Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) demonstration project examines gene-environment interactions, predictive biomarkers, and the relationship between structural alterations in the brain and functional outcomes.

Prenatal alcohol exposure is a major, preventable cause of behavioural and cognitive deficits in children. Despite extensive research, a unique neurobehavioural profile for children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure remains elusive. A fundamental question to be addressed in this research project is how genetic and environmental factors interact with gestational alcohol exposure to produce neurobehavioural and neurobiological deficits in children.

The core objectives of the NeuroDevNet team in FASD over the first three years of funding is to create an integrated research program of basic and clinical investigations that will: (i) Identify genetic and epigenetic modifications that may be predictive of the neurobehavioural and neurobiological dysfunctions induced in offspring by gestational alcohol exposure; and (ii) Determine the relationship between structural alterations in the brain induced by gestational alcohol exposure and functional outcomes in offspring.

The overarching hypothesis to be tested is that neurobehavioural and neurobiological dysfunctions induced by gestational alcohol exposure are correlated with the genetic background of the affected child and/or epigenetic modifications in gene expression. Each child enrolled in the study will undergo psychometric and neurobehavioral tests, and will be examined for physiological, genetic and epigenetic markers. Established animal models will be used in parallel with the human studies to confirm the role of candidate genes and epigenetic marks suggested by the human studies, and to correlate these with neurobehavioral, neuroanatomical and physiological outcomes.

The identification of genetic and epigenetic markers that are predictive of the severity of behavioural and cognitive deficits in children affected by gestational alcohol exposure will have a profound impact on our ability to identify children at risk and provide a guide for the development of novel treatments or interventions.

Project proposal summary

Team Leads

James Reynolds
Queen’s University

Joanne Weinberg
University of British Columbia

Ab Chudley
University of Manitoba