Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) show deficits in verbal learning and spatial memory, as well as abnormal hippocampal development. The relationship between their memory and neuroanatomic impairments, however, has not been directly explored. Given that the hippocampus is integral for the synthesis and retrieval of learned information and is particularly vulnerable to the teratogenic effects of alcohol, we assessed whether reduced learning and recall abilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are associated with abnormal hippocampal volumes. Nineteen children with FASDs and 18 typically developing controls aged 9 to 15 years were assessed for verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Images were analyzed for total intracranial volume and for right and left hippocampal volumes. Results revealed smaller left hippocampi and poorer verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall performance in children with FASDs than controls, as well as positive correlations between selective memory indices and hippocampal volumes only in the FASD group. Additionally, hippocampal volumes increased significantly with age in controls only, suggesting that PAE may be associated with long-term abnormalities in hippocampal development that may contribute to impaired verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall. (JINS, 2008,14, 1022–1033.)

Few studies have examined both episodic and semantic autobiographical memory (AM) performance during late childhood and early adolescence. Using the newly developed Children’s Autobiographical Interview (CAI), the present study examined the effects of age and sex on episodic and semantic AM and everyday memory in 182 children and adolescents. Results indicated that episodic and semantic AM both improved between 8 and 16 years of age; however, age-related changes were larger for episodic AM than for semantic AM. In addition, females were found to recall more episodic AM details, but not more semantic AM details, than males. Importantly, this sex difference in episodic AM recall was attenuated under conditions of high retrieval support (i.e., the use of probing questions). The ability to clearly visualize past events at the time of recollection was related to children’s episodic AM recall performance, particularly the retrieval of perceptual details. Finally, similar age and sex effects were found between episodic AM and everyday memory ability (e.g., memory for everyday activities). More specifically, older participants and females exhibited better episodic AM and everyday memory performance than younger participants and males. Overall, the present study provides important new insight into both episodic and semantic AM performance, as well as the relation between episodic AM and everyday memory, during late childhood and adolescence.

In an effort to improve the screening and diagnosis of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), research has focused on the identification of a unique neurodevelopmental profile characteristic of this population. The objective of this review was to identify any existing neurodevelopmental profiles of FASD and review their classification function in order to identify gaps and limitations of the current literature. A systematic search for studies published up to the end of December 2016 reporting an identified neurodevelopmental profile of FASD was conducted using multiple electronic bibliographic databases. The search was not limited geographically or by language of publication. Original research published in a peer-reviewed journal that involved the evaluation of the classification function of an identified neurodevelopmental profile of FASD was included. Two approaches have been taken to determine the pathognomonic neurodevelopmental features of FASD, namely the utilization of i) behavioral observations/ratings by parents/caregivers and ii) subtest scores from standardized test batteries assessing a variety of neurodevelopmental domains. Both approaches show some promise, with the former approach (which is dominated by research on the Neurobehavioral Screening Tool) having good sensitivity (63% to 98%), but varying specificity (42% to 100%), and the latter approach having good specificity (72% to 96%), but varying sensitivity (60% to 88%). The current review revealed that research in this area remains limited and a definitive neurodevelopmental profile of FASD has not been established. However, the identification of a neurodevelopmental profile will aid in the accurate identification of individuals with FASD, by adding to the armamentarium of clinicians. The full review protocol is available in PROSPERO ( http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ ); registration number CRD42016039326; registered 20 May 2016.

Objective. Although favorable outcome is typically described in follow-up studies of children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) identified by newborn screening, IQ reductions and persistent cognitive deficits are still reported. These findings are accounted for by disease and treatment variables as well as methodologic factors including choice of comparison group. Although siblings are ideal because they control for genetic and environmental influences, by definition they have different ages when tested, which can also introduce bias. Because we followed children with CH and their siblings over an extended period of time, there were a number of occasions when both groups were tested at the same age. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of children with CH and their unaffected siblings at the same age and with the same test. Methods. The sample consisted of 42 children with CH detected between 1975 and 1985 and their 42 siblings, all of whom were tested with the McCarthy or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R) intelligence tests. Nineteen pairs of children were evaluated at 6 years with the McCarthy, and 30 pairs of children were evaluated at 7 or 9 years with the WISC-R. Recorded for children with CH were disease etiology, bone age and thyroxine levels at diagnosis, age at onset of treatment, and starting dosage of levothyroxine. Results. Paired t tests revealed that the CH group scored lower than siblings by 8.1 IQ points on the McCarthy and 6.2 points on the WISC-R. Factors contributing to the size of the CH-sibling IQ difference were (1) the etiology of hypothyroidism, reflecting the larger differences by those with athyreosis or an ectopic gland than dyshormonogenesis, and (2) the starting dosage of levothyroxine, with those initially treated with ≥8.2 μg/kg per day having smaller CH-sibling differences than those given lower starting doses. There were no effects of bone age, thyroxine levels at diagnosis, or age at treatment onset. Conclusion. Children with CH treated early in life due to newborn screening may have reduced IQ relative to siblings.