EYEBLINK CONDITIONING MAY HELP IN ASSESSING CHILDREN WITH FETAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are extremely difficult to diagnose, as well as treat. But, new research indicates that eyeblink conditioning may provide a better model for assessing and diagnosing FAS in children.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an irreversible disorder in children that affects the learning centers of the brain and results in cognitive and behavioral impairment in the child for life. One of the most pressing problems in studying and treating this disorder is that it is difficult to diagnose. Although the more severe form of the disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is characterized by a distinct set of facial features and growth retardation, the majority of lack these features, and there is no recognized diagnostic criteria that can be used to identify them.

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NEW PROTOCOL REDUCES CHILDREN'S RADIATION EXPOSURE DURING CARDIAC PROCEDURES

A protocol that uses continuous real-time radiation monitoring, low-dose imaging programs and requires physician awareness of radiation dose, significantly reduced radiation exposure during electrophysiology procedures and catheter ablations to diagnose and treat heart arrhythmias in children, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

Invasive cardiac electrophysiology is used to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, which can range from the benign to the life-threatening.

In the study, researchers looked at boys and girls at an average age of 14.5 years who underwent electrophysiology procedures to diagnose and treat arrhythmias.

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