Project 2. Spatial Attention and Working MemoryThe goal of the program project is to study hierarchical levels of neural processing and cognition in order toidentify the specific underpinnings of cognitive deficits in children with several neuro-developmentaldisorders (developmental language impairment, early focal brain damage, high-functioning autism,Williams syndrome). Project 2 will focus on spatial attention and working memory, cognitive domains thatare essential to other higher-level functions such as language and social communication, and thus mightmediate the impact of lower level deficits (e.g., basic sensory processing) on more complex functioning.Alternatively, this might be the first level at which deficits occur in some of these disorders. The generalgoals of Project 2 are: 1) to determine whether spatial attention and working memory functions correlatewith brain regions associated with supramodal spatial attention and working memory in both typical andatypical pediatric populations, 2) to identify differences in spatial attention and working memory capacity inchildren with neurodevelopmental disorders, 3) In collaboration with projects 1, 3, and 4, to study therelationship between spatial attention and working memory competence and both more basic and morecomplex perceptual and cognitive functions in typical and atypical populations. Behavioral tasks will assessspatial attention and working memory in both auditory and visual modalities. Brain MRIs will be analyzedusing quantitative measures of specific regions of interest as well as diffusion tensor imaging to studyintegrity of white matter pathways. The relationship between these structural measures and the behavioralmeasures of attention and working memory will provide important new information about the brain bases ofcognitive dysfunction in the children with developmental disorders in our study. The results of this study willadditionally provide new insight into the most appropriate points at which to aid early diagnosis, and pavethe way for studies in which early interventions can target specific areas of deficits in order to achieve themost effective remediation.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 166 publications
