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<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000">Hello
all:</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1">The National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development has formed a planning group to develop
an overall plan of developmental research related initiatives for
NICHD to emphasize and fund during the next decade. I would
appreciate your suggestions regarding the following scientific goals
for NICHD sponsored research activity. These may have a direct impact
on future funding priorities so some justification for your
recommendations would be very helpful. <font color="#000000">These
goals are a subset of the more complete list that can found
at</font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1"
color="#000000">http://www.nichd.nih.gov/strategicplan/ce<span
></span>lls/</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000">Your comments would
be appreciated on the following:</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><b>I. SCIENTIFIC
GOALS</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000">Although the
following strategic research areas are diverse and wide-ranging, they
all require an integrated,<br>
multidisciplinary approach. These areas were identified on the basis
of our most recent breakthroughs in<br>
developmental research, and represent areas where gaps in our current
understanding of development still exist, as<br>
well as where the integration of biological with behavioral science
can best be applied to the developmental problems<br>
faced by children in our society today.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
<b>A. Biobehavioral Bases of Developmental Continuities and
Discontinuities: From Birth Through<br>
Parenthood<br>
</b>An emphasis on development is an important approach to
biobehavioral research, which is unique to NICHD<br>
research. For our purposes, it is critical to apply biobehavioral
research paradigms to questions that are relevant<br>
to specific developmental periods, developmental transitions across
periods, or commonly experienced<br>
developmental episodes. Much more needs to be learned about the
biobehavioral bases of development, and the<br>
continuities and discontinuities that occur as children mature from
birth until they themselves reach parenthood.<br>
The behaviors of interest include cognition, perception, attention,
memory, speech, language, emotional and social<br>
developmental behaviors, as well as the ability to regulate behaviors
(e.g., behavioral inhibition, sleep regulation,<br>
and feeding). The processes here are also
bidirectional-biobehavioral studies should be able to address
not<br>
only how behavioral/environmental processes influence biological
development but also how biological factors<br>
influence behavioral/environmental interactions. Many of the emphasis
areas below target areas where critical<br>
knowledge gaps exist.<br>
* <b>Influences of Sex/Gender Throughout the Developmental Process:
</b>There are few studies on why<br>
differences exist between males and females in the occurrence of
behaviors and related diseases. To better<br>
understand this aspect of human development, it is important to
clarify the interaction of biological factors with<br>
environmental, social, and cultural influences and to examine how
these mechanisms lead to differential<br>
outcomes between the sexes.<br>
* <b>Fetal Behavior: </b>We know little as to what fetal and early
postnatal behaviors, and their interactions with<br>
biological and environmental factors, tell us about the developing
fetus or neonate and how such behavior is<br>
related to physical and neurological status and perinatal outcome.<br>
* <b>Understanding and Facilitating Learning in Typically
Developing Populations: </b>Much more science-based<br>
evidence needs to be gathered to help us understand how best to aid
the learning process for <i>all </i>children<br>
across a variety of domains (e.g., reading, mathematics, reasoning,
and critical thinking). This research<br>
requires a truly integrated, biobehavioral approach. Such research
needs to relate our understanding of<br>
neuroanatomical development, developing brain processes,
neurochemical and neuroendocrine effects with</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000">learning behaviors
and environmental influences (e.g., curriculum, mode of presentation
of content, home environment influences, peer influences). Particular
attention needs to be paid to disparities in learning acquisition and
outcomes as functions of biological as well as environmental
factors.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><b>B. Therapeutic
Interventions for Developmental Disabilities and Related Conditions
(Including Mental Retardation and Other Atypical Development)<br>
</b>This emphasis area refers to exploiting basic scientific advances
to further the development of innovative therapies<br>
(including new pharmaceuticals), as well as to refine and enhance the
use of interventions, based on the effective<br>
dissemination of these advances, for specific developmental problems.
Studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms<br>
and processes concerning a specific disease, or disability and
efficacy of related therapeutics. This would include<br>
pharmacological, educational, and psychological mechanisms and
interventions. Researchers also must examine why<br>
some interventions are effective for one individual and not for
another. Such efficacy assessments should include<br>
measures relevant to independent and adaptive functioning. Long-term
followup studies also are needed to better<br>
understand the impact of, or outcomes associated with, the use of
specific interventions over time. Both animal<br>
models and human applications are pertinent. Some specific examples
of areas to target include:<br>
* <b>Clinical Trials of Existing Pharmacotherapies in Specific
Disabilities or Disease Groups in<br>
Children: </b>There is a paucity of research addressing the efficacy,
long-term side effects, and outcomes of a<br>
wide range of commonly used pharmacological agents in children. Such
research requires both cross-sectional<br>
and longitudinal approaches. This emphasis area is particularly
relevant for children with multiple<br>
disorders, dual-diagnosis disabilities, or mental retardation and for
guiding practitioners to use more effective<br>
pharmacological interventions for children with developmental
disabilities.<br>
* <b>Innovation and Translations of Interventions for Specific
Learning and Other Developmental<br>
Disabilities: </b>A pressing need exists to develop effective
interventions for children with developmental<br>
disabilities involving learning deficits or behavior deficits (e.g.,
stereotyped, aggressive, self-injurious<br>
behaviors) that interfere with optimal development. This would
include developing both new pharmaceuticals<br>
and other biological or behavioral strategies based on emerging
scientific advances. This intervention research<br>
will require identifying and clarifying the neurobiological,
behavioral, and environmental mechanisms and<br>
processes underlying efficacy. Therapeutic research also needs to
address the optimal timing of intervention<br>
throughout development. In addition, a great need exists to develop
innovative interventions that address<br>
deficits in reading, mathematics, written communication skills,
language usage, communication strategies, and<br>
learning ability or retention. The development of intervention
strategies and devices should be emphasized for<br>
both typical and atypical developmental populations.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br>
* <b>Interaction of Neurotoxic or Infectious Agents With
Development: </b>Prenatal and perinatal exposure to<br>
infectious agents and toxins has been linked to pathogenesis of
developmental disabilities and neuropsychiatric<br>
disorders. Researchers need to learn more about the possible
connections and identify the mechanisms by<br>
which such outcomes may occur, how such effects can be treated, and
any related long-term outcomes.<br>
</font><br>
</div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1">I need your input by Friday. These
topics and rationales will form the basis for a series of discussions
at NIH involving panel members over the next 2 weeks.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1">Thanks,</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1">Dennis Molfese</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="+1">dmolfese@louisville.edu</font></div>
<div><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Dennis L. Molfese, Ph.D.<br>
Distinguished University Scholar<br>
Editor-in-Chief: Developmental Neuropsychology<br>
Chair and Professor<br>
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences<br>
University of Louisville<br>
317 Life Sciences Building<br>
Belknap Campus<br>
Louisville, KY 40292-0001<br>
<br>
502/852-6775 or 502/852-8274<br>
FAX: 502-852-8904<br>
dmolfese@louisville.edu<br>
dlmolf01@athena.louisville.edu</div>
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