S
Psy ImageDepartment or Psychology Image

SDSU Logo

 













Department of Psychology
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr.
San Diego, CA 92182-4611

Ph: (619) 594-5358
Fax:(619) 594-1332

Life Sciences 110
Mail Code: 4611

Open 8:00 am - 4:30 pm M-F

 

Image of  Sarah Mattson

Sarah N. Mattson

Associate Professor

Department of Psychology
College of Sciences
San Diego State University
6363 Alvarado Court, Ste. 200M
San Diego, CA 92120-1863

Office Location: Alv 6363/200M
Mail Code: 1863
Phone: (619) 594-7228
FAX: (619) 594-1895
E-Mail:
smattson@sunstroke.sdsu.edu

General Interests

Child Neuropsychology, Behavioral Teratology, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Research Directions

To understand the effects that drugs and other substances have on the developing nervous system and its later function. Children with fetal alcohol exposure may have significant cognitive and behavioral deficits. We're learning more about their brain development using neuropsychological and neuroimaging tools. Much less is known about children with other types of exposures, including many psychiatric medications.

Current Studies

Neurobehavioral functioning of children with fetal alcohol syndrome or heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

  • Verbal & nonverbal learning
  • Visuospatial processing
  • Executive functioning
  • Psychiatric functioning
  • Attention

Neurobehavioral functioning of children exposed prenatally to potential teratogens

  • Antidepressants (e.g., Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft)
  • Anticonvulsants (e.g., Dilantin, Tegretol)
  • Viruses and illnesses (e.g., Varicella [chicken pox], hyperthermia [fever]

Neuroimaging studies of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

  • Structural and functional MRI
  • Diffusion tensor imaging

Recent Publications

Vaurio, L., Riley, E.P., and Mattson, S.N. (In press 2008). Differences in executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society .

Moore, E.S., Ward, R.E., Flury-Wetherill, L., Rogers, J.L., Autti-Rämö, I., Fagerlund, Å., Jacobson, S.W., Robinson, L.K., Hoyme, H.E., Mattson, S.N., Foroud, T., and the CIFASD. (In press 2007). Unique facial features distinguish fetal alcohol syndrome patients and controls in diverse ethnic populations. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Fryer, S.L., Tapert, S.F., Mattson, S.N., Paulus, M.P., Spadoni, A.D., and Riley, E.P. (2007). Prenatal alcohol exposure affects frontal-striatal BOLD response during inhibitory control. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31 (8), 1415-1424.

Sowell, E.R, Mattson, S.N., Kan, E., Thompson, P.M., Riley, E., and Toga, A.W. (2007). Abnormal cortical thickness and brain-behavior correlation patterns in individuals with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Cerebral Cortex ( Advance Access). doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm039 http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/bhm039v1

Sowell, E.R., Lu, L.H., O'Hare, E.D., McCourt, S.T., Mattson, S.N., O'Connor, M.J., and Bookheimer, S.Y. (2007). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of verbal learning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. NeuroReport 18 (7), 635-639.

Fryer, S.L., McGee, C.L., Matt, G.E., Riley, E.P., and Mattson, S.N. (2007). Evaluation of psychopathological conditions in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Pediatrics 119 (3), e733-741. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/119/3/E733

Jones, K.L., Robinson, L.K., Bakhireva, L.N., Marintcheva, G., Storojev, V., Strahova, A., Sergeevskaya, S., Budantseva, S. Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P., and Chambers, C.D. (2006). Accuracy of the diagnosis of physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome by pediatricians after specialized training. Journal of Pediatrics, 118 (6), e1734-1738. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/6/e1734

Mattson, S.N., Calarco, K.E., and Lang, A.R. (2006). Focused and shifting attention in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropsychology, 20 (3), 361-369.

O'Hare, E.D., Kan, E., Yoshii, J., Mattson, S.N., Riley, E.P., Thompson, P.M., Toga, A.W., and Sowell, E.R. (2005). Mapping Cerebellar Vermal Morphology and Cognitive Correlates in Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. NeuroReport 16 (12), 1285-1290.

Schonfeld, A.M., Mattson, S.N., and Riley, E.P. (2005). Moral Maturity and Delinquency Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66 (4). 545-554.

Strömland, K., Mattson, S.N., Adnams, C.M., Autti-Rämö, I., Riley, E.P., and Warren, K.R. (2005). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: An international perspective. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 29 (6), 1121-1126.

Roebuck-Spencer, T.M. and Mattson, S.N. (2004). Implicit strategy affects learning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 28 (9) 1424-1431.

Roebuck-Spencer, T.M., Mattson, S.N., Marion, S.D., Brown, W.S., and Riley, E.P. (2004). Bimanual coordination in alcohol-exposed children Role of the corpus callosum. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10 (4) 536-548.

Lee, K.T., Mattson, S.N., and Riley, E.P. (2004). Classifying children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure using measures of attention. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 10 (2) 271-277.

Mattson, S.N., Jones, K.L., Gramling, L.J., Schonfeld, A.M., Riley, E.P., Harris, J.A., and Chambers, C.D. (2003). Neurodevelopmental follow-up of children of women infected with varicella during pregnancy A prospective study. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 22 (9) 819-823.

Riley, E.P., Guerri, C., Calhoun, F., Charness, M.E., Foroud, T.M., Li, T.-K., Mattson, S.N., May, P.A., and Warren, K.R. (2003). Prenatal alcohol exposure Advancing Knowledge Through International Collaborations. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 27 (1), 118-135.

Sowell, E.R., Thompson, P.M., Peterson, B.S., Mattson, S.N., Welcome, S.E., Henkenius, A.L., Riley, E.P., Jernigan, T.L., and Toga, A.W. (2002). Mapping Cortical Gray Matter Asymmetry Patterns in Adolescents with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. NeuroImage, 17 (4), 1807-1819.

Roebuck, T.R., Mattson, S.N., and Riley, E.P. (2002). Interhemispheric Transfer in Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 26, 1863-1871.

Sowell, E.R., Thompson, P.M., Mattson, S.N., Tessner, K.D., Jernigan, T.L., Riley, E.P., Toga, A.W. (2002). Regional brain shape abnormalities persist into adolescence after heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Cerebral Cortex, 12, 856-865.

Mattson, S.N., Calarco, K.E., Chambers, C.D., and Jones, K.L. (2002). Interaction of maternal smoking and other in-pregnancy exposures: analytic considerations. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 24 (3), 359-367.

Mattson, S.N., and Roebuck, T.M. (2002). Acquisition and retention of verbal and nonverbal information in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 26 (6), 875-882.

Mattson, S.N., Schonfeld, A.M., and Riley, E.P. (2001). Teratogenic Effects of Alcohol on Brain and Behavior. Alcohol Research and Health, 25 (3), 185-191.

Sowell, E.R., Mattson, S.N., Thompson, P.M., Jernigan, T.L., Riley, E.P., and Toga, A.W. (2001). Mapping callosal morphology and cognitive correlates: Effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Neurology, 57, 235-244.

Schonfeld, A.M., Mattson, S.N., Lang, A.R., Delis, D.C., and Riley, E.P. (2001). Verbal and nonverbal fluency in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62 (2), 239-246. 

Sowell, E.R., Thompson, P.M., Mattson, S.N., Tessner, K.D., Jernigan, T.L., Riley, E.P., and Toga, A.W. (2001). Voxel-based morphometric analyses of the brain in children and adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol. Neuroreport, 12 (3), 515-523

Archibald, S.L., Fennema-Notestine, C., Gamst, A., Riley, E.P., Mattson, S.N., and Jernigan, T.L. (2001). Brain dysmorphology in individuals with severe prenatal alcohol exposure. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 43 (3), 148-154.

Mattson, S.N. (Contributing Author) (2000). Prenatal alcohol exposure: effects on brain structure and function. In: Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health (pp. 285-299). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

 

Image of a redbar

© 2004 SDSU Department of Psychology - All Rights Reserved