RESUMO
(1) It might be implied that those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with fewer sentinel facial features have a "milder" neuropsychological presentation, or present with fewer impairments than those with more sentinel facial features. The aim of this service evaluation was to compare the neuropsychological profile of people with FASD with varying numbers of sentinel facial features. (2) A clinical sample of 150 individuals with FASD, aged between 6 and 37 years, completed various standardised assessments as part of their diagnostic profiling. These included the documented level of risk of prenatal alcohol exposure (4-Digit Diagnostic Code), sensory needs (Short Sensory Profile), cognition (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th Edition; WISC-IV), and communication and socialisation adaptive behaviours (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-2nd Edition; VABS-II). As FASD has high comorbidity rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), these were also reviewed. The profiles of the 'FASD with 2 or 3 sentinel facial features' group (n = 41; 28 male, 13 female) were compared with the 'FASD with 0 or 1 sentinel facial features' group (n = 109; 50 male, 59 female) using Chi² tests, independent sample t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U analyses (where appropriate). (3) There were no significant differences between the two comparison groups across any measure included in this service evaluation. (4) Whilst sentinel facial features remain an important aspect in recognising FASD, our service evaluation indicates that there is no significant relationship between the number of sentinel facial features and the neuropsychological profile of people with FASD in terms of severity of presentation.
RESUMO
Extant literature is sparse with regards to the relationship between caregiver reports and neuropsychological tests of executive functioning in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The goal of this paper was determining the clinical utilities of executive functioning measures used in the United Kingdom national FASD clinic. We examined relationships between outcomes on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), as part of an ongoing service evaluation. Profiles of executive functioning measures were reported in order to contribute to delineating a profile of executive dysfunction in FASD. Caregivers of 49 people with FASD completed the Parent BRIEF, and 61 people with FASD were administered the D-KEFS. Pearson's Correlations between all 11 BRIEF scales and the 18 selected D-KEFS subscales showed little relationship. The BRIEF showed a profile of clinically significant elevations in all three Index scores and seven out of the eight Scale scores. Several D-KEFS tests showed below average executive functioning. Both executive function measures have separate clinical utility in demonstrating executive function deficits in FASD. The sample population used in this study also show a similar pattern to FASD populations internationally, suggesting a similar neuropsychological profile is seen in the United Kingdom. However, caregiver reports display little relationship to neuropsychological tests. These measures likely monitor different aspects of executive functioning in different settings. Future research should focus on identifying tests that better relate findings from clinical settings to behavior in daily life.
Assuntos
Função Executiva/fisiologia , Transtornos do Espectro Alcoólico Fetal/psicologia , Testes Neuropsicológicos/normas , Adolescente , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pais , Reino UnidoRESUMO
Previous studies suggest the involvement in timing functions of a surprisingly extensive network of human brain regions. But it is likely that while some of these regions play a fundamental role in timing, others are activated by associated task demands such as memory and decision-making. In two experiments, time perception (duration discrimination) was studied under two conditions of task difficulty and neural activation was compared using fMRI. Brain activation during duration discrimination was contrasted with activation evoked in a control condition (colour discrimination) that used identical stimuli. In the first experiment, the control task was slightly easier than the time task. Multiple brain areas were activated, in line with previous studies. These included the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, inferior parietal lobule and striatum. In the second experiment, the control task was made more difficult than the time task. Much of the differential time-related activity seen in the first experiment disappeared and in some regions (inferior parietal cortex, pre-SMA and parts of prefrontal cortex) it reversed in polarity. This suggests that such activity is not specifically concerned with timing functions, but reflects the relative cognitive demands of the two tasks. However, three areas of time-related activation survived the task-difficulty manipulation: (i) a small region at the confluence of the inferior frontal gyrus and the anterior insula, bilaterally, (ii) a small portion of the left supramarginal gyrus and (iii) the putamen. We argue that the extent of the timing "network" has been significantly over-estimated in the past and that only these three relatively small regions can safely be regarded as being directly concerned with duration judgements.