1. To study the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse on child development
2. To study the effects of cognitive processes on directed reaching in high risk children

Biography

Dr. Linda LaGasse is Associate Professor of Pediatrics(Research)and Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research) and the Director of Research of the Brown Center for the Study of Infants at Risk at Brown Medical School and Women & Infants Hospital. Dr. LaGasse is particularly interested in the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse on development including early infant cry, cognitive-motor processes, later behavior problems and psychopathology. Currently her primary focus is two multi-site, longitudinal studies of children with prenatal exposure to methamphetamine and adolescents with prenatal exposure to cocaine. She is also PI of an international study in New Zealand extending her work on prenatal methamphetamine exposure and child outcome. She is particularly interested in the ipact of prenatal exposure and early adversity on development of children and adolescents. Dr. LaGasse has over 70 peer reviewed publications and chapters, serves on the Editorial Board of neurotoxicology and Teratology and ad hoc grant reviewer for several NIH institutes. Her research is supported by NIH grants for the past 15 years.

Institutions

Wih

Research Description

I have been studying children who are part of the multi-site, NIH Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS), a longitudinal study of 1000 children prenatally exposed to cocaine. The MLS children are now preadolescents, and my current work focuses on the etiology of poor outcomes. One study examines predictors of obesity (MLS children exceed the national average for obesity). A second study determines pathways to antisocial behavior and early substance use. I am also studying children who are part of the multi-site NIH Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle (IDEAL) Study, a longitudinal study of 400 children prenatally exposed to methamphetamine during pregnancy. My current work in the IDEAL study utilizes acoustic analysis of infant cries to examine the effects of methamphetamine exposure on arousal and regulatory processes. My secondary research area merges cognition with kinematic analysis of directed reaches in high risk children. Kinematic analysis provides a high resolution description of reaching efficiency (e.g, number of movement units, acceleration). For infants with prenatal cocaine exposure, I use a reaching-in-the dark paradigm to test their memory for sounding, unseen objects. For youth who were born premature, I use a two-choice task to test for motor perturbations based on decision rules.

Additionally, in my role of Director of Research, I am the scientific administrator for the MLS and IDEAL studies, which includes protocol development and implementation, oversight of site adherence to protocol, and oversight of the Neurobehavioral Data Center that conducts data reduction and analysis.

Awards

N/A

Affiliations

Society for Research in Child Development
American Psychological Society
American Psychological Association
International Society for Infant Studies

Funded Research

Principal Investigator, "Infants' Understanding of Auditory Events"
National Science Foundation (DBS-9396020), September 1992 to February 1995

Principal Investigator, "Cocaine/Alcohol Exposure and Infant Outcome"
National Institute of Drug Abuse (42-USC-241-42-CRF-52), September 1996 to August 1998

Principal Investigator, "Cocaine Exposure: Reaching, Kinematics and Cognition"
National Institute of Drug Abuse (RO3-DA-10817), February 1997 to January 1999

Co-Principal Investigator, "Neurodevelopmental Battery for the Maternal Lifestyle Study"
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, October 1, 2003 to September 31, 2007

Co-Principal Investigator, "Methamphetamine Exposure and Child Development"
National Institute of Drug Abuse, September 2001 to August 2006

Co-Investigator, "Maternal Lifestyle Study 8-11 Year Follow-up"
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, April 2003 to March 2006

Teaching Experience

Undergraduate Advisor, Brown University: Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award (UTRA), Program in Liberal Medical Eduction (PLME) summer research assistantship, senior honors and independent research.

Graduate/Fellowship training: Masters, PhD, Pediatric and post doctoral fellows.

Primary focus: Implications of prenatal drug exposure on cognitive-motor control, neurobehavior, growth.

View My Full Publication List in pdf format

Selected Publications

• LaGasse, L. L.,Hammond, J., Liu, J., Lester, B. M., Shankaran, S., Bada, H., Bauer, C.,, Higgins, R., Das, A. Violence and delinquency, early onset drug use, and psychopathology in drug exposed youth at 11 years. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (in press).(IN PRESS)
• Smith, L.M., LaGasse, L.L., Derauf, C., Grant, P., Shah, R., Arria, A., Huestis, M., Haning W., Strauss, A., DellaGrotta, S., Fallone, M., Liu, J., Lester, B.M. The Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study: effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure, polydrug exposure, and poverty on intrauterine growth. Pediatrics (in press).(IN PRESS)
• Arria, A.M., Derauf, C., LaGasse, L., Grant, P., Shah, R., Smith L., Haning W., Huestis, M., Strauss, A., DellaGrotta, S., Liu, J., Lester, B. Methamphetamine and Other Substance Use During Pregnancy: Preliminary Estimates from the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle (IDEAL) Study. Maternal and Child Health Journal May;10(3):293-302.(2006) Epub Jan 5 (2006).(2006)
• Sheinkopf, S.J., Lester B. M., LaGasse, L., Seifer, R., Bauer, C. R., Shankaran, S., Bada, H., Poole, K., Weight, L., Smeriglio, V. Interactions between maternal characteristics and neonatal behavior in the prediction of parenting stress and perception of infant temperament. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2006; 31(1):27-40.(2006)
• Lester, B., LaGasse, L., Smith, L. M., Derauf, C., Grant P., Shah, R., Arria, Am., Huestis, M., Liu, J. Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine and child development. Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group 2005, 22:1-4.(2005)
• LaGasse, LL, Shankaran, S, Bada, H, Liu, J, Lester, BM, Bauer, CR, Petersen, MC, Higgins, RD, Smeriglio, V, Poole, K. Predictors of Overweight at 9 Years in Cocaine-Exposed Children. PAS 2005: 57: 2005.(2005)
• Coyle, M.G., Ferguson A., LaGasse, L., Liu, J., Lester, B. Neurobehavioral effects of treatment for opiate withdrawal: A comparison of treatment strategies. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2005;90:f73-74.(2005)
• LaGasse, L. L., Neal, A. R., Lester, B. M. Assessment of infant cry: Acoustic cry analysis and parental perception. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities 2005;11:83-93.(2005)
• Miller-Loncar, C., Lester, B. M., Seifer, R., LaGasse, L. L., Bauer C. R., Shankaran, S., Bada, H. S., Wright, L. L., Smeriglio, V. L., Liu, J. Predictors of motor development in children prenatally exposed to cocaine. Neurotoxicology & Teratology 2005; 27:213-220.(2005)
• Tronick, E.Z., Messinger, D.S., Weinberg, M.K., Lester, B.M., LaGasse, L., Seifer, R., Bauer C. R., Shankaran, S., Bada, H. S., Wright, L. L., Smeriglio, V. L., Poole, K., Liu, J. Cocaine exposure compromises infant and caregiver social emotional behavior and dyadic interactive features in the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm. Development Psychology 2005;41:711-722.(2005)
• Wouldes, T., LaGasse, L. L., Sheridan, J., Lester, B. Maternal methamphetamine use during pregnancy and child outcome: What do we know? New Zealand Medical Journal 2004;117(1206):1-10.(2004)
• Messinger, S.D., Bauer C.R., Das, A., Seifer, R., Lester, B., LaGasse, L.L., Wright, L.L., Shankaran, S., Bada, H., Smeriglio, V., Langer, J., Beeghly NM., Poole, K. The Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS): Cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes of cocaine exposed and opiate exposed infants through three years of age. Pediatrics 2004;113(6):1677-1685.(2004)
• LaGasse, L., Derauf, C., Grant, P., Shah, R., Smith L., Arria, A., Huestis, M., Strauss, A., Haning W., DellaGrotta, S., Fallone, M., Liu, J., Lester, B. Prenatal methamphetamine exposure and neonatal cry acoustic analysis: Preliminary results from the Infant Development, Environment, and Lifestyle Study (IDEAL). Pediatric Research, 55, No. 4. Part 2, 72A, 2004.(2004)
• Salisbury, A., LaGasse, L., Lester, B., Maternal-fetal psychobiology: A very early look at emotional development. In J. Nadel, D. Muir (Eds.), The Future of Emotion. Oxford University Press, 2004.(2004)
• LaGasse, L., Lester, B., Seifer, R., Bauer, C., Shankaran, S., Bada, H.S., Poole, K., Wright, L., Smeriglio, V., Liu, J. Prenatal cocaine exposure and cognitive development at school age. Pediatric Research, 55, No. 4. Part 2, 69A, 2004. [Platform talk, SPR, 2004].(2004)
• Seifer, R., LaGasse, L. L., Lester, B. M., Bauer, C. R., Shankaran, S., Bada, H.S., Wright, L. L., Smeriglio, V. L., Liu, J. Attachment status in children prenatally exposed to cocaine and other substances. Child Development 2004;75(3):850-868.(2004)
• LaGasse L, Messinger D, Lester B, Seifer R, Bauer C, Shankaran S, Bada H, Wright L, Smeriglio V, Poole K, Liu E. Prenatal drug exposure & maternal & infant feeding behavior. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2003;88:F391-F399.(2003)
• Law KL, Stroud LR, LaGasse LL, Niaura R, Liu J, Lester BM. Smoking during pregnancy and newborn neurobehavior. Pediatrics 2003;111(6):1318-1323.(2003)
• Lester BM, LaGasse LL, Seifer R, Tronick EZ, Bauer CR, Shankaran S, Bada HS, Wright LL, Smeriglio VL, Liu J, Finnegan LP, Maza PL. The Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS): Effects of prenatal cocaine and/or opiate exposure on auditory brain response at one month. Journal of Pediatrics, 2003;142(3):279-285.(2003)
• Salisbury A, Law K, LaGasse L, Lester B. Maternal-Fetal Attachment. JAMA, 2003; 289(13):1701.(2003)
• Lester BM, Tronick EZ, LaGasse LL, Seifer R, Bauer CR, Shankaran S, Bada HS, Wright LL, Smeriglio VL, Liu J, Finnegan LP, Maza PL. The Maternal Lifestyle Study: Effects of substance exposure during pregnancy on neurodevelopmental outcome in 1-month-old infants. Pediatrics, 2002; 110(6):1182-1192.(2002)
• Coyle, M. G., Ferguson, A., LaGasse, L., Oh, W., & Lester, B. Diluted tincture of opium (DTO) and phenobarbital vs. DTO alone for neonatal opiate withdrawal. Journal of Pediatrics, 2002; 140(5): 561-564.(2002)
• LaGasse, L. L. & Lester, B. M. Prenatal cocaine exposure and child outcome: From research to public policy. In H. E. Fitzgerald, B. M. Lester, & B. S. Zuckerman (Eds.) Children of Addictions.(pp. 29-45) New York: Routledge Falmer, 2000.(2000)
• LaGasse, LL, Seifer, R & Lester, BM. Interpreting research on prenatal substance exposure in the context of multiple confounding factors. Clinics in Perinatology, 1999; 26(1): 39-54.(1999)
• LaGasse, L L, Van Vorst, R F, Brunner, S M & Zucker, MS. Infants' Understanding of Auditory Events. Infant and Child Development, 1999; 8:85-100.(1999)
• LaGasse, L. L., Chernen, L., Kuprevich, T. F., Lester, B. M. Prenatal drug exposure and neonatal outcome in human infants. In Problems of Drug Dependence, Proceedings of the 61st Annual Scientific Meeting, The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. NIDA Research Monographs 180, 1999.(1999)
• LaGasse, L L, Seifer, R, Wright, L L, Lester, BM, Tronick, E Z, Bauer, C R, Shankaran, S, Bada, H, & Smeriglio, V. The Maternal Lifestyle Study (MLS): The caretaking environment of infants exposed to cocaine/opiates. Pediatric Research, 1999; 45(4)part 2.(1999)
• Lester, BM, LaGasse, LL, & Bigsby, R. Prenatal cocaine exposure and child development: What do we know and what do we do? Seminars in Speech and Language, 1998; 19:123-146.(1998)
• Lester, BM, LaGasse, LL, & Seifer, R. Cocaine exposure and children: The meaning of subtle effects. Science, 1998; 262:633-634.(1998)
• LaGasse, LL, VanVorst, RF, Brunner, SM & Lester, BM. Effects of in utero exposure to cocaine and/or opiates on infants' reaching behavior. Annals of the NYAS, 1998; 846:405-407.(1998)
• Lester, BM, LaGasse, LL, & Brunner, SM. Data base of studies on prenatal cocaine exposure and child outcome. Journal of Drug Issues, 1997; 27:487-499.(1997)
• Lester, B.M., LaGasse, L.L., Freier, M.C. Human studies of cocaine exposed infants. In Behavior of Drug Exposed Offspring: Research Update. NIDA Research Monographs 164, 1996.(1996)
• Lester, B.M., Freier, M.C., LaGasse, L.L. Prenatal drug exposure and child outcome: What do we really know? In Michael Lewis (Ed.), Developmental Outcomes and Toxins. Hillsdale, NJ: Earlbaum Press, 1995.(1995)