Allen L. Carpenter

B.A. in Business Administration, The Ohio State University

Thesis Advisor:  Ronald Xu

E-Mail:  carpenter.64@osu.edu

Research:

Language area cortical neuronal activity in children with autism

Deficits in language function are a commonly observed aspect of the impairment in communication skills in children with autism. Lateralization, measures of brain hemispheric dominance, for language provide a rough indication of functional specialization for linguistic processing in the brain. Previous research has shown most typically developing right handed individuals display left hemisphere lateralization in language areas of the brain. Neuroanatomical research in autism has shown a reversal of left hemisphere cortical brain volume asymmetry in several language areas of the brain. Functional neuroimaging research such as fMRI, has also shown atypical right hemisphere recruitment during some language tasks.

To date, neuroimaging research has been primarily limited to higher functioning children with autism. Our research will investigate language area lateralization in children with autism with severe language impairment. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), we can take advantage of its low relative cost, portability and motion artifact control to examine language area cortical neuronal activity in this population of autistic children.

Presentations at National Meetings

Alpha-2 adrenergic modulation of cognitive flexibility during stress. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA 2007.