The Brain Imaging Laboratory is involved in a series of studies that examine different components of impulsivity, attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD) and abnormalities of empathy in children.

We take advantage of our participation in a major ongoing longitudinal study of the neurobiology of emotional development in children from birth. This sample was first identified when mothers were pregnant with their first child, at which time we began studying these families. The index child in the first group of families we have followed is now finishing middle school. From this sample, we have been able to identify children who exhibit externalizing disorders and show problems with impulsivity. A subset of these children has been diagnosed with ADHD, and some also show signs of empathy dysfunction. We study brain function in these children with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using these methods, we are beginning to understand the commonalities and differences among related problems in impulsivity. We are also studying how impulsive children may differ from typically developing children in their use of emotional cues to guide their behavior and in the expression of empathy. Using structural MRI measures, we are also examining how the brains of children with disorders of impulsivity may show anatomical and connectional differences compared with those of typically developing children.

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These studies offer great promise in identifying the underlying brain bases of impulsivity on the one hand and empathy on the other. Such information is crucial for tracking the impact of various therapeutic interventions as well as of school training methods. We have the potential to examine the impact of educational interventions on measures of brain function as well as to examine how medications that are used for ADHD may be affecting the brain.

We are one of the very few laboratories that are able to combine careful longitudinal behavioral assessments with modern brain imaging methods to chart the development of disorders of impulsivity and to explore their impact on difficult to measure but crucial psychological processes such as empathy.

The Opportunity: We have a unique opportunity at the Brain Imaging Lab to combine the longitudinal study of children in their natural habitat with sophisticated measurement of brain function using fMRI to understand the neural basis of ADHD, impulsivity and empathy. These studies will enable us to eventually develop better methods to intervene and counteract these disorders and to develop new methods to enhance empathy in children.