The Developing Mind and Brain: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

PSY 170-B-01
Spring 2003

Course Information

This course offers an in-depth review of developmental cognitive neuroscience. We will consider questions such as: What is the nature of developmental change? What are the brain mechanisms underlying cognitive, perceptual, social, and emotional development during infancy and childhood? What changes in brain development underlie disorders such as autism and Williams syndrome? We will also evaluate implications of findings from developmental cognitive neuroscience for broader scientific issues including nature vs. nurture, critical periods in development, and the modularity of mental functions. An integral part of the course will be careful consideration of the major methods of developmental cognitive neuroscience including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), recordings of evoked response potentials (ERPs), and behavioral marker tasks. We will devote particular attention to the unique challenges of applying these methods to the study of children.

Class sessions will usually consist of a short lecture period followed by a student led group presentation and discussion of the week’s readings. In addition, we will visit different labs on campus to learn more about the methods and issues of developmental cognitive neuroscience.

You will be responsible for each week’s assigned readings. The class will revolve around discussion of these readings. To facilitate discussion, you should prepare a brief (no more than one typed page) reaction paper concerning each week’s readings. For these papers, consider writing down three questions that arose for you while reading the week’s material. You should send your reaction paper to me via electronic mail () at least two hours before each class session. Student groups will be arranged, and each group will be responsible for co-leading one or more class discussions. Groups may reserve topics. In addition to your weekly reaction papers, a major research proposal will be due on the last day of class. A first draft/outline of this research proposal will be due in mid-semester. You will give a final presentation regarding your proposal. I will provide more details about my expectations for your proposals later.

Your course grade will be based on the following four factors: (1) class attendance, participation, and weekly writing assignments (25%); (2) group presentations (25%); (3) research proposal and final presentation (35%); (4) one time-limited take home midterm exam (15%).

Course Outline

1/9         Topic: Introductions and overview of course

Reading:

(1)    S. J. Webb et al. (2001). Developmental Neuropsychology, 19(2), pp. 147-171. ^†

A. Principles

1/16   Topic: Perspectives on developmental change

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson. (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 1-22.

(2)    J. L. Elman et al. (1998). Rethinking Innateness: A Connectionist Perspective on Development, pp. 1-46.

(3)    G. Gottlieb. Developmental Neuropsychology, 19(1), pp. 1-9. ^†

1/23   Topic: Modularity of mental functions: regional specialization and lateralization

Readings:

(1)    S. J. Paterson et al. (1999). Science, 286, pp. 2355-2358. ^†

(2)    M. H. Johnson. (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 164-171.

(3)    J. D. Cohen & F. Tong. (2001). Science, 293, pp. 2405-2406. ^†

(4)    P. E. Downing et al. (2001). Science, 293, pp. 2470-2473. ^†

(5)    N. Kanwisher. (2000). Nature Neuroscience, 3, pp. 759-763. ^†

(6)    I. Gauthier et al. (1999). Nature Neuroscience, 2, pp. 568-573. ^†

1/30   Topic: Developmental plasticity and critical periods

Readings:

(1)     J.  T. Bruer. (1997). Educational Researcher, 26(8), pp. 4-16. ^†

(2)     C. A. Nelson. (2000). Developmental Science, 3(2), pp 115-136. ^†

(3)     R. LeGrand et al. (2001). Nature, 410, p. 890. ^†

(4)     O. Pascalis et al. (2002). Science, 296, pp. 1321-1323. ^†

(5)     H. J. Neville & D. Bavelier. (1998). Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 8(2), pp. 254-258. ^†

(6)     H. J. Neville et al. (1998). Proceeding of the National Academy of Science, 95(3), pp. 922-929. ^†

(7)     B. A. Roeder et al. (1999). Nature, 400, pp. 162-166. ^†

B. Methods

2/6*   Topic: Electrophysiological methods

          Readings:

(1)    M. J. Taylor & T. Baldeweg. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 318-334. ^†

(2)    R. Paetau. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 361-371. ^†

(3)    C. A. Nelson & C. S. Monk. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 125-135.

* Visit to the lab to observe ERP recordings.

2/13   Topic: Pediatric Neuroimaging I

Readings:

(1)    D. N. Kennedy et al. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 267-278. ^†

(2)    A. M. Ulug. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 286-292. ^†

(3)    B. J. Casey et al. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 137-147.

(4)    S. Y. Bookheimer. (2000). Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 6(3), pp. 161-165. ^†

2/20* Topic: Pediatric neuroimaging II

Readings:

(1)    E. S. Spelke. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 392-396. ^†

(2)    B. J. Casey et al. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 301-309. ^†

(3)    J. Meek. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(3), pp. 371-380. ^†

(4)    Baird et al. (2002). Neuroimage, 16, pp. 1120-1126. ^†

* Visit to the lab to observe fMRI scan and the simulator scanner

* First exam distributed

2/27*     Topic: Behavioral marker tasks and connectionist models of development

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson. (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 172-195.

(2)    Y. Munakata & J. M. Stedron. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 159-171.

(3)    Y. Munakata. (1998). Developmental Science, 1, pp. 161-184. ^†

(4)    W. H. Overman & J. Bachevalier. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 109-123.

* First exam due

C. Domains of development

3/6         Topic: Face processing

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson. (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 98-125.

(2)    M. DeHaan. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 381-399.

(3)    C. A. Nelson. (2001). Infant and Child Development, 10, pp. 3-18. ^†

(4)    N. Tzourio-Mazoyer et al. (2002). Neuroimage, 15, pp. 454-461. ^†

3/20* Topic: Language

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 137-151.

(2)    S. K. Holland et al. (2001). Neuroimage, 14, pp. 837-843. ^†

(3)    J. F. Werker & A. Vouloumanos. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 269-280.

(4)    B. L. Schlaggar et al. (2002). Science, 296, pp. 1476-1479. ^†

(5)    D. Bavelier et al. (1998). Neuron, 21, pp. 275-278.

* Paper draft/outline due

3/27   Topic: Memory

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 126-136.

(2)    C. A. Nelson et al. (2000). Developmental Psychology, 36, pp. 109-116. ^†

(3)    C. A. Nelson. (1995). Developmental Psychology, 35, pp. 723-738. ^†

(4)    L. J. Carver et al. (2000). Developmental Science, 3(2), 234-246. ^†

4/3         Topic: Attention and executive processes

Readings:

(1)    M. H. Johnson (1997). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 68-97.

(2)    J. E. Richards. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 321-337.

(3)    B. Luna et al. (2001). NeuroImage, 13(5), pp. 786-793. ^†

(4)    S. Durston et al. (2002). Developmental Science, 5(4), pp. F9-F16. ^†

D. Neurodevelopmental disorders

4/10   Topic: Autism spectrum disorders

          Readings:

(1)    S. Ozonoff. (2001). Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, pp. 537-549.

(2)    R. Schultz et al. (2000). Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, pp. 331-340. ^†

(3)    F. Castelli et al. (2002). Brain, 125, pp. 1839-1849. ^†

(4)    G. Dawson et al. (2002). Child Development, 73, pp. 700-717. ^†

4/17* Topic: Williams syndrome

Readings:

(1)     U. Bellugi et al. (1992). Developmental Behavioral Neuroscience: The Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology, Vol. 24, pp. 201-232.

(2)     U. Bellugi et al. (1999). NeuroReport, 10, pp. 1653-1657.

(3)     U. Bellugi et al. (1999). Trends in Neurosciences, 22(5), pp. 197-207. ^†

(4)     S. Grice et al. (2001). Brain Imaging, 12, pp. 2697-2700. ^†

* Final paper due

* Second exam distributed

* Final class session: Individual presentations of research proposals during the exam period and second exams are due.

Note. The readings are subject to change to reflect the flow of the class and possible new relevant findings in the field.