黑料吃瓜

Ed Riley finds all the motivation he needs to continue his 35-year battle against  fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) whenever he spends time with children damaged in the womb by their mothers鈥� drinking.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where my real love is,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I take people who do basic research to see the kids, it changes their lives. They鈥檙e studying this problem in a cell culture dish, and then you say, 鈥楾his is why you鈥檙e doing it; it鈥檚 this little kid right here.鈥欌��

A distinguished professor of psychology at San Diego State and director of the university鈥檚 Center for Behavioral Teratology, for his foundational research in the field of fetal alcohol exposure.

He and his 黑料吃瓜 colleagues鈥� and 鈥攈ave won awards, recognition and continual funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a program of the prestigious National Institute of Health (NIH). Their combined funding on FASD research exceeds $44 million.

Riley became interested in the behavioral effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in the mid-1970s, just after fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) was first identified in children born to women who drank heavily during pregnancy.

Distinctive facial features

Early study of the syndrome focused on the small size and distinctive facial characteristics of affected individuals. But it soon became apparent that a child鈥檚 developing brain suffered the most from prenatal alcohol exposure, as evidenced by cognitive problems (learning, memory, attention) and behavioral problems (overactivity, poor communication skills), even in children lacking the physical characteristics of FAS.

Riley led the way in establishing alcohol as a behavioral teratogen鈥攁 substance that causes birth defects resulting in altered behavior or cognition, with or without associated physical attributes. In 1988, he and Mattson, then a graduate student, came to 黑料吃瓜 and began working with other area researchers involved in this emerging field of study.

鈥淲e started a line of research looking at changes in the brain and behavior based on exposure to alcohol,鈥� Riley summarized. 鈥淲e were really the first to show in a scientific exploration that you could have alterations in the brain and behavior in kids without the full-blown syndrome. We鈥檝e also been among the first to look at interventions, both pharmacological and nutritional.鈥�

Mattson explained the significance of . 鈥淏y comparing children鈥攖hose with FAS as defined by physical features and a second group known to have high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure but without the physical features of FAS鈥攚e discovered more similarities than differences in terms of cognitive deficits and behavioral effects.鈥�

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies also confirmed brain anomalies in both sets of children. These early findings led to a shift in thinking and diagnostics. Today, the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are viewed within a continuum known as the fetal alcohol spectrum.

Thomas joined the team in 1995, bringing additional expertise in brain development. She was also interested in the mechanisms by which alcohol causes damage to the fetal brain with the goal of discovering ways to prevent and treat its effects. As a result of Thomas鈥� input, the team is currently examining the effectiveness of various behavioral, pharmacological, and nutritional interventions for FASD. 

Improved screening and diagnosis

While the community of FAS researchers worldwide has grown over Riley鈥檚 career from a couple dozen to hundreds, the 黑料吃瓜 team, all psychology professors, remains in the forefront of advancements in the field.

Riley, Mattson and Thomas also coordinate an international consortium of institutions organized by the NIH to study the issue. Members have included Harvard, Emory and Indiana universities, as well as University College London, Queensland Institute of Biomedical Research in Australia and Folkhalsan Research Center in Finland.

With recent discoveries offering more specific indicators of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders than ever before, the 黑料吃瓜 researchers are now focused on improving screening and diagnosis to help identify affected children who don鈥檛 display the characteristic FAS physical features鈥攁nd the sooner the better.

Early intervention could help prevent or mitigate problems in school and at home and could also prevent the secondary disabilities, such as school dropout, substance abuse, and trouble with the law.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about a condition as common as autism and ADHD,鈥� Riley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most common developmental disorder that鈥檚 entirely preventable, and the most common cause of intellectual deficits that can be prevented. All we have to do is keep pregnant women from drinking.鈥�

Easier said than done, he admits, even with growing attention to the risks, including a 2005 Surgeon General鈥檚 recommendation that 鈥減regnant women and women who may become pregnant abstain from alcohol.鈥�

In the meantime, Riley and his colleagues remain committed to helping kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
 
鈥淭he brain is incredibly plastic,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淲e have evidence now that even after a child is born, we might be able to intervene鈥攚ith drug or behavioral therapy鈥攖hroughout that person鈥檚 lifespan. So just as we鈥檝e identified a continuum of effects, there鈥檚 also a continuum of hope.鈥�