Adoption of an adult environmental neurobehavioral test battery

Robert W. Amler, Jeffrey A. Lybarger, W. Kent Anger, Betty L. Phifer, Willard Chappell, Leslie Hutchinson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nationally recognized experts participated in a 3-day workshop to discuss the complex issues associated with neurobehavioral testing in environmental health settings, and to propose basic and focused test batteries for use in evaluating populations living near hazardous chemical sites. The Adult Environmental Neurobehavioral Test Battery (AENTB), which evaluates major neurobehavioral domains and functions, was adopted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for use as a basic screening panel in field studies. Pilot testing of the AENTB demonstrated an examiner training requirement of 3-6 practice sessions, a mean total testing time of 58.0 min (SD = 9.6), and, for 9 of the component tests, a sample size requirement of fewer than 140 (α = 0.05,95% power) to detect a 20% difference between study groups. ATSDR administered the AENTB to 467 persons, selected randomly from 1,382 participants in field study sites in three states. Total testing time varied noticeably by participant age and study site, suggesting an ongoing need for site-specific controls in each field study using the AENTB. Also planned is adoption of a pediatric test battery to evaluate the domains and functions most relevant at major stages of child development.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)525-530
Number of pages6
JournalNeurotoxicology and Teratology
Volume16
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1994

Keywords

  • ATSDR
  • Behavioral tests
  • Environmental health study
  • Environmental toxicology
  • Hazardous substances
  • Neurotoxic disorders
  • Pollution
  • Superfund

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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