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Neuroscience
Understanding how the early parent-infant relationship affects infants’ ability to process social and emotional information
This study is looking at the way in which the the acitivity and development of the brain in infancy is influened by the infant's early experiences in attachment relationships. Specifically, we will look at infants’ early experience by examining a) the quality of the parent-infant relationship through structured observation, b) infant and maternal characteristics such as psychopathology and infant temperament and finally c) infant attachment security to their parent. EEG data will be recorded as infants observe a series of socially-significant stimuli, allowing us to assess brain activity related to emotional and social processing. Parents are invited to the Baby Lab for their first visit when their infant is 7 months and then invited back when their infant is 12 months old. This study has the potential, if positive results emerge, to advance our understanding of the effects that early social experience has on infant neural development.
Lead Researcher: Samantha Taylor-Colls
Adolescent neural markers of internalizing and externalizing problems
This study is looking at three inter-linked emotional and cognitive functions and their underlying brain substrates in relation to adolescent adaptation and emotional wellbeing. We are particularly interested in a triad of psychological functions – sensitivity to reward versus punishment, emotional reactivity and self-regulation and are employing a series of computer-based tasks that allow us to assess these abilities while simultaneously recording electrical brain activity sing high density EEG. Our longer-term goal is, having established a reliable set of EEG-based markers in these three domains, to use the same methodologies to understand the difficulties experienced by adolescents who experience depressed, self-harm, or problems with aggression. The study is a collaboration with Tarik Bel-Bahar at the University of California San Diego and Michael Crowley at Yale University.
Lead Researchers: Alex Desiatokov and Tobias Nolte
An investigation of the neural and physiological changes associated with behavioural improvements in young people with behavioural problems who receive services from London-based charity Kids Company.
Children and adolescents growing up with high levels of stress are at greater risk of developing conduct problems and of having negative outcomes later in life, such as drug and alcohol dependency, committing violent offences, and suicide. London-based charity Kids Company provide practical, emotional and educational support to young people growing up in deprived and stressful environments. Prior evaluations of the support Kids Company provide have evidenced improvements in anger management, educational attainment and reduced substance misuse (Gaskell, 2008), and the present study aims to investigate the associated neural and physiological changes.
Brain activity (assessed using electroencephalography, EEG), hormone levels, and heart rate will be assessed in two groups of young people, at two time points. That is, a group of young people who have recently begun to receive services from Kids Company, as well as a group of young people from the same community who have not approached Kids Company, will take part in the study. Each group will be seen twice, with a one year gap in testing sessions. In particular, the young people's emotional regulation and reactivity will be assessed, as well as the crucial executive function inhibitory control.
This project offers a unique opportunity to investigate biomarkers in young people living with high levels of stress, who often suffer from behavioural problems, and how these markers change as a function of treatment. Understanding these changes is crucial for early identification, and for developing effective intervention and prevention strategies. The study is supported by a grant from the Waterloo Foundation.
Lead Researcher: Donna Bryce
