Neuroimaging

Question 1

What are the four basic developmental processes that happen in the brain postnatal?

Answer 1

1. Synaptogenesis - electric and chemical communication between synapses (peak 0-30 months)
2. Pruning
3. Apoptosis - programmed cell death
4. Myelination - axon insulation that speeds up transition b/ween neurons

Question 2

How can EEG be used to measure development?

Answer 2

Can measure changes in speed of processing and frequency of activity in the brain
Measure global connectivity and power changes in frequency

Question 3

What is Vanderwert et al (2010) find out about institutionalised children and brain activity?

Answer 3

Those moved from institutionalised care to foster care before the age of 2 had the similar levels of alpha power than those who were never institutionalized
Those moved to foster care up until the age of 8 still have significantly improved alpha power

Question 4

What was Davies et al (2004) measuring with EEG when children and adults did a Flanker Task

Answer 4

Event-related potentials ; Error-related negativity

Question 5

What did Davies et al (2004) discover about error-related negativity in development

Answer 5

The amplitude and latency of the ERN peaks increased with age
Additionally the correct-response negativity amplitude was larger for younger children

Question 6

What is an emerging alternative measure to MEG?

Answer 6

Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs)

Question 7

Why would OPMs be useful?

Answer 7

Would be able to test on developing populations
Could do a wider range of tasks

Question 8

What was Perez-Edgar et al (2007) measuring in behaviourally (non-)inhibited adolescents and what was the result?

Answer 8

Amygdala activity to hostile faces
bilat activity higher across all stimuli in behaviourally inhibited adol. and more active in afraid condition

Question 9

What is an advantage and disadvantage to fNIRS?

Answer 9

Advantage: allows for free-play/not restricted to certain tasks
Disadvantage: Free-play does not measure any specific constructs?

Question 10

What did Hashmi et al (2021) do to try and overcome this disadvantage?

Answer 10

Looked at the children’s speech during play and looked at corresponding activity - MULTI-METHOD

Question 11

What are the advantages to EEG and fNIRS

Answer 11

Good temporal resolution (EEG), Good cortical surface spatial resolution(NIRS), Applied throughout developmental population ( used on children/infants)

Question 12

What are the disadvantages to EEG and fNIRS

Answer 12

Not good for subcortical spatial resolution (NIRS). EEG is more susceptible to data corruption from movement

Question 13

Advantages to MEG/fMRI

Answer 13

Good temporal resolution (MEG), Good spatial resolution (fMRI). Used for resting activity = developmental disorders

Question 14

Disadvantages of MEG/fMRI?

Answer 14

Have to remain still - not good for infants/children, noisy and long process.

Question 15

What ways can you modify the equipment or make other modification to make it more suitable for children?

Answer 15

Create a story, let the child visit beforehand, send the EEG cap home to get used to it

Question 16

What else can affect the experiment when using neuroimaging techniques?

Answer 16

Other unrelated activity due to boredom/feeling uncomfortable due to needing to repeat stimuli

Question 17

How can we solve this issue?

Answer 17

Subtraction method; subtract activity from activity and control and identify area of activity related to this difference

Question 18

How can we solve this issue?

Answer 18

Subtraction method; subtract activity from activity and control and identify area of activity related to this difference

Question 19

What neuroimaging technique did Sheridan et al (2012) use with the Bucharest Early Intervention Study?

Answer 19

EEG and MRI Resting State

Question 20

What did Sheridan et al (2012) find from their study?

Answer 20

Smaller volume of grey and white matter, smaller corpus callosum and lower alpha power

Question 21

What was Gerson et al (2015) measuring with EEG in their study

Answer 21

Brain activation in the motor system

Question 22

What did Gerson et al (2015) find from their study

Answer 22

There was decreased brain activation when the child heard the noise associated with the toy when they learnt motorically how to use it compared to the noise from the toy that they just observed

Question 23

What is a limitation of Gerson et al’s (2015) study?

Answer 23

Differences in home training from the parents; variability in length of training and frequency as well as ID of parents such as enthusiasm
Small sample