ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In the medicolegal literature, notching of the corpus callosum has been reported to be associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Our purpose was to analyze the prevalence of notching of the corpus callosum in a fetal alcohol spectrum disorders group and a healthy population to determine whether notching occurs with increased frequency in the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter search for cases of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and included all patients who had a sagittal T1-weighted brain MR imaging. Patients with concomitant intracranial pathology were excluded. The corpus callosum was examined for notches using previously published methods. A χ2 test was used to compare the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and healthy groups. RESULTS: Thirty-three of 59 patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (0-44 years of age) identified across all centers had corpus callosum notching. Of these, 8 had an anterior corpus callosum notch (prevalence, 13.6%), 23 had a posterior corpus callosum notch (prevalence, 39%), and 2 patients demonstrated undulated morphology (prevalence, 3.4%). In the healthy population, the anterior notch prevalence was 139/875 (15.8%), posterior notch prevalence was 378/875 (43.2%), and undulating prevalence was 37/875 (4.2%). There was no significant difference among the anterior (P = .635), posterior (P = .526), and undulating (P = .755) notch prevalence in the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and healthy groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in notching of the corpus callosum between patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the healthy population. Although reported to be a marker of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, notching of the corpus callosum should not be viewed as a specific finding associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Subject(s)
Corpus Callosum/diagnostic imaging , Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Corpus Callosum/pathology , Female , Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/pathology , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Neuroimaging/methods , Pregnancy , Young AdultABSTRACT
The authors describe their experience with the implementation of a systematic evaluation of child psychiatry fellows and adult psychiatry residents rotating through a child psychiatry program. They found that the semiannual evaluations not only defined the competence of fellows and residents but also enhanced the program by pointing out areas of weakness. The evaluation process had many other beneficial effects on the program, the faculty, the child psychiatry fellows, and the adult psychiatry residents.
