Language
Functioning in Optimal Outcome Children with a History of Autism"
In collaboration with the University of Connecticut, this study examines
brain activity as it relates to language function and facial recognition in
children who maintain their Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses over
time, Optimal Outcome children who were once diagnosed with ASD but no
longer meet criteria for a diagnosis of ASD, and typically developing
children.
Neurocognitive Development
There is a strong focus in the lab on projects that will
ultimately help us better understand neural differences between younger and
older groups, particularly neural development that occurs after puberty into
early adult years. Numerous studies of brain structure, brain function, and
cognitive test performance show developmental changes throughout this
critical period of transition between childhood and adulthood. However,
there is insufficient understanding of how changes in cognition and
behavioral control relate to these neurobiological factors.
Multimodal Data Fusion is the process of combining data
obtained from different modalities (e.g., fMRI and EEG) and integrating them
in the same analytic framework. Such analyses are extremely powerful ways to
maximize the usefulness of obtained datsets, as each research methodology
carries its own set of strengths and limitations. By capitalizing on the
qualitatively different types of information provided by each modality, it
is possible to approach old questions in new ways.