SELECTIVE APPROACHES TO BASIC NEUROBEHAVIORAL TESTING OF CHILDREN IN ENVIRONMENTAL-HEALTH STUDIES

To identify neurotoxic effects in children living near hazardous waste sites, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) h as designed a basic Pediatric Environmental Neurobehavioral Test Batte ry (PENTB) for children 1 through 16 years of age. It emphasizes tests appropriate to the stages of a child's development. These stages were fundamental factors in selecting tests for the PENTB, which includes both informant- and performance-based assessment procedures. Assessmen t of children under 4 years of age is restricted to four informant-bas ed instruments, to evaluate as many functions as possible while minimi zing testing time and the professional expertise needed in the test se tting. The assessment of children 4 through 16 years of age includes 1 0 performance-based tests to evaluate key functions within the cogniti ve, motor, and sensory domains analogous to functions affected by neur otoxic chemicals in adults. In all age groups; it is crucial to also a ssess family, cultural, economic, and other potentially confounding va riables.