Background: The central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is the most debilitating aspect of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Affected children exhibit numerous cognitive and behavioural deficits which can severely affect quality of life. As the diagnosis of FASDs often requires specially trained physicians, there is a need for sensitive and specific tools that screen PAE-related CNS dysfunction in order to identify individuals who require further consultation. Additionally, objective measures of intervention end-points are critical to assess potential treatments for this population. As saccadic eye movement behaviours reflect the integrity of multiple brain structures, a battery of oculomotor tasks may serve both these functions. This study sought to test the hypothesis that oculomotor performance in FASD would differ from typically developing children and would allow the objective measure of cognitive improvements resulting from a strength-based motor skills intervention. Methods: A cohort of 31 children with FASD, and 31 age- and sex-matched controls completed prosaccade, antisaccade, delayed memory-guided sequential (DMS) and predictive eye movement tasks. Additionally, a selection of these children were involved in an intervention study and therefore tested on three separate occasions using the eye movement tasks and computerized neuropsychological tests. Results: Compared to controls, children with FASDs elicited increased direction and anticipatory errors in the antisaccade task, increased timing and sequence errors in the DMS task, and increased anticipatory and decreased express saccades in the predictive task. The FASD group also exhibited an increase in the error of saccade trajectories in the pro- and antisaccade tasks, in addition to increased velocities of visually-guided saccades in the predictive task. Furthermore, those involved in the intervention study improved in measures of response inhibition in the DMS task. Conclusion: This study indicates that frontostriatal and cerebellar dysfunction can be assessed in children with FASDs using a battery of eye movement tasks. In addition, children involved in the strength-based motor skills intervention improved in the ability to perform complex oculomotor tasks. These findings suggest that select eye movement tasks may be utilized to identify CNS dysfunction in FASD and to measure cognitive improvements resulting from behavioural interventions. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-08-17 09:55:59.382

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High vitamin (HV), AIN-93G diet with ten-fold the regular amount of vitamins (RV), consumed by pregnant Wistar rats increases characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in their first litters. Therefore, the effects of the maternal HV-diet on tissue mechanisms regulating insulin resistance in offspring (Part 1) and on characteristics of MetS in the dams and their second litter (L2) offspring (Part 2) were examined. Part 1 (studies 1 and 2) hypothesis was that the maternal HV-diet alters tissue fatty acid (FA) concentrations, expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) genes, and their regulation of metabolism in the offspring, favoring insulin resistance. Part 2 (studies 3 and 4) hypothesis was that high-vitamin intakes during the first pregnancy increase weight gain, food intake and markers of MetS in both the dams and their litters. In all experiments, dams were fed the RV or HV-diet. In study 4, a high-folic-acid-diet (HFol, RV+10-fold folic acid) was added. In studies 1 and 2, the offspring were weaned to an obesogenic diet. The HV-diet affected tissue FA concentrations (study 1), increased muscle PPAR-ɑ mRNA levels and uncoupled relationships between hepatic PPAR-γ mRNA levels and insulin resistance (study 2) in male offspring. In study 3, dams fed the HV-diet during the first pregnancy were maintained on the RV-diet and then mated again after 12wk. Their litters were fed the RV-diet. The HV-diet increased weight gain and food intake of both dams and L2, and insulin resistance in their offspring. In study 4, both HV and HFol-diets increased post-weaning weight gain, but differed in their effects on biomarkers of food intake regulation. In conclusion, feeding the HV-diet during the first pregnancy increases post-weaning body weight and food intake in Wistar rat dams, uncouples tissue regulation of glucose metabolism and promotes characteristics of MetS in their litters. Folic acid is not the only vitamin involved.

High vitamin (HV), AIN-93G diet with ten-fold the regular amount of vitamins (RV), consumed by pregnant Wistar rats increases characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in their first litters. Therefore, the effects of the maternal HV-diet on tissue mechanisms regulating insulin resistance in offspring (Part 1) and on characteristics of MetS in the dams and their second litter (L2) offspring (Part 2) were examined. Part 1 (studies 1 and 2) hypothesis was that the maternal HV-diet alters tissue fatty acid (FA) concentrations, expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) genes, and their regulation of metabolism in the offspring, favoring insulin resistance. Part 2 (studies 3 and 4) hypothesis was that high-vitamin intakes during the first pregnancy increase weight gain, food intake and markers of MetS in both the dams and their litters. In all experiments, dams were fed the RV or HV-diet. In study 4, a high-folic-acid-diet (HFol, RV+10-fold folic acid) was added. In studies 1 and 2, the offspring were weaned to an obesogenic diet. The HV-diet affected tissue FA concentrations (study 1), increased muscle PPAR-ɑ mRNA levels and uncoupled relationships between hepatic PPAR-γ mRNA levels and insulin resistance (study 2) in male offspring. In study 3, dams fed the HV-diet during the first pregnancy were maintained on the RV-diet and then mated again after 12wk. Their litters were fed the RV-diet. The HV-diet increased weight gain and food intake of both dams and L2, and insulin resistance in their offspring. In study 4, both HV and HFol-diets increased post-weaning weight gain, but differed in their effects on biomarkers of food intake regulation. In conclusion, feeding the HV-diet during the first pregnancy increases post-weaning body weight and food intake in Wistar rat dams, uncouples tissue regulation of glucose metabolism and promotes characteristics of MetS in their litters. Folic acid is not the only vitamin involved.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-131). / Microfiche. / xvi, 131 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

Evaluation of fetal brain and cardiac Doppler parameters improves the identification of term, SGA fetuses with normal UA Doppler at risk of adverse perinatal outcome and abnormal neurobehavioral performance.SPECIFIC HYPOTHESIS:1. Cerebral blood perfusion is increased in SGA fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler as compared with normally grown fetuses.2. Increased cerebral blood perfusion is earlier detected by means of the fractional moving blood volume using power Doppler ultrasound than by spectral Doppler indices.3. Incorporation of fetal cardiac Doppler parameters might improve the identification of SGA fetuses with late-onset growth restriction.4. Combination of power and spectral brain Doppler indices could improve the prediction of emergency cesarean section for intrapartum fetal distress after labor induction in term, SGA fetuses.5. Abnormal cerebral blood perfusion discriminates SGA fetuses at risk of abnormal neurobehavioral performance with a better sensitivity than spectral Doppler indices.To evaluate the contribution of fetal brain and cardiac Doppler parameters in identifying SGA fetuses with late-onset intrauterine growth restriction at risk of emergency cesarean section for intrapartum fetal distress and abnormal neonatal neurobehavioral performance.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:1. To establish normal reference intervals of fetal regional brain blood perfusion using power Doppler ultrasound as measured by FMBV.2. To construct normal reference ranges of left modified myocardial performance index in near-term fetuses.3. To compare the temporal sequence of fetal brain hemodynamic changes in near-term SGA fetuses, as measured by spectral-Doppler indices or by FMBV.4. To evaluate the changes in myocardial performance index, aortic isthmus and ductus venosus in term, SGA fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler.5. To explore whether a combination of brain Doppler parameters could improve the prediction of emergency cesarean section for fetal distress and neonatal acidosis after labor induction in term SGA fetuses.6. To evaluate changes in cerebral blood perfusion and middle cerebral artery Doppler in term SGA fetuses and to explore their association with neonatal neurobehavioral performance.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.