Research summary
Many pediatric diseases are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention and learning disabilities or language delays. We urgently need to develop clinical tools to identify children who are at higher risk of developing these disorders so we can catch them earlier and provide personalized treatments.
Dr. Anne Gallagher, Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Neuropsychology and Brain Imaging, is focusing on two pediatric conditions associated with neurodevelopmental disorders: congenital heart disease and epilepsy. She and her research team are using safe brain imaging techniques and behavioral evaluations to identify early markers that predict neurodevelopment. Ultimately, their research has the potential to help identify children at high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and provide them with early, individualized interventions to improve their language, cognitive and motor abilities.