On this page:

• Research program
• Research support (2008/09)

Research program

In 2008/2009 the research conducted at Decog has been multidisciplinary within CHW and with prominent research institutes interstate and overseas. Please see below for a sample of research projects being conducted:

• Cognitive neuropsychological models and profiles
• Neuropsychological outcome studies
• Medical interventions

Cognitive neuropsychological models and profiles

At the core of the DeCog research unit, these studies build on existing theories and models to aid in our understanding of developmental cognitive neuropsychology disorders.

A cognitive neuropsychological model of social processing: identification and treatment of social processing deficits

Melanie Porter¹,², Ruth Brunsdon³, Max Coltheart¹, Pam Joy⁴ and Kathleen Bakker⁵

1. Psychology Department and Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Australia
2. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
4. Child Development Unit, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
5. Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

This project involves the development and evaluation of the first cognitive neuropsychological model of social processing; the model includes perceptual, physiological and cognitive components for processing social information. The research aims to identify and treat social processing deficits using case studies of children with developmental or acquired social processing deficits. Assessment tools and treatment programs will be designed based on each component of the model and these will be carefully evaluated. We hope the model will successfully identify and treat social processing deficits across a wide range of patients. We propose that social processing can be broken down into independent functions that can be independently impaired and that the model (which outlines these independent functions) will have widespread research and clinical application.

Visual Processing Skills in 3-8 year olds: Exploration of patterns of normal development with the aim of improving early diagnosis of impairment in clinical groups

Ruth Brunsdon¹ and Pam Joy²

1. Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
2. Child Development Unit, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

The aim of this research is to investigate the development of visual processing skills in children using the Birmingham Object Recognition Battery (BORB). The BORB is currently used in the assessment of adults, but no norms for children are currently available. We have recruited children between the ages of 3 and 8, with approximately 10-12 children in each age group. The results from this study will provide information about the validity of the BORB's use with younger children. This will make the BORB more useful in a clinical setting as it will facilitate early diagnosis of visual processing difficulties. Information from this pilot data will also be used to determine which age groups should be included in a planned larger developmental study employing the BORB.

Children with dyslexia who are unable to process individual letters: Why is their processing impaired and can we help them learn to read?

Ruth Brunsdon

Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

This research involves a series of case studies of children and adolescents with severe letter processing impairments. The study aims:

• To explore the nature of reading impairments in children with very severe dyslexia (i.e., children who are in mid-primary school who remain unable to read even simple words such as 'can' or 'the').
• To investigate whether the reading impairments of such children relate to impairments in letter processing.
• To use this information to test a recently proposed theory of letter processing.
• To use existing theories as a basis for the design of assessment methods and treatment programs in order to begin bridging the gap between theory and practice.
• To carefully evaluate intervention programs that aim to treat letter processing impairments in order to provide much needed empirically proven intervention methods for children with dyslexia.

Expected outcomes include: a greater understanding of the nature of the underlying impairment in children with severe dyslexia; a greater understanding of how an impairment that prevents a child from learning their letters impacts on their ability to read; specific recommendations in terms of assessment of impaired letter processing and early diagnosis; increased knowledge regarding what methods are successful in treatment of letter processing impairments in dyslexia, as well as practical treatment examples that could be employed in a school or home environment; and finally evaluation and/or validation of theories in this area.

Developmental Amnesia: A series of case studies

Louise Parry¹, Ruth Brunsdon², Suncica Lah³, and Max Coltheart⁴

1. Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Australia
2. Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, Australia
4. Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Australia

The aim of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the memory system within a series of paediatric cases with specific memory impairments. This will involve documentation of the established dissociation within the declarative memory domain, wherein episodic and semantic memory skills have been found to operate independently of one another. The relationship between the declarative and non-declarative memory systems will also be examined within each case. This will occur through administration of a developmentally sensitive priming task. Finally the hypothesised parallel impact of impairments within the semantic memory system on the development of literacy and numeracy skills will be investigated. To date two cases have been identified. Both have displayed an impairment in episodic memory while semantic memory skills appear to have followed an age appropriate developmental trajectory. Intellectual, executive and academic skills have also continued to progress at an age appropriate rate over time. It is hoped that further cases will be identified from clinical referrals to paediatric neuropsychological services in the next few years.

Neuropsychological outcome studies

This area of research and ongoing collaborations have continued this year. These studies form a special research focus regarding the neurological, behavioural, and psychological consequences of traumatic brain injuries, tumours, diseases and syndromes.

Outcome of acquired cerebellar disease in childhood: An assessment of motor and cognitive abilities

Sara Coombes¹, Richard Webster², Belinda Barton³ and Max Coltheart⁴

1. Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
2. Neurology Department and the Children's Hospital Education Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Children's Hospital Education Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
4. Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Australia

Diseases that damage the cerebellum are not uncommon in childhood. There is increasing evidence that the cerebellum participates in higher level brain functions such as attention, memory, language and problem solving. This project aims to find out whether children who suffer damage to their cerebellum in childhood have later problems in these areas and how these problems impact on a child's education and learning. The study will provide further information about the role of the cerebellum in child development. The results of this study will allow more accurate counselling and better targeted monitoring for children who have suffered cerebellar damage.

Recovery of Language Skills in the Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

Tania Malouf¹,²,³, Pam Joy¹,²,³, and Antony, J⁴

1. Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
2. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
4. Neurology Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

The Landau Kleffner Syndrome (LKS) is a form of childhood epilepsy which is generally characterized by a dramatic loss of language in a previously normally developing child and is associated paroxysmal EEG abnormalities. Although the epilepsy usually remits during early adolescence, most children with LKS continue to show language deficits into adulthood. This project looked at the single case of a 17-year old boy diagnosed with LKS at 6.0 years when he initially presented with a severe auditory agnosia (affecting both speech and environmental sounds). Follow-up neuropsychological assessments (over 11 years) revealed the recovery of both receptive and expressive language, despite continued EEG abnormalities. This project also aims to investigate the nature of the relationship between language function and EEG abnormalities in LKS.

Long-term neuropsychological effects of low-grade brain tumours in children diagnosed and treated in infancy: A specific focus on attention and executive functioning abilities

Peta Minton¹,², in collaboration with Ruth Brunsdon³, Pam Joy⁴, Stewart Kellie⁵ and Arthur Shores¹

1. Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia
2. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Rehabilitation Department, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
4. Child Development Unit, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
5. Oncology Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

Research into low-grade brain tumours has documented a range of associated intellectual and neuropsychological impairments, albeit is often hindered by methodological flaws. This study aims to improve on these past flaws in its focus on long-term survivors (> 5yrs) of low-grade brain tumours who were diagnosed before the age of six. It will attempt to clarify specific neuropsychological late-effects of early detection and treatment by focusing on attention and executive functioning skills. This specific cognitive focus was chosen on the basis that these processes are critical for the normal development of the cognitive system, are in a rapid state of development during infancy and are, therefore, not well established in this age group. Consequently, it may be argued that these processes may be particularly vulnerable to impairment when brain function is disrupted. In addition, a brief investigation into the long-term quality of life in this patient group will also be undertaken. It is expected that clinical participants will demonstrate a poorer quality of life as well as reductions in attention and executive functioning skills when compared with sibling controls and an age matched (non-cerebral solid based) tumour control group.

Neuropsychological outcome in long-term survivors of low grade brain tumors in infancy and childhood

Farah Budhani¹, Ruth Brunsdon¹, Pam Joy¹ and Stewart Kellie²

1. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
2. Oncology Department, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

This research will continue to investigate the aims outlined by the above study.

Medical interventions

These studies involve a diverse range of projects which focus on monitoring the effectiveness of medical interventions in relation to neuropsychological functioning. The studies are being undertaken in collaboration with a number of specialist departments throughout the Children's Hospital at Westmead. Knowledge gained from these studies is likely to have a significant impact on medical and cognitive outcome in children with quite varying conditions.

The long-term effects of hypoglycaemia on the executive functioning of children with Type 1 Diabetes

Lauren Gillett¹,², Judi Homewood¹, Pam Joy³, in collaboration with Geoffrey Ambler⁴

1. Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia
2. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Child Development Unit, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
4. Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

There is some evidence that recurrent hypoglycaemia may lead to permanent neuropsychological deficits in children with Type 1 Diabetes. In particular, frontal lobe hypoperfusion and executive functioning deficits have been linked to hypoglycaemic episodes. This study aims to investigate the effects of frequency and severity of hypoglycaemia on children's executive functioning, as well as the influence of age at diagnosis and duration of disease on these effects.

Assessment of changes in cognition, mood and behaviour in children with Type 1 Diabetes starting Insulin Pump Therapy

Pam Joy¹, Andrew Gardner² and Geoffrey Ambler³ in collaboration the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

1. Child Development Unit, Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
2. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia
3. Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

This research project aims to assess changes in cognition, mood and behaviour in children with type 1 diabetes starting insulin pump therapy. It is a collaborative study with the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne that consists of a series of case studies. Participants, aged 6-16 years, are tested pre-pump (baseline) and again 6-8 weeks after commencement of their pump therapy.

Research support (2008/09)

Children with dyslexia who are unable to process individual letters: Why is their processing impaired and can we help them learn to read?
Brunsdon R
Macquarie University Research Development Grant ($18,000)

Correlating Cognitive, Genetic and Clinical Variability in Williams Syndrome
Porter M A, Tassabehji M, Hammod P
Macquarie University Research Development Grant Scheme ($49,268)

A model of social processing: Identification and treatment of social deficits
Porter M A
Geoffrey Betts Fellow: Australian Rotary Health Research ($200,000)

A cognitive neuropsychological model of social processing: Identification and treatment of social deficits
Porter M A, Coltheart M, Brunsdon R, Joy P, Bakker K
Australian Rotary Health Research Fund Geoffrey Betts Postdoctoral Fellowship ($75,000 p.a. over 3 years)