Basic research in people with FASD also is providing new methods for assessing alcohol’s clinical effects. Studies have identified several relationships between facial measurements and brain structure in FASD (reviewed in Moore et al. 2014). For example, shorter palpebral fissures predict volume reductions in the bilateral ventral diencephalon, a thinner anterior corpus callosum, and a thicker right inferior frontal cortex. The smoothness of the philtrum predicts volumetric reductions in the thalamus and the left pallidum. Facial measures also predict brain maturation patterns: Children with greater facial dysmorphia displayed a linear pattern of cerebral cortex growth, at least from childhood through adolescence, rather than the developmentally appropriate inverted U-shaped trajectory. Continued research examining the relationship between face, brain, and behavioral outcomes resulting from prenatal alcohol eventually may lead to the identification of specific patterns of anomalies that can be used to better identify FASD and improve diagnosis. Moreover, patterns of outcomes may illuminate mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts developmental processes, which can inform treatment strategies. It must be cautioned, however, that the utility of these findings will largely depend on their sensitivity and specificity to alcohol.
