Rapid and impressive improvements in motor, cognitive, and perceptual abilities take place during the first year of life. A link between these rapidly emerging psychological and behavioural functions and underlying neural mechanisms is provided by electrical activity generated by neurons within the functioning brain that can be detected using EEG (electroencephalography).
This is a safe and non-invasive method of studying brain electrical activity through a net of sensors placed on a participant’s head (pictured). These sensors only measure what is going on in the brain they do not have any effect themselves, just as a thermometer measures a person’s body temperature but does not change it!
We then look at the electrical peaks produced in response to some external or internal event. These are called event-related potentials (ERPs). These signals provide real-time indices of neural information processing, and can be followed throughout crucial periods of rapid neuroanatomical and functional development.
Understanding the process of ERP maturation during infancy is not just of academic interest, but also has wide clinical applications. To this end, it is very important to study the normal course of ERP maturation in infants in a fine-graded manner, in order to obtain a normative database that can then be used to compare with infants at risk.
Currently, we are studying ERP correlates of attention and language development in infants. We know that in older children who have difficulties with language and learning, these brain signals look different, and we know that the earlier these children are identified, the better their chances of fulfilling their potential!
Read more about EEG studies at IRCD here.
If you would like to know more about these projects please contact Dr Elena Kushnerenko ( e.kushnerenko@uel.ac.uk). If you would like to volunteer your baby to take part in one of our studies, please contact us: by phone 020 8223 4951 or e-mail: elas@uel.ac.uk.
© 2008
Can't find what you're looking for on this page?
Click here to start a search
For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link:Link to general description
For further information on this web site's accessibility features please follow this link:Link to accessibility information
The following message does not apply to screenreader users:
You will still be able to access all the essential content of this web site, but it will not look, or function, exactly as intended.
