LEED Student WIPs
Welcome to our Works in Progress page – a hub of academic exploration and intellectual endeavor! The posters we’ve described are snapshots of the rigorous work and thought-provoking research currently in development.
For more information, and to view the posters we presented, we encourage you to click on the “Poster” buttons.
FLUX 2024
Effects of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure on White Matter Integrity in Young Children
Objective
To assess the effects of maternal childhood trauma on offspring white matter.
Methods
MRI (DTI), parent report of childhood maltreatment exposure.
Results
Our results suggest that there may be an intergenerational adaptation for individuals who are forced to develop coping mechanisms to navigate challenging environments. As a result, there is an accelerated development in certain areas, such as neural circuits involved in emotional and stress processing, to cope more effectively with adverse circumstances. Our findings also reveal less efficient development in circuitries that support higher cognitive abilities.
The Influence of Perinatal and Concurrent Risk has on Cognition when Experienced during Sensitive Periods of Development
Hypothesis
We hypothesize that perinatatal risk factors and early childhood socioeconomic risk will have a differential impact on children’s cognitive abilities, specifically domains related to verbal comprehension and visuospatial skills.
Methods
Visuospatial and verbal comprehension tasks (WPPSI); parent self-reports on substance use, pregnancy complications, income, and birth outcomes; child opportunity index.
Results
Our findings indicate that greater socioeconomic risk is associated with poorer child cognitive outcomes compared to perinatal risk exposure. Our findings also demonstrate that the level of deprivation in a child’s environment was associated with visuospatial outcomes over and above other proxies of socioeconomic risk, indicating that early childhood socioeconomic deprivation may have a stronger impact on children’s visuospatial development.
Exploring Effects of Family Resources on Amygdala Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Early Childhood
Objective
To assess the effects of maternal childhood trauma on offspring white matter.
Methods
MRI (DTI), parent report of childhood maltreatment exposure.
Results
Our results suggest that there may be an intergenerational adaptation for individuals who are forced to develop coping mechanisms to navigate challenging environments. As a result, there is an accelerated development in certain areas, such as neural circuits involved in emotional and stress processing, to cope more effectively with adverse circumstances. Our findings also reveal less efficient development in circuitries that support higher cognitive abilities.
FIT'NG 2024
Neural Indicators of Visual Attention in Premature Toddlers
Goal
Investigate the neural basis of visual attention development in toddlers born prematurely to better understand behavioral risk
Methods
Toddlers engaged in a sustained attention task while using EEG recording. Sustained attention is captured by quantifying the proportion of looking behavior in association with the stimulus.
Results
In summary, both behavioral measures and alpha power exhibited similar development trajectories across age in the preterm group. These findings suggest that earlier gestational ages may be associated with altered neural developmental trajectories in visual attention.
Flux 2023; Santa Rosa, CA
Associations between Socioemotional Neural Responses and Behavioral Outcomes in Toddlers Born Preterm
Hypotheses
Toddlers born with more severe levels of prematurity would exhibit poorer brain function as presented by ERPs.
Toddler's brain function would be associated with externalizing problems as measured by a behavioral task.
Methods
Dynamic facial expression task, behavioral assessment (tool task), EEG
Results
Our results indicate that toddlers with different severity levels of prematurity did not show differences in their ERPs. Our findings suggest that there is a significant association between Nc amplitude and child externalizing problems, represented by noncompliance, supporting our second hypothesis.
The Impact of Varying Dimensions of Adversity on the Neurofunction of Working Memory in Early Childhood
Goal
We aim to examine the relations of adverse experiences related to caregiving and distal risk to the neurofunction of visuospatial WM in early childhood.
Methods
Visuospatial working memory task, caregiver mental health composite, distal factors composite, fNIRS
Results
Our findings suggest that environmental risk and caregiver mental health have a differential impact on the neurofunctional activity of WM.
Integrating Dimensional Models of Early Adversity: Relative Contributions of Caregiver and Environmental Risks on Frontal-Limbic Development in Early Childhood
Hypothesis
We hypothesize that experiences of adversity in the caregiving context, such as parent psychopathology or family involvement with Child Protective Services (CPS) will be uniquely associated with brain development, over and above environmental stressors, such as economic and community resources.
Methods
Caregiving risk composite, family CPS involvement, environmental risk composite, MRI
Results
Our hypotheses were partially supported, finding caregiving related risk was consistently associated with neurodevelopment, compared to environmental factors.
SRCD 2023; Salt Lake City, UT
Exploring Associations between Stress Exposures, Parenting, and Psychopathology
Hypothesis
We hypothesize that parenting practices will have a greater influence on psychopathology symptoms for younger youth. We also hypothesize that negative parenting will exacerbate risk for psychopathology in the presence of increased contextual stressors and positive parenting will serve as a protective factor.
Methods
Pubertal status, contextual stressors, youth psychopathology, parenting practices
Results
Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find significant effects examining associations between parenting, stressors, and psychopathology in pre- and post-puberty groups.
FLUX 2022; Paris, France
Differences in the Neural Processing of Dynamic Expressions in Toddlers Born Preterm
Hypotheses
There would be a larger neural response to angry face/threat.
There would be a difference in neural response between children born very preterm and extreme preterm.
Methods
Dynamic facial expression task, EEG
Results
Our results indicate that toddlers born preterm are more sensitive to angry facial expressions than to happy and neutral expressions, given that larger amplitude of Nc reflects greater allocation of attention to threat, supporting our hypothesis I. Our study did not find differences in neural response between toddlers born extremely preterm and very preterm.
ISDP 2022; San Diego, CA
Parasympathetic Regulation during Executive Function Tasks and Behavioral Outcomes among Low SES Children
Goals
Examine separate physiological variability during cool and hot EF from baseline.
Examine the relationship between physiological variability and performance on EF tasks.
Elucidate associations of physiological regulation during cognitive tasks on child internalizing and externalizing outcomes.
Methods
Internalizing and externalizing symptoms (BASC), executive function tabletop tasks, RSA
Results
Findings indicate a nuanced relationship between risk for psychopathology, self-regulatory abilities, and cognitive control, such that physiological variability exists during the type of EF elicited (i.e., cool versus hot) during cognitive challenges
SRCD 2021; Virtual
Associations between Perceived Family Resources and Cortical Morphology in Young Children with Varying SES
Hypothesis
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Methods
Household information (size and INR), Family Resource Scale, MRI
Results
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ISDP 2020; Virtual
Links between Maternal Distress, Brain Function, and Working Memory in Early Childhood
Hypothesis
We hypothesized maternal depression and anxiety were associated with child brain function in the context of working memory (WM).
Methods
Maternal depression and anxiety (BDI, STAI), child executive functioning (BRIEF), visuospatial working memory task, fNIRS
Results
Our results indicate that young children exposed to greater maternal depression and anxiety exhibited lower brain activation in prefrontal regions. Variability in LPFC activation was associated with risk for poor executive functioning in early childhood.
