ADOPTION OF AN ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL TEST BATTERY

Nationally recognized experts participated in a 3-day workshop to disc uss the complex issues associated with neurobehavioral testing in envi ronmental health settings, and to propose basic and focused test batte ries for use in evaluating populations living near hazardous chemical sites. The Adult Environmental Neurobehavioral Test Battery (AENTB), w hich evaluates major neurobehavioral domains and functions, was adopte d 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 se ssions, a mean total testing time of 58.0 min (SD = 9.6), and, for 9 o f the component tests, a sample size requirement of fewer than 140 (al pha = 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 t he AENTB. Also planned is adoption of a pediatric test battery to eval uate the domains and functions most relevant at major stages of child development.