title: A proposal to facilitate weight-of-evidence assessments: Harmonization of Neurodevelopmental Environmental Epidemiology Studies (HONEES).
abstract: The ability to conduct weight-of-evidence assessments to inform the evaluation of potential environmental neurotoxicants is limited by lack of comparability of study methods, data analysis, and reporting. There is a need to establish consensus guidelines for conducting, analyzing, and reporting neurodevelopmental environmental epidemiologic studies, while recognizing that consistency is likewise needed for epidemiology studies examining other health outcomes. This paper proposes a set of considerations to be used by the scientific community at-large as a tool for systematically evaluating the quality of proposed and/or published studies in terms of their value for weight-of-evidence assessments. Particular emphasis is placed on evaluating factors influencing the risk of incorrect conclusions at the level of study findings. The proposed considerations are the first step in what must be a larger consensus-based process and can serve to catalyze such a discussion. Achieving consensus in these types of endeavors is difficult; however, opportunities exist for further interdisciplinary discussion, collaboration, and research that will help realize this goal. Broad acceptance and application of such an approach can facilitate the expanded use of environmental epidemiology studies of potential neurodevelopmental toxicants in the protection of public health, and specifically children's health.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/Davie Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Youngstrom
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kenworthy
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lipkin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Squibb
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Mattison
authors.forename: Laura Gutermuth
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.forename: Ambuja S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bale
authors.forename: Kathleen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Raffaele
authors.forename: Judy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: LaKind
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants