Active clinical trials for "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders"

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine if music training improves behavioral or cognitive performance in children with prenatal alcohol exposure who meet research criteria for a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does music training improve behavioral regulation for children with an FASD Does music training improve cognitive performance (attention and working memory) for children with an FASD. The study has two interventions for each participant: music listening and piano training. Each participant will either practice piano daily for 12 weeks or listen to pre-selected music daily for 12 weeks. The order of the interventions will be randomized across participants. Assessment will occur before and after participation in each 12 week intervention.

Screen women of childbearing age (15 - 44 years) for high risk drinking in antenatal clinics of the established research sites in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (SA). While there are multiple reasons for this screening, the purpose is for selective (secondary) prevention of FASD. A.) Initiate a case control trial/efficacy study (n=400) of the use of one-session brief motivation enhancement therapy (MET) in busy public health settings (versus information only) in these rich research sites where very high rates of FASD have been documented over the entirety of the past two decades. B.) These targeted prevention activities follow both findings and staff experience in prevention over the past decade which indicate that the most likely venue for prevention activities is in antenatal clinics of the local, primary care clinics and hospitals. These activities will also provide tangible community-level pay back for participation in ongoing research activities and lay the groundwork for sustainable services going forward.

Physical and cognitive changes provoked by a pathology worsen the functional capability of the individual making it more difficult to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and causing dependency and/or disability. There are standardized observational tests for the clinical assessment of the degree of functional limitation in basic or instrumental ADLs (e.g., Assessment Motor and Process Skills - AMPS). On the other hand, all these tests bear the problem of the subjectivity of the evaluator in the analysis. The presence of the evaluator in the test may have an influence in the way a subject performs ADLs. The goal of the project is to develop a methodology to design, implement and validate automatic clinical tests of functional limitation, that: 1) give objective assessments with clinical validity, and 2) remove the interference in the test execution caused by the physical presence of the evaluator.

By longitudinal, prospective research in children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and their parents to explore the beneficial effects of participating in a standardized intervention program in order to treat and reduce the consequences of early brain damage. By using elements from international programs based on psychoeducation and parent training, the investigators aim to help parents to better understand and respond to the neurodevelopmental disabilities of their children, and thereby improving behavioral problems and self-regulation deficits.

The purpose of this study is to find out if there is a benefit to using the MyREADY Transition[TM] BBD App for brain-based disabilities, compared to not using it. To do this, some of the participants in this study will use the MyREADY Transition[TM] BBD App and others will not use the App. Everyone will continue to get the same care they have been getting (their usual care). The study team wants to see how youth will use the MyREADY Transition[TM] BBD App as they are getting ready to leave the children's hospital or children's treatment centre. And, they want to see if it will help youth to be knowledgeable about their own health. The study team hopes to see youth taking steps to develop the skills so they become better managers of their health. For example, this would include knowing about their medication or knowing when to ask for help from parents/caregivers and health care providers.

The objective of the study is to validate epigenetic changes as biomarkers in a prospective sampling of newborn blood samples collected at birth (umbilical cord blood) and during routine screening (heel stick blood) in newborns concurrently tested for alcohol exposure levels by PEth blood spot testing.

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of choline supplementation in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The primary outcome measures are cognitive measures.

The purpose of this study is to learn about the emotion regulation skills of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and different strategies that may improve these skills. This study is also testing whether a training program taught to caregivers is helpful. Children will be asked to: Complete a brief measure of verbal and nonverbal problem-solving skills. Play two computer games. Have their heart rate measured while completing a task that is designed to be mildly disappointing. Two ECG pads are placed on the chest with a small recorder. Play or relax with study staff while you are finishing caregiver activities. Caregivers will be asked to complete interviews and questionnaires about: the child's background, including any past stressful experiences the child's behavior and how s/he handles emotions caregiver views on the child's emotions and their own caregiver relationship with the child Stress caregivers experience as a parent

Study Summary: This study is being conducted in order to rigorously evaluate the real-world effectiveness of a publicly-funded, home-based, attachment-focused intervention Circle of Security (COS) Family Intervention Model (Marvin) in improving caregiving and child outcomes in families who have children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or who are at-risk for FASD, as delivered under routine practice conditions. Hypothesis: At post-test (after 36 sessions and 3-month follow-up), compared to a wait-list control group receiving standard services, the treatment group receiving COS will show greater improvement in caregiver behaviour, as well as child emotional and behavioural outcomes.

Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a myriad of adverse developmental outcomes in children, and is the leading cause of mental disability in Canada. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) was established to encompass the full spectrum of teratogenic effects induced by alcohol. FAS is believed to occur in approximately 1 to 3 per 1000 live births in North America, and it is estimated that FASD may occur as frequently as 1 in 100 live births, making this a public health problem of epidemic proportion. Even though considerable efforts have been aimed at identifying children with FASD, the need for access to services and supports for Canadian families affected by FASD remains unfulfilled. Additionally, there is little empirical data available to influence policy change in how these services and supports are delivered. A key recommendation contained in the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): A Framework for Action document was the need to determine the types of supports children with FASD and their families require and to develop appropriate mechanisms to provide these services at the community, provincial/territorial and federal levels. This identified need forms the basis of the current proposal. Although a variety of psychosocial interventions have been developed to treat neurobehavioural disorders, relatively little research has been conducted that is specifically aimed at improving the behavioral challenges identified in children with FASD. Thus, we hypothesize that (i) a FASD-specific parent/guardian training intervention can be developed using input from major stakeholders to meet the current limitations in access for families seeking services and supports; and (ii) this intervention and its evaluation will provide evidence for feasibility and efficacy to support changes in policy by key decision-makers and provide the basis for developing promising practices in the area of interventions for families affected by FASD. This grant will link academic teams with parents/guardians and decision makers to develop and evaluate a training program for the parents/guardians of children with FASD. Participants will be recruited from across Canada. The specific objectives of the proposed research program, which will be addressed in three inter-related studies, are to: Develop an Internet-based intervention program for parents/guardians of children with FASD between the ages of 4-12 years, that is based on information collected from interviews completed by major stakeholders (e.g., parents/guardians, clinicians, decision-makers, community-based organizations); Evaluate the feasibility (usability) of the intervention; and Obtain data on outcomes from the randomized controlled trial This research will adopt an integrated knowledge translation and exchange approach where knowledge production, dissemination, uptake and usage will occur seamlessly throughout the project and researchers and knowledge users are engaged in the project right from its inception. The intervention will be based on the Strongest Families program that is designed to help families learn to deal with common childhood problems in the comfort and privacy of their home, and provide treatment and care via telephone contact with trained coaches, written manuals, videotapes, and audiotapes. This program has been successful in children neurodevelopmental disorders; and will be adapted for use in the FASD population, as children with FASD, share many of the same behavioral characteristics.