Neuropsychological
Center
for Children
Director:
Dr Hilary Gomes
Office Tel: 212-650-5720
Lab Tel: 212-650-5711
Electrophysiological Studies
The main goal of these studies is to improve our understanding of the relationship between language, attention and the brain. We use the EEG (brainwaves) method to observe the reaction of a child’s brain while he/she listens to sounds. A special cap that contains electrical sensors is used to pick up the brainwave activity. By systematically examining the brain’s response when a child is paying attention to sounds, we hope to better understand how difficulties attending to auditory information may exacerbate the problems that some children experience in school leading to better and earlier educational interventions.
Children and their families can benefit in a number of ways from participating in this project. In addition to EEG, children receive a battery of tests examining intelligence, language, attention, and reading abilities. Parents are provided with a written neuropsychological report describing their child’s performance. When indicated we provide appropriate recommendations to help children maximize their potential by using their strengths to compensate for any weaknesses. As a way of thanking each child for his or her time we provide each with a book and a small monetary reward. The projects have been approved by the Board of Education and by the City College Institutional Review Board.
What it’s like to be in an ERP study
An experimenter will show the child the cap and explain how it will be fitted before placing it on the child’s head. The cap contains 40 special sensors to record the child’s brain activity. The sensors are attached to the child’s head using a special gel. The purpose of the gel is to improve the electrical conductivity between the scalp and each sensor. It takes about 30 minutes to put on the cap and the process does not hurt. While the cap is being fitted, the child can watch one of our videos or one they have brought from home.
The sensors and gel are safe clinical and research tools that have been used with the adult population for over 50 years and with the children for at least 30 years.
The child will listen to the sounds through specially designed headphones. The child will hear various high and low tones and will be asked to press a button to occasional tones that are different. The sounds are presented in 5 minute blocks. There will be 8 blocks in total. In between each block the child will have time to relax and prepare themselves for the next block. This part of the study will take approximately 3 hours.
After the session, the experimenter will wipe most of the gel out of the child’s hair. The rest of the gel will come off when the child washes their hair.
Children will be given a picture of themselves wearing the cap and printouts of their EEG.
