Late maturation of visual spatial integration in humans

1

• With
• Csaba Pléh, Ágnes Lukács and Mihály Racsmány
  (BME)
• a rare genetic disorder (125.000),
  non-homogeneous cognitive profile.
• visual-spatial problems, good communication, and
  high sociability
• the bridge between genes and behavior anatomy
• occipital anatomical differences.
• I. Kovács Visual Integration
• Development and Impairments.
• Akadémiai, Budapest, 2004.
• Lukacs Language Abilities in Williams Syndrome.
  Budapest Akadémiai. 2005

Kontroll
Williams Szindróma
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Reiss et al, J Cog Neurosci volume 12 Suppl 1
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area 17 histometric resultssigns of abnormal
connectivity

• Cell measures differ in peripheral visual
  cortical fields of WS
• Smaller, more tightly packed cells in most layers
  on the left side
• Cell packing density and neuronal size
  differences may be related to visual spatial
  deficits in WS
• Galaburda and
  Bellugi, J Cog Neurosci vol 12 Suppl 1

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(No Transcript)
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contour integration card test
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Contour integration in children
(Kovács, Kozma, Fehér, Benedek, PNAS, 1999)
D

• 510 children, 60 adults
• Surprisingly slow curve!!

5-6 y
6-7 y
9-10 y
10-11 y
13-14 y
19-30 y
D noise spacing / contour spacing
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contour integration in Williams Syndrome

• with
• C. Pleh, A. Lukacs M. Racsmany
• Technical U., Budapest
• P. Kozma
• Rutgers U., NJ

0.6
0.65
0.7
0.75
0.8
0.85
0.9

• poor contour integration
• poor orientation discrimination
• lack of oblique effect

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• Sleep and learning
• Partners
• Annette Karmiloff-Smith (London)
• Avi Karni (Haifa)
• Yonata Levi (Jerusalem)
• Jochen Braun (Magdeburg)
• Chantal Kemner (Utrecht)
• Stefano Vicari (Róma)
• Farrell Ackermann (San Diego, USA)
• sleep and learning
• neurogentic developmental disorders
• the vulnerability of sleep micro- patterns
  behind learning disorders?

Plastic changes Procedural learning
perceptual
motor
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• Subjects
• typical dev
• WS
• DS
• FraX
• Autistic
• Sch

• Methods
• Behavioral
• vizual 1.
• vizual 2.
• motor
• Sleep lab
• EEG
• EOG
• EMG

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5 of the European population early diagnosis
of sleep disorders Sleep therapy change in
the trajectories of cognitive development