“Eye movement” test may help treat fetal alcohol syndrome

A simple test that measures eye movement may help to identify children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and ultimately lead to improved treatment for the condition, say Queen’s University researchers in Canada.

At present there are no objective diagnostic tools that can be used to distinguish between children with FASD – which affects approximately 1% of children in Canada – and those with other developmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“Having a set of tests that can be used as diagnostic tools for fetal alcohol syndrome and all of the other behavioural disorders classified under the broader term fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is tremendously valuable,” says Dr. James Reynolds, who is part of a $1.25-million Queen’s-led team focusing on fetal alcohol syndrome, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “Now we can begin to identify specific deficits in these children.”

Many of the behavioural tests used to assess children with FASD are geared to white, middle-class English-speaking people, notes Reynold’s co-worker Courtney Green. “The biggest problem [in current tests] is cultural insensitivity,” she says. “By measuring eye movement we can cut across cultural barriers and provide objectivity in identifying the disorder.”