Abstract

1. The CANDLE Study: A Multidisciplinary, Multi-University Research Partnership Frederick B. Palmer MD, J. Carolyn Graff PhD, Laura E. Murphy EdD, Frances A. Tylavsky PhD The Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) Study Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center The Urban Child Institute, Memphis, TN Abstract Infant and child development is a complex interaction between environmental, biological, social, cultural, and familial factors influenced by neighborhood and community context and operating from preconception, through gestation, infancy, and childhood. The CANDLE Study (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood) is a longitudinal cohort study designed to follow 1,500 pregnant women and their children living in Memphis/Shelby County, TN from the second trimester into childhood. The study is constructed to investigate the wide range of genetic, epigenetic, demographic, and social factors influencing child development across urban and suburban neighborhoods of Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee. CANDLE data include biological samples; demographic, health and nutritional measures of mother and infant; infant cognitive, language, socioemotional, and adaptive outcomes at 12, 24 and 36 months; screening for specific disabilities (e.g., autism); maternal mental health and cognition; and maternal-infant interactions. CANDLE grew from a broad partnership of university and community resources committed to improving the health, development and well-being of Memphis/Shelby County children. It is grounded in Life Course Model principles that: today’s experiences and exposures shape tomorrow’s health/development; health/development trajectories are strongly influenced during early sensitive periods; and the biologic, physical, and social environment greatly affects the capacity to be healthy and develop optimally. This poster outlines the CANDLE study design and structure. It highlights the multidisciplinary collaboration and the critical sponsorship role of The Urban Child Institute, a Memphis non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of children and families by focusing on brain development from conception to 3-years of age. The poster reviews the key roles of the UCEDD/LEND in developing and implementing outcome evaluations, including the significant roles of UCEDD/LEND trainees. Selected early basic and clinical research findings are presented to illustrate the broad potential of CANDLE. Opportunities for researchers from other programs to collaborate with CANDLE are available. Design and Sample Selected Results Geomapping capabilities allow CANDLE to examine neighborhood characteristics associated with child and family outcomes. In this map, living in distressed or vulnerable neighborhoods is associated with multiple moves in the child’s first year of life. (Courtesy Phyllis Betts, PhD) Courtesy Ron Adkins, PhD Estimated probably of SE problem associated with EPDS score CV1 and race Estimated Probability Maternal depression at 12 months was the best predictor of SE problems in 12 month old infants. However, an interaction between race and maternal depression is noted: as depression scores for African American mothers increased, the probability of these mothers reporting infant SE problems increased. EPDS score at CV (12 months) • Acknowledgements • CANDLE Participants: Parents and their children • CANDLE Staff: Patti Simpson MS, Maureen Miller MPH • LEND/UCEDD Cognitive Examiners: Colby Butzon PhD, Christina Warner-Metzger PhD, Bruce Keisling PhD, Cynthia Klubnick PhD, DanijelaZlatevski MS, Kristin Hoffman PhD, Jessica Myszak PhD, Pamela Najera PsyD, Caroline Gardner MA, Rachel Minelli BA, Lauren Benner MS, Jennifer Maynard BA, Tera Traylor BA. • Collaborators from UTHSC, U Memphis, Vanderbilt, UAB, UNC, Tulane, U British Colombia, Texas Tech • Conclusions • CANDLE will ultimately follow 1500 Memphis/Shelby County children, their mothers, and families into early childhood. • CANDLE is research based on Life Course Theory. It has the capacity to examine key biological, physical and social determinants of health and development in children and families. • As the cohort is evaluated through infancy and early childhood, CANDLE provides the opportunity to track individual, family, and community trajectories over time. • CANDLE offers opportunities for other researchers to collaborate in areas of their interest. The Urban Child Institute The Urban Child Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being and health of children from conception to three years old in Memphis and Shelby County. Organizationally, it is a data-driven, results-oriented coalition of community researchers, strategists, and practitioners who share a common vision of turning research into actionable knowledge. The Institute is working to become a recognized leader in child advocacy research, a trustworthy community partner, and a place of choice for expertise, advice, and collaboration for those who want to improve the lives of children in Memphis, Tennessee. The Urban Child Institute enthusiastically supports and sponsors CANDLE and its aims. • Selected Measures • Selected Maternal Measures: • Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) [maternal psychological problems] • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) • Parenting Stress Index (PSI) • Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, San Diego (TEMPS) • Selected Infant Measures: • Bayley Scales of Infant &Toddler Development-Screener (Bayley) • Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) • Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R) • Children with Special Healthcare Needs (CSHCN) Screener • Parent-Child Interaction Measure: • Parent-Child Interaction Teaching Scale (PCI)