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An international group of researchers took one of the first
major steps in the search for biological changes in the brain that drive
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). New work using chaos theory for
badyze the signals of the brain, discussed this month in the newspaper chaos, from AIP Publishing, shows the long-term effects.
The researchers found that teens exposed to alcohol while they
in the uterus have shown altered brain connections that were consistent with
impairment of cognitive performance. Their results were achieved by measuring
the answers of a brain imaging technique called
magnetoencephalography (MEG) then badyze them with tools
developed using chaos theory.
FASD is one of the leading causes of intellectual disability
around the world and is linked to a wide range of neurological problems,
including ADHD. Although the dominant theory links pregnant women to
alcohol consumption to cognitive disorders in children, questions
about the magnitude of this effect remain. Despite the known link,
researchers are uncertain about the precise mechanism by which alcohol
changes brain development
The group's efforts mark one of the first times researchers have
been able to quantify the effects of alcohol exposure on developing countries
brain.
"The document provides important integrative results for the field of
FASD, "said Julia Stephen, an author of the newspaper. "These results can
then indicate that simple sensory measurements can bring sensitivity to
brain deficits that affect the wider cognitive domain. "
Previous attempts to study brain circuits in affected people
individuals were embarrbaded by the difficulty of drawing conclusions
from complicated MEG data.
To get to the heart of the problem, the team members developed a
sophisticated computer technique called cortical spatio-temporal beginning
multidipolar badysis that could identify areas of the brain that were
active when the research subjects were in the MEG machine.
After data from 19 patients with FASD and 21 subjects without FASD were
collected, the IT approach revealed several areas of the
brain that has shown impaired connectivity within the TSAF group.
Subjects exposed to alcohol in the uterus were more likely to
have connection problems through their corpus callosum, the band of
brain tissue that connects the left and right halves of the brain.
Deficits in this area have been reported in people with schizophrenia,
multiple sclerosis, autism, depression and sensation abnormalities.
"This work presents major evidence that children exposed to alcohol
prenatally are at risk of impaired cognitive abilities
and other secondary factors, "said Lin Gao, a newspaper author. "Our
study … shows that there are no quantities or safe steps during
pregnancy for alcohol consumption.
The authors hope that their work will inspire other groups to
similarly collaborative research on diseases like FASD that benefit from
bringing together the medical and computer fields.
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