TY  - JOUR
AU  - Yeh, Hermes H.
AU  - Delatour, Laurie C.
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/03/23
TI  - FASD and Brain Development: Perspectives on Where We are and Where We Need to Go
JO  - OBM Neurobiology
SP  - 002
VL  - 01
IS  - 01
AB  - Maternal consumption of alcohol (ethanol) during pregnancy can lead to life-long neurobehavioral and cognitive abnormalities in the offspring, collectively referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Prenatal exposure to ethanol is one of the leading causes of non-genetic intellectual disability and FASD is an umbrella category that includes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol Related Birth Defects, and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Children with a history of in utero exposure to even moderate levels of ethanol frequently present with varying degrees of a broad assortment of deleterious neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes. This presents formidable challenges in diagnosing FASD, and therefore in its treatment – on the one hand, the wide range of outcomes is not specific to prenatal exposure to ethanol; on the other hand, the diagnosis, by the very nature of the criteria, is conducted after birth while the primary etiology is clearly embryonic, yet unknown and underexplored. For these and other reasons, targeted and effective treatment options for FASD are lacking or at best, ill defined. The overarching theme driving this perspective is that preclinical investigations on brain development are a prerequisite for advancing our understanding of the embryonic cellular and molecular underpinnings of FASD and its associated abnormalities. In addition, preclinical studies will contribute to identifying therapeutic targets that will complement and broaden the scope of current management of FASD. This will guide the development of data-based strategies for intervention during fetal development, rather than being limited to management in newborns and children when irreversible damage has already been done.
SN  - 2573-4407
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1701002
DO  - 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1701002
ID  - Yeh2017
ER  -