August 16, 2014 –
August 22, 2014
Neuro Clips:
Children with autism
have extra synapses in brain: May be possible to prune synapses with drug after
diagnosis
Summary: Recent study
found that a drug that restores brain “pruning” was found to be effective in
improving autistic-like behaviors in mice. Pruning refers to the regulatory
process of reducing synaptic connections during normal brain development in
order to improve efficiency of connections. Research findings suggest the
relationship between the excess in synapses within autistic children and have
possible implications for future therapeutic interventions.
In our digital world,
are young people losing the ability to read emotions?
Summary: In a recent
study of two sets of sixth graders, researchers compared the ability to read
emotions relative to exposure to technology. The first group of sixth graders
included 51 students who attended a 5-day nature camp and were not exposed to
any technology, while the other group included 54 same-age matched schoolmates.
The study found that those who were not exposed to digital media for five days
performed substantially better on tasks of reading human emotion. The study
findings suggest a potential relationship between lower levels of understanding
non-verbal emotional cues and the heightened use of technology. These findings
may have implications for social skills instruction.
ADHD children make
poor decisions due to less differentiated learning processes
Summary: The
decision-making processes of 40 young people; both with and without
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined using functional
imaging in a recent study. The study findings suggest that students with ADHD
do not suffer from difficulty learning new material, but instead are limited in
their use of different learning processes and patterns. These findings are
indicative of the specific types of impairments that exist within students with
ADHD and have possible implications for further study of neural mechanisms
associated with ADHD.
Physically fit kids
have beefier brain white matter than their less-fit peers
Summary: A recent
study of 9 and 10 year olds compared the white matter of children relative to
their level of aerobic fitness. The study findings demonstrate that the more
aerobic fit kids displayed more compact white matter tracts than their same-age
less fit peers. White matter is essential for the transmission of nerve
signals. The findings suggest that there is a relationship between physical
fitness and white matter. This potentially impacts areas of memory and
attention, but further investigation is required that includes tests of
cognition.
How children's brains
memorize math facts
Summary: In a recent
functional brain imaging study children, adolescents, and adults were examined
while solving simple math problems during two sessions spaced one year apart.
The children were ages 7-9; the adolescents were ages 14-17; and the adults
were ages 19-22. The study findings demonstrated that as the children aged,
they became faster and more accurate at solving math problems. They also became
more reliant on memory of math facts versus counting. The study findings also
suggest that children displayed greater connectivity in the hippocampus, a
critical region for memory, from year 1 to year 2. Adolescents and adults,
however, showed greater connectivity in the neocortex, which suggests the
utilizations of “well-developed information”. These findings are critical for
understanding the neural correlates of scaffolding and may contribute to
further study of math learning disabilities.
