FASD, trauma and brain development: what MRI research can tell us

Description:
This webinar explores what neuroimaging research is showing us about prenatal alcohol exposure, FASD and brain development. Professor Catherine Lebel will present findings from her team's MRI studies of children and young people with prenatal alcohol exposure, including what those findings reveal about brain structure and development, and how they relate to cognition, behaviour and day-to-day functioning.

A central focus will be the relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and trauma, and what the research does and doesn't tell us about their respective contributions to neurodevelopmental presentations. Many children with FASD have also experienced significant adversity, and this overlap creates real challenges in clinical assessment and practice. We will hear how MRI studies can help us think about these questions, and what the current evidence can and can't tell us about distinguishing the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure from those of trauma in complex neurodevelopmental presentations.

Intended audience:
Clinicians, psychologists, paediatricians, allied health professionals, and others involved in neurodevelopmental assessment and support.

About the presenter:

Dr Catherine Lebel is a Professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Calgary and leads the Developmental Neuroimaging Lab. Her research uses MRI to study brain development in children and adolescents, including the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, adversity and other developmental influences on brain structure and function.

Dr Lebel’s work focuses on how brain development relates to cognition, behaviour and learning over time, with particular interests in neurodevelopment, brain plasticity and developmental outcomes in children with FASD. She has published extensively in the field of pediatric neuroimaging and is internationally recognised for her research using advanced MRI techniques to better understand brain development in children and young people.

This webinar will be recorded and a link shared with participants after the event.

Brought to you by the FASD Guidelines Dissemination Group.