Proposal summaries

These are research proposals that have been approved by the ALSPAC exec. The titles include a B number which identifies the proposal and the date on which the proposals received ALSPAC exec approval.

Click here to export results in Word format.

B217 - The effect of COMT and other genetic polymorphisms on cognition in childhood with reference to potential intermediate phenotypes in schizophrenia and other neuro-psychiatric disorders - 01/12/2004

B number: 
B217
Principal applicant name: 
Prof Peter Jones (University of Cambridge, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
The effect of COMT and other genetic polymorphisms on cognition in childhood, with reference to potential intermediate phenotypes in schizophrenia and other neuro-psychiatric disorders.
Proposal summary: 

The study aimed to determine the cognitive effect of the Val108/158Met polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene in children before and during puberty. This polymorphism affects cognitive function in healthy adults and may contribute to risk for schizophrenia. METHOD: COMT genotype was determined for 8,707 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a geographically defined general population cohort of children born between April 1, 1991, and Dec. 31, 1992, in the southwest of England.

Fourteen measures of cognitive function--including working memory, verbal and motor inhibition, attentional control, and IQ--were assessed at ages 8 and 10 years. Any pubertal development at age 9 years was reported by parents. Effects of COMT genotype on cognition and interactions with gender and puberty were assessed using general linear models. RESULTS: In boys, genotype significantly affected executive function and explained up to 10 points normal variation in verbal IQ. The effects on IQ were significantly greater in pubertal than in prepubertal boys. In girls, there were no significant effects of genotype on cognition. CONCLUSIONS: This common polymorphism may be one of the genes of small effect that contribute to normal variation in IQ. The gender-specific nature of the effect and its possible interaction with puberty may be relevant to both normal cognitive and brain development and to abnormal development in disorders such as schizophrenia.

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 December, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 December, 2004
Keywords: 
Genetics, Schizophrenia, Psychiatry
Primary keyword: 

B203 - Life course exposures social determinants of oral health - 01/11/2004

B number: 
B203
Principal applicant name: 
A Williams (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Life course exposures & social determinants of oral health.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Keywords: 
Teeth
Primary keyword: 

B202 - Can occupation influence the development of asthma and respiratory problems in partners and children - 01/11/2004

B number: 
B202
Principal applicant name: 
Prof John Ayres (University of Birmingham, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Can occupation influence the development of asthma and respiratory problems in partners and children?
Proposal summary: 

Asthma is common in childhood and, while many causes for its occurrence and increasing prevalence are known, much remains unanswered in terms of causes. In adults, 10-15% of newly diagnosed asthma is due to an occupational exposure to either low (e.g. isocyanates) or high (e.g. proteins in animal urine) molecular weight asthmagens. Lung disease in the spouses and children of workers exposed to asbestos at work is accepted and recognized. There is a report of children being sensitized to occupational sensitizers, to which their parents have been exposed at work, there is also a report of a child exposed to occupational sensitizers in the workplace developing 'occupational' asthma. In addition there are reports of asthma related to spousal occupation. The magnitude of this potential problem has not been investigated.

We wish to test the hypothesis that children are more likely to develop asthma if their parents work in occupations known to be associated with a risk of occupational asthma because parents may bring asthmagens home on their clothing, resulting in their children being exposed. In addition, we will take the opportunity to determine whether the partner of a worker exposed to occupational sensitizers is more likely to develop asthma. The hypothesis will concentrate on high molecular weight causes although potential exposure to low molecular weight agents will be analysed.

We will use existing data from the ALSPAC cohort of children to relate childhood wheezing, diagnosed asthma, and rhinitis, to parental occupation. In addition, parental occupation will also be related to objective parameters such as ventilatory function and bronchial responsiveness in later childhood (8 1/2 years) to determine if early life and/or cumulative exposure to parents in high-risk occupations are associated with physiological changes. Maternal wheeze, diagnosed asthma, and rhinitis will also be related to her partner's occupation.

Data on occupation have been obtained for both mother and father prospectively and will be coded using the CASCOT system developed by the University of Warwick. Parental occupations will be classified according to recognized associations with occupational asthma. We will also explore whether there is any relationship between the timing of childhood exposure to potential parental occupational asthmagens at 21 months of age and the likelihood of developing asthma. Risk modification by atopy and environmental tobacco smoke exposure will be investigated. The dataset will also provide the opportunity to consider parental self reported asthma or rhinitis in relation to occupation, adding to the limited population data in this area. Finally we will be able to assess the level of agreement between maternal and direct report of spouse's occupation and compare these with the codes generated by automatic and semi-automatic coding software (i.e. SOC 1990 and SOC 2000 codes from CASCOT).

If occupation is shown to increase the risk of asthma in children and partners, help and advice will need to be given to workers in at risk occupations to reduce carriage of asthmagens home on their clothes, in order to reduce the risk of their children and partner developing 'bystander occupational' asthma.

Date proposal received: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Keywords: 
Allergies, Environmental Exposure, Respiratory, Atopy, Asthma, Occupation
Primary keyword: 

B201 - Telomere length at birth as a predictor of risk of cardiovascular disease - 01/11/2004

B number: 
B201
Principal applicant name: 
M Hulton (Not used 0, Not used 0)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Telomere length at birth as a predictor of risk of cardiovascular disease.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Monday, 1 November, 2004
Keywords: 
Cardiovascular , Genetics
Primary keyword: 

B198 - Growth in children receiving medication for ADHD - 01/10/2004

B number: 
B198
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Andrea Waylen (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Growth in children receiving medication for ADHD.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Friday, 1 October, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Friday, 1 October, 2004
Keywords: 
ADHD, Endocrine, Growth, Obesity, Weight
Primary keyword: 

B196 - Fertility and secondary infertility - 01/10/2004

B number: 
B196
Principal applicant name: 
Prof Chris WCL Ford (Not used 0, Not used 0)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Fertility and secondary infertility.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Friday, 1 October, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Friday, 1 October, 2004
Keywords: 
Puberty, Fertility/Infertility
Primary keyword: 

B195 - Research Fellowship including ALSPAC analyses see B0346 - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B195
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Paul Ramchandani (Imperial College London, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Research Fellowship including ALSPAC analyses (see B0346).
Proposal summary: 

Depressive disorder is common, and frequently affects parents. Maternal postnatal depression in

particular has been linked to later behavioural, emotional and cognitive problems in children.

However, the impact of paternal depression in the early months of an infants life on their subsequent

development has been largely overlooked. This research programme aims to illuminate this gap.

Objectives

1. To examine the influence of paternal depression in the postnatal period on father-child interaction

and the child's behavioural, emotional and cognitive development.

2. To examine the potential processes by which any adverse effects arise.

Design and methods.

The principal focus of the research will be a detailed longitudinal cohort study. This will comprise

two groups of fathers and their young infants; one a group of fathers with depression, and one

without depression. There will be three assessment points, at which detailed observational

measures of father-child interaction and other assessments of family functioning will be undertaken.

The child's behavioural, emotional and cognitive development will also be assessed.

I also plan to extend my analysis of data from the large ALSPAC population cohort study to examine

the relationship between paternal depression in the postnatal period and children's emotional and

behavioural problems up to school age.

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Depression, Mental Health, Miscellaneous
Primary keyword: 

B286 - Diet at 4 and 8 months related to haemoglobin and ferritin levels at 8 12 and 18 months - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B286
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Pauline Emmett (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Diet at 4 and 8 months related to haemoglobin and ferritin levels at 8, 12, and 18 months.
Proposal summary: 

From around six months onwards breast milk alone no longer provides enough iron to sustain adequate blood haemoglobin and ferritin levels in infants. It is important to introduce suitable weaning foods from this age and incorporate feeding practices that enhance absorption of iron from the diet (eg Vit C containing foods or drinks with meals).

This study will be nested within ALSPAC a unique, ongoing research project which enrolled 14,541 mothers during pregnancy in 1991-2 and has followed the children and parents in minute detail ever since. It is a world resource with unrivalled data - with the potential to find ways in which common diseases in childhood and adult life can be prevented or treated.

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Diet
Primary keyword: 

B194 - Avon Adolescent Development Project - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B194
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Leon Feinstein (Institute of Education, University of London, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Avon Adolescent Development Project.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Education
Primary keyword: 

B193 - The consequences of exposure to maternal depressive symptoms cognition language - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B193
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Jonathan Evans (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
The consequences of exposure to maternal depressive symptoms: cognition & language.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Autism, Depression, Mental Health, Motor Co-ordination, Neurology, Speech & Language, Vision, Environmental Exposure, Cognition
Primary keyword: 

B192 - Detrimental health effects of metals exposure - a risk assessment DEMETRA - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B192
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Lars Jarup (Imperial College London, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Detrimental health effects of metals exposure - a risk assessment (DEMETRA).
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Environmental Exposure
Primary keyword: 

B191 - ALSPAC as a resource for asthma research - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B191
Principal applicant name: 
Prof John Henderson (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Prof Seif Shaheen (King's College London, UK), Prof David Strachan (St George's, University of London, UK), Prof Ashley Woodcock (University of Manchester, UK), Dr Angela Simpson (University of Manchester, UK), Prof Jean Golding (University of Bristol, UK)
Title of project: 
ALSPAC as a resource for asthma research.
Proposal summary: 

The project will establish a resource of detailed asthma phenotypes from birth to 8.5 years based on available questionnaire and objective data. The resource will be linked to a wide range of information on environmental exposures before and after birth to address the following general hypotheses:

1. Different environmental exposures in early life are associated with different phenotypic outcomes of asthma.

2. Outcomes are determined by the timing and the magnitude of exposures and by their interactions with (a) other environmental risk/protective factors and (b) family history of asthma/atopy.

3. Exposures at different stages of development (prenatal, perinatal, postnatal) have differential effects on asthma outcomes.

The outcomes will generate new hypotheses about the origins of asthma in early childhood that will be used as the basis for targeted proposal to examine interactions between genetic predisposition and environment in the development and phenotypic expression of asthma in childhood.

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Allergies, Asthma, Respiratory, Atopy
Primary keyword: 

B190 - Genetics of asthma GWAS - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B190
Principal applicant name: 
Prof William Cookson (Imperial College London, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Genetics of asthma (GWAS).
Proposal summary: 

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways of the lung. Asthmatics suffer from intermittent airflow

limitation and the symptoms of wheeze and shortness of breath.

Asthma is not one disease but many. In childhood it is commonly associated with allergy (atopy) to

common inhaled proteins (allergens). Significant numbers of children with disease have persistent symptoms

throughout life. Asthma also may present in later life, when it is less obviously associated with allergy, more

common in women and cigarette smokers, and often resistant to treatment. The combination of cigarette

smoking and asthma can produce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is the sixth most common

cause of death worldwide. Occupational asthma is due to workplace exposure to dusts and chemicals, and is

the most prevalent occupational lung disease in the European Community. Ten % of new onset adult asthma

cases are caused by workplace exposures, and the prognosis of most forms of occupational asthma is poor

and is associated with job loss, loss of income and loss of quality of life.

Asthma has a high prevalence and a chronic relapsing course. Childhood asthma is a global health

problem that imposes a burden on family, health care and society as a whole, and results in a massive social

and economic cost to the community.

A recent cost-of-illness study requested by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European

Commission has estimated the total burden of asthma in children under the age of 15 in the 25 EU member

states to be EUR3.0 billion each year. The total burden of asthma to the European Community is at least double

when taking adult and occupational asthma into account. A significant reduction of the quality of life of

asthmatic children is well recognised.

Current asthma therapies are effective in cases of mild asthma, but severe asthma remains very

difficult to treat, and 80% of the cost arises from the 20% of individuals with severe disease 1.

The aim of the GABRIEL project is to discover the environmental and genomic causes of asthma.

The understanding of these factors and their interactions at the molecular level will open new avenues into

the development of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to combat the asthma epidemic in

Europe and worldwide. This proposal lays out an extended systematic structure of research that will define

the molecular mechanisms of gene-environment interactions and

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Allergies, Asthma, Genetics, Respiratory, Atopy
Primary keyword: 

B297 - Diet at 4 and 8 months related to haemoglobin and ferritin levels at 8 12 and 18 months - 01/09/2004

B number: 
B297
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Pauline Emmett (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Diet at 4 and 8 months related to haemoglobin and ferritin levels at 8, 12 and 18 months.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Wednesday, 1 September, 2004
Keywords: 
Diet
Primary keyword: 

B187 - Academy of Finland - EU Centre of Excellence - 01/08/2004

B number: 
B187
Principal applicant name: 
Prof Marjo-Riitta Jarvelin (Imperial College London, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Academy of Finland - EU Centre of Excellence.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Sunday, 1 August, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Sunday, 1 August, 2004
Keywords: 
Miscellaneous
Primary keyword: 

B188 - Developing biomarkers of exposure to chemicals and biomarkers of effect using mother-child birth cohorts and biobanks - 01/08/2004

B number: 
B188
Principal applicant name: 
(Not used 0, Not used 0)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Developing biomarkers of exposure to chemicals and biomarkers of effect using mother-child birth cohorts and biobanks.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Sunday, 1 August, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Sunday, 1 August, 2004
Keywords: 
Biological Samples
Primary keyword: 

B295 - Developmental antecedents of borderline personality disorders - 01/07/2004

B number: 
B295
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Jonathan Hill (Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Prof Andrew Pickles (University of Manchester, UK)
Title of project: 
Developmental antecedents of borderline personality disorders.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Keywords: 
Development, Personality, Depression
Primary keyword: 

B184 - A UK-Singapore cross cohort comparison of the risk factors for myopia - 01/07/2004

B number: 
B184
Principal applicant name: 
Miss Cathy E M Williams (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
A UK-Singapore cross cohort comparison of the risk factors for myopia.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Keywords: 
Autism, Motor Co-ordination, Neurology, Vision
Primary keyword: 

B183 - Impact of a family history of diabetes on early weight gain body composition and fitness - 01/07/2004

B number: 
B183
Principal applicant name: 
Dr Julian Hamilton-Shield (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Impact of a family history of diabetes on early weight gain, body composition and fitness.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Keywords: 
Diabetes, Puberty
Primary keyword: 

B178 - Risk taking behaviour in adolescence - its origins and consequences - 01/07/2004

B number: 
B178
Principal applicant name: 
Prof Alan Emond (University of Bristol, UK)
Co-applicants: 
Title of project: 
Risk taking behaviour in adolescence - its origins and consequences.
Proposal summary: 

(No outline received).

Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 1 July, 2004
Keywords: 
Personality, PLIKS, Self-harm, Sleep, Risk Behaviour
Primary keyword: 

Pages