Therapeutic Learning Environments for Improving Brain Function in
Pediatric Psychiatry
A major open research question, of scientific and clinical importance, is whether manipulation of the neuroanatomical markers of cognitive deficits can provide a basis for effective cognitive rehabilitation. Our objective is to investigate this question by developing a computer-based therapeutic learning environment tool to improve cognitive deficits in pediatric Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This project is a collaboration with Prof. Victor Carrion in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at Stanford.
We plan to utilize Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to measure changes in the neuroanatomical markers of PTSD brought about by the computer-based therapeutic learning environment that we are designing. The human learning modalities to be measured are learning rate, retention, and transfer. Our approach builds on recent fMRI research results from Dr. Carrion's lab, which has identified potential neuroanatomical markers of pediatric Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the frontal cortex while patients are engaged in the cognitive task of response-inhibition, a key aspect of executive function.
Of the many emotional and cognitive disorders for which neural correlates have been identified in recent years, PTSD is particularly attractive to pioneer a neural-based therapy approach. This is because there is strong evidence that a traumatic life event of relatively brief duration triggers the neural rewiring responsible for PTSD. This increases the likelihood of the needed neuroplasticity in the cellular connections we wish to rewire. A successful computer-based training tool for PTSD could have widespread clinical impact for one of the most widespread and serious maladies in pediatric psychiatry.
Anna Ravenscroft was a summer intern on this project, funded jointly by the Symbolic Systems Program and the Department of Psychiatry. We are currently designing of the interactive learning environment.