Studies related to childhood
Typical and Atypical Development of Compensation to Altered Auditory Feedback
Elborn College (EC)
Early detection of speech, language, and hearing disorders is critical for optimizing outcomes. One great challenge is the early detection of developmental language disorder (DLD). Children with DLD struggle to comprehend what is said to them and express themselves verbally. We are interested in studying how the brains of children process what they hear, comparing typically developing children with children with DLD to improve early identification.
Both male and female
5 to 13 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Using Eye Tracking to Study Reading Comprehension
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
Reading comprehension is a very important skill as people interact with the world. However, readers differ in their ability to monitor their text understanding and then choose reading behaviours to improve their comprehension. We are interested in how readers with a variety of backgrounds process texts for meaning.
Both male and female
10 to 14 years old &
17 to 35 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Movement, performance, and ADHD
Althouse Faculty of Education Building (FEB)
ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the daily lives of many children. An environment where this disorder displays itself more than others is in the classroom. A perspective that is starting to gain some traction is the use of physical activity to help improve classroom learning. We are conducting a study to identify how movement during learning impacts performance and brain activity in children with and without ADHD.
Both male and female
8 years old to 12 years old
Children with ADHD &
children without ADHD
Online
We are increasingly turning to interesting stories for entertainment and education, including podcasts, audiobooks, or online education. In this study, we are interested in how children engage with these stories over their duration.
Both male and female
9 years old to 12 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Sensory processing in development and in autism
Online & Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
How we perceive the world greatly impacts how we interact with it. Sensory perception is known to change throughout development and to be different in children with developmental disorders such as autism. This study will explore the developmental trajectory of how we perceive the world, how the development of sensory processing differs in autism, and what the neural underpinnings of this typical and atypical development are.
Both male and female
Children 4+ years old
& adults
Please view study page for details
Narrative Abilities and Working Memory
Western Elborn College (EC) or Online
Narrative skills are the ability to tell a story. Narrative skills require complex language skills including being able to tell a story that makes sense (also known as coherence) and is grammatically correct (also known as cohesion). Importantly, for school-aged children, narrative skills are critical for later literacy and school achievement. The purpose of this study is to understand how we could promote narrative skills, for example, using different kinds of questions to draw attention to different aspects of the story.
Both male and female
7 years old & 8 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Westminster Hall (WH)
The PEAR Lab at Western University is conducting a study to examine associations between peer relationships and eating disorders among female adolescents.
Females
13 to 17 years old
Healthy volunteers and volunteers with eating disorders
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB) & Robarts Research Institute (RRI)
The human dopamine system develops steadily from childhood through to adulthood, peaking in adolescence. During this time, we see substantial growth in certain dopamine brain areas, which correspond with changes in dopamine-related behaviours and personality traits, such as decision-making and impulsivity. There is a growing interest to see what changes in these areas we may observe throughout adolescence and early adulthood and how this may lead to changes in behaviour. With this in mind, we are interested in using cutting-edge, high-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to observe these small but significant developmental changes and see how they may relate to dopamine-mediated behaviours such as decision-making and reward-learning.
Both male and female
12 years old to 30 years old
Healthy Volunteers
Auditory ERPs and early language
Elborn College (EC)
Proper auditory input during childhood is crucial to the development of high functioning language skills later in life. We are interested in how our brains response to simple tones is related to language skills in childhood.
Both male and female
12 months old to 62 months old
Healthy Volunteers
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building (WIRB)
The Developing Brain lab is looking for children aged 7-10 years old to take part in a study which examines brain activity during viewing of emotional faces.
Both male and female
7 years old to 10 years old
& their parents
Children with ASD
& typically developing children
Brain Variability in Children with Previous Infantile Hydrocephalus
Robarts Research Institute (RRI)
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the differences in brain networks between healthy children and children who have experienced hydrocephalus as infants.
Both male and female
4 years old to 13 years old
Healthy Volunteers
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