Development of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) to Detect and Characterize Neurotoxicity in Humans

Rohlman, Diane S.; Gimenes, Lincoln S.; Eckerman, David A.; Kang, Suk Bong; Farahat, Fayssal; Anger, W. Kent

doi:10.1016/s0161-813x(03)00023-8

Cited by 81 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Digit span, symbol digit latency, and tapping were presented on a computer using the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS; Anger 2003;Rohlman et al 2000aRohlman et al , 2000bRohlman et al , 2003. Participants responded on an external unit consisting of nine large buttons that fit over the computer keyboard.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Participants responded on an external unit consisting of nine large buttons that fit over the computer keyboard. Integral Spanish or English instructions and practice were used to teach participants to perform the BARS tests (Anger 2003;Rohlman et al 2000aRohlman et al , 2000bRohlman et al , 2003. Examiners taught appropriate performance on the other tests orally.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neurobehavioral performance and work experience in Florida farmworkers.

Kamel

Rowland

Park

et al. 2003

Environ Health Perspect

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Farmworkers experience many work-related hazards, including exposure to neurotoxicants. We compared neurobehavioral performance of 288 farmworkers in central Florida who had done farm work for at least 1 month with 51 controls who had not. Most of the farmworkers had worked in one or more of three types of agriculture: ornamental ferns, nurseries, or citrus fruit. We collected information on farm work history in a structured interview and evaluated neurobehavioral performance using a battery of eight tests. Analyses were adjusted for established confounders including age, sex, education, and acculturation. Ever having done farm work was associated with poor performance on four tests--digit span [odds ratio (OR) = 1.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-3.53], tapping (coefficient = 4.13; 95% CI, 0.00-8.27), Santa Ana test (coefficient = 1.34; 95% CI, 0.29-2.39), and postural sway (coefficient = 4.74; 95% CI, -2.20 to 11.7)--but had little effect on four others: symbol digit latency, vibrotactile threshold, visual contrast sensitivity, and grip strength. Associations with farm work were similar in magnitude to associations with personal characteristics such as age and sex. Longer duration of farm work was associated with worse performance. Associations with fern work were more consistent than associations with nursery or citrus work. Deficits related to the duration of work experience were seen in former as well as current farmworkers, and decreased performance was related to chronic exposure even in the absence of a history of pesticide poisoning. We conclude that long-term experience of farm work is associated with measurable deficits in cognitive and psychomotor function.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurobehavioral performance and work experience in Florida farmworkers.

Kamel

Rowland

Park

et al. 2003

Environ Health Perspect

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“…The BARS (Behavioral Assessment and Research System) battery, described by Anger in Slikker et al (2000), is specifically designed for the detection of neurotoxicity in populations with limited education or literacy (Rohlman et al, 2003). It too can be used for repeated assessments.…”

Section: Scope Of Neurxotoxic Assessment Cognitive Endpointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemobrain: A translational challenge for neurotoxicology

Weiss

2008

NeuroToxicology

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Neurotoxicity is a frequent accompaniment of cancer chemotherapy, and held by many oncologists to be the major dose-limiting side effect. It appears in many forms, but attracted attention during the past decade primarily because of complaints by patients of impaired cognitive function they have labeled as "chemobrain". Neuropsychological testing confirmed the validity of these complaints and has generated a substantial literature examining different aspects of cognitive impairment in various clinical populations undergoing a variety of treatments. Cognitive impairment is far from the only manifestation of neurotoxicity induced by chemotherapy, however. It alters sensory function and motor function as well. A critical need for patients is a suite of methods that will enable clinicians to trace the onset and progression of neurotoxicity so as to guide and balance decisions about the course of chemotherapy. This commentary describes some of the potential methods and encourages neurotoxicologists to enlist their unique skills in the service of these needs.

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“…The Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS), a computerized test battery, was initially developed to assess neurotoxicity in adult populations that were non-mainstream, e.g., aging populations and working populations having varied educational levels and cultural backgrounds Rohlman, et al, 2003). This was achieved by incorporating step-by-step instructions broken down into basic concepts, a "smiling face" used to reinforce performance, adjustable parameter settings, and a durable response unit with nine buttons placed over the keyboard to simplify responding.…”

Section: The Behavioral Assessment and Research Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) for evaluating neurobehavioral performance in Filipino children

et al. 2008

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Neurobehavioral tests have long been used to assess health effects in exposed working adult populations. The heightened concern over the potential impact of environmental exposures on neurological functioning in children has led to the development of test batteries for use with children. There is a need for reliable, easy-to-administer batteries to assess neurotoxic exposure in children. One such test battery previously validated with Spanish-and English-speaking children ages 4 and older, combines computerized tests from the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) with non-computerized tests. The goal of the present study was to determine the feasibility of using standardized neurobehavioral tests in preschool and school-aged Filipino children. Test instructions were translated into the vernacular, Tagalog or Tagalog-English ("Taglish") and some instructions and materials were modified to be appropriate for the target populations. The battery was administered to 4 to 6 year old Filipino children (N=50). The performance of the Filipino children was compared to data previously collected from Spanish-and English-speaking children tested in the US. The majority of children had no difficulty completing the tests in the battery with the exception of the Symbol-Digit test and Digit Span-reverse. The three groups showed similar patterns of performance on the tests and the older children performed better than the younger children on all of the tests. The findings from this study demonstrate the utility of using this test battery to assess cognitive and motor performance in Filipino children. Tests in the battery assess a range of functions and the measures are sensitive to age differences. The current battery has been utilized in several cultures and socio-economic status classes, with only minor modifications needed. This study demonstrates the importance of pilot testing the methods before use in a new population, to ensure that the test is valid for that culture.

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Development of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) to Detect and Characterize Neurotoxicity in Humans

Cited by 81 publications

References 21 publications

Neurobehavioral performance and work experience in Florida farmworkers.

Neurobehavioral performance and work experience in Florida farmworkers.

Chemobrain: A translational challenge for neurotoxicology

Adaptation of the Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS) for evaluating neurobehavioral performance in Filipino children

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