004CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roebuck-Spencer, T.M., Mattson, S.N. (2004). Implicit strategy affects learning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 28(9), 1424–1431. doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000139826.25247.5bCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sood, B., Delaney-Black, V., Covington, C., Nordstrom-Klee, B., Ager, J., Templin, T., Sokol, R.J. (2001). Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood behavior at age 6 to 7 years: I. Dose-response effect. Pediatrics, 108(2), e34–e42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sowell, E.R., Lu, L.H., O'Hare, E.D., McCourt, S.T., Mattson, S.N., O'Connor, M.J., Bookheimer, S.Y. (2007). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of verbal learning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuroreport, 18(7), 635–639. doi:10.1097/WNR.0b013e3280bad8dcGoogle Scholar
Sowell, E.R., Thompson, P.M., Mattson, S.N., Tessner, K.D., Jernigan, T.L., Riley, E.P., Toga, A.W. (2001). Voxel-based morphometric analyses of the brain in children and adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol. Neuroreport, 12(3), 515–523.Google Scholar
Sowell, E.R., Thompson, P.M., Mattson, S.N., Tessner, K.D., Jernigan, T.L., Riley, E.P., Toga, A.W. (2002). Regional brain shape abnormalities persist into adolescence after heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Cerebral Cortex, 12(8), 856–865. doi:10.1093/cercor/12.8.856Google Scholar
Spreen, O., Strauss, E. (Eds.). (1998). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Steinhausen, H.-C., Spohr, H.-L. (1998). Long-term outcome of children with fetal alcohol syndrome: Psychopathology, behavior and intelligence. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22(2), 334–338. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb03657.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strauss, E., Sherman, E.M.S., Spreen, O. (2006). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Streissguth, A.P. (1991). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Early and long-term consequences. In Harris, L. (Ed.), Problems of drug dependence 1991: Proceedings of the 53rd annual scientific meeting (NIDA Research Monograph No. 119) (pp. 126–130). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Google Scholar
Streissguth, A.P., Barr, H.M., Kogan, J., Bookstein, F.L. (1996). Final report: Understanding the occurrence of secondary disabilities in clients with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Publication Services.Google Scholar
Streissguth, A.P., Barr, H.M., Olson, H.C., Sampson, P.D., Bookstein, F.L., Burgess, D.M. (1994). Drinking during pregnancy decreases word attack and arithmetic scores on standardized tests: Adolescent data from a population-based prospective study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 18(2), 248–254. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb00009.xGoogle Scholar
Tabachnick, B.G., Fidell, L.S. (2001). Using Multivariate Statistics (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Google Scholar
Thomas, S.E., Kelly, S.J., Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P. (1998). Comparison of social abilities of children with fetal alcohol syndrome to those of children with similar IQ scores and normal controls. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22(2), 528–533. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb03684.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vaurio, L., Riley, E.P., Mattson, S.N. (2008). Differences in executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14, 119–129. doi:10.1017/S1355617708080144Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1991). Manual for the Wechsler intelligence scale for children – Third edition. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Whaley, S.E., O'Connor, M.J., Gunderson, B. (2001). Comparison of the adaptive functioning of children prenatally exposed to alcohol to a nonexposed clinical sample. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 25(7), 1018–1024. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2001.tb02311.xGoogle Scholar
Wilkinson, G.S. (1993). Manual for the wide range achievement test (3rd ed.). Wilmington, DE: Wide Range, Inc.Google Scholar
Willford, J.A., Leech, S.L., Day, N.L. (2006). Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and cognitive status of children at age 10. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 30(6), 1051–1059. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00119.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willford, J.A., Richardson, G.A., Leech, S.L., Day, N.L. (2004). Verbal and visuospatial learning and memory function in children with moderate prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 28(3), 497–507. doi:10.1097/01.ALC.0000117868.97486.2DCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willoughby, K.A., Sheard, E.D., Nash, K., Rovet, J. (2008). Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on hippocampal volume, verbal learning, and verbal and spatial recall in late childhood. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14(6), 1022–1033. doi:10.1017/S1355617708081368CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: PDF

Vaurio Supplementary Material

Vaurio Supplementary Appendix

Download Vaurio Supplementary Material(PDF)
PDF 46.4 KB