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13 Jan 2023 • Journal Article • Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Characterizing different cognitive and neurobiological profiles in a community sample of children using a non-parametric approach: An fMRI study
AbstractExecutive Functions (EF) is an umbrella term for a set of mental processes geared towards goal-directed behavior supporting academic skills such as reading abilities. One of the brain’s functional networks implicated in EF is the Default Mode Network (DMN). The current study uses measures of inhibitory control, a main sub-function of EF, to create cognitive and
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4 Jan 2023 • Preprint • arXiv
Robofriend: An Adpative Storytelling Robotic Teddy Bear -- Technical Report
AbstractIn this paper we describe Robofriend, a robotic teddy bear for telling stories to young children. Robofriend adapts its behavior to keep the childrens' attention using reinforcement learning.
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9 Nov 2022 • Journal Article • Scientific Reports
Associations between digital media use and brain surface structural measures in preschool-aged children
AbstractThe American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limits on digital media use (“screen time”), citing cognitive-behavioral risks. Media use in early childhood is ubiquitous, though few imaging-based studies have been conducted to quantify impacts on brain development. Cortical morphology changes dynamically from infancy through adulthood and is associated with cognitive-behavioral
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11 Aug 2022 • Journal Article • Child Neuropsychology
Higher access to screens is related to decreased functional connectivity between neural networks associated with basic attention skills and cognitive control in children
AbstractScreen-based media has become a prevailing part of children’s lives. Different technologies provide limitless access to a wide range of content. This accessibility has immensely increased screen exposure among children, showing that this exposure is associated with decreased cognitive abilities. This study was designed to evaluate how the neurobiological correlates for
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4 Aug 2022 • Journal Article • Acta Paediatrica
Children exposed to masked adults in the first year of life demonstrated lower expressive vocabulary
AbstractWhen assessing language development, it is important to differentiate between receptive language, namely comprehension, and expressive language, which is the ability to convey information, feelings, thoughts and ideas. The development of word comprehension and sensitivity to linguistic sounds occur before production. One study found that newborn infants were able to
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8 Jun 2022 • Journal Article • Network Neuroscience
Structural White Matter Characteristics for Working Memory and Switching/Inhibition in Children with Reading Difficulties: The Role of the Left Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus
AbstractAbstract. Reading difficulties (RDs) are characterized by slow and inaccurate reading as well as additional challenges in cognitive control (i.e., executive functions, especially in working memory, inhibition, and visual attention). Despite evidence demonstrating differences in these readers’ language and visual processing abilities, white matter differences associated
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7 Feb 2022 • Journal Article • Scientific Reports
Young children’s screen time during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 12 countries
AbstractOlder children with online schooling requirements, unsurprisingly, were reported to have increased screen time during the first COVID-19 lockdown in many countries. Here, we ask whether younger children with no similar online schooling requirements also had increased screen time during lockdown. We examined children’s screen time during the first COVID-19 lockdown in
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7 Feb 2022 • Journal Article • Dyslexia
Stroop performance is related to reading profiles in Hebrew-speaking individuals with dyslexia and typical readers
AbstractThere is a debate in the literature regarding the level of contribution of executive functions (EF) to reading comprehension (RC), in the context of the simple view of reading (SVR) model. The current study aims to create sub-profiles of reading and cognitive abilities based on a measure traditionally used for evaluating EF, that is, the Stroop task, and specifically
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6 Feb 2022 • Journal Article • Child Neuropsychology
Reduced mother-child brain-to-brain synchrony during joint storytelling interaction interrupted by a media usage
AbstractParent–child synchrony is related to the quality of parent and child interactions and child development. One very emotionally and cognitively beneficial interaction in early childhood is Dialogic Reading (DR). Screen exposure was previously related to decreased parent-child interaction. Using a hyperscanning Electroencephalogram (EEG) method, the current study examined
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5 Jan 2022 • Journal Article • Acta Paediatrica
Functional MRI research involving healthy children: Ethics, safety, and recommended procedures
AbstractAim
This specific review aims to expose clinicians, researchers, and administrators in hospitals to the importance, procedures, and safety of fMRI studies to promote the increased utilization of such studies in different geographical places worldwide.
The child's brain is developing rapidly, both structurally and functionally. These functional changes can only be
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