Creating a preliminary neurobehavioral profile of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

A continuum of physical, mental, and behavioral damage is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and is referred to by the non-diagnostic term, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). While the identification of children along the continuum of FASD is complicated, it is also necessary in order to assist more precise diagnoses and/or better treatment options. A new study has constructed a preliminary neurobehavioral profile of FASD using neuropsychological data from a multisite study, finding that executive functioning and spatial processing are especially sensitive to alcohol exposure.