Utilizando revisões sistemáticas e meta-análise de apoio às decisões regulatórias para neurotóxicos: Lições de um estudo de caso dos PCBs

Translated title of the contribution: Using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support regulatory decision making for neurotoxicants: Lessons learned from a case study of PCBs

Michael Goodman, Katherine Squibb, Eric Youngstrom, Laura Gutermuth Anthony, Lauren Kenworthy, Paul H. Lipkin, Donald R. Mattison, Judy S. LaKind

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

We examined prospective cohort studies evaluating the relation between prenatal and neonatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and neurodevelopment in children to assess the feasibility of conducting a meta-analysis to support decision making. We described studies in terms of exposure and end point categoriza-tion, statistical analysis, and reporting of results. We used this evaluation to assess the feasibility of grouping studies into reasonably uniform categories. The most consistently used tests included Brazelton's Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, the neurologic optimality score in the neonatal period, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 5- 8months of age, and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities in 5-year-olds. Despite administering the same tests at similar ages, the studies were too dissimilar to allow a meaningful quantitative examination of outcomes across cohorts. These analyses indicate that our ability to conduct weight-of-evidence assessments of the epidemiologic literature on neurotoxicants may be limited, even in the presence of multiple studies, if the available study methods, data analysis, and reporting lack comparability.

Translated title of the contributionUsing systematic reviews and meta-analyses to support regulatory decision making for neurotoxicants: Lessons learned from a case study of PCBs
Original languagePortuguese
Pages (from-to)3207-3220
Number of pages14
JournalCiencia e Saude Coletiva
Volume16
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2011

Keywords

  • Domain
  • Function testing
  • Meta-analysis
  • Neurodevelopment
  • Neurotoxicants
  • PCBs
  • Risk assessment
  • Weight of evidence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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