Category: Brain Imaging

Studying the connection between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome for Down syndrome awareness month

By Emily Leclerc, Waisman Science Writer The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and is dedicated to not only raising awareness about Down syndrome but also to celebrating the abilities and accomplishments of those with Down syndrome. While people with Down syndrome often live long and fruitful lives, the condition does come with …

UW-Madison is key site on landmark study focused on early childhood brain development and the impact of substance abuse and stress in infants and young children

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will be one of 25 sites to study early brain and behavior development and the impact of early exposure to substances – such as opioids – and social stressors in infants and young children.

Illuminating the brain through a new channel

A new study from the Binaural Hearing and Speech (BHS) Lab at the Waisman Center examines functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) – a neuroimaging option that is safe for individuals with metal implants

A stimulating environment: Waisman Center acquires neuromodulation lab for infants and children

The adaptability of children with disabilities has inspired Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT for the majority of her career.

New NIH-funded initiative will examine Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome

A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is part of a new multi-institution effort to better understand Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome. Adults with Down syndrome are at high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease beginning in their late 40s, because of their unique biology. The vast majority will eventually develop the …

New Innovator Award winner looking for unprecedented view of the brain

Congratulations to Aviad Hai, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and a Waisman affiliate, on being selected as a 2020 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award.

Balancing act: what motor function can tell us about autism

Can the way a person moves be a key identifier of autism? It’s a question that Waisman Center investigator Brittany Travers, PhD, is trying to answer.

The social brain: A beautiful mind

What images come to mind when you hear the phrase social brain? Do you think of children running around on a playground laughing together? Do you think of problem solving or imagine colorful brain scans? Do you think of autism? These are the questions that inspired a breadth of autism research that was recently evaluated by a team of Waisman scientists and compiled into a new literature review.

UW–Madison’s EdNeuroLab tackling math learning through brain imaging

In 2012, Edward Hubbard, a cognitive neuroscientist and assistant professor with UW‒Madison’s Department of Educational Psychology, created the Educational Neuroscience Lab to understand — through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) — how the physical changes that occur in children’s brains as they learn may help improve education practices.

Mancheski Foundation funds next-gen research on Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s

A gift from the Mancheski Foundation continues to provide integral support to doctoral student Matthew Zammit as he furthers his research on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome. Zammit is beginning his fourth year as a doctoral student working in the laboratory of Bradley Christian, PhD, a Waisman investigator and professor …