Bradley L Schlaggar - Development of the Brain's Functional Networks (UCTV)

This lecture is part of the UC Davis Mind Institute's Distinguished Lecturer series. Bradley L Schlaggar, MD, PhD is Director of the Pediatric Neurology Residency Training Program; A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Associate Professor of Developmental Neurology, in Neurology; and an Associate Professor of Radiology, Anatomy & Neurobiology, and Pediatrics - all at Washington University in St. Louis.

The lecture will took place on April 10, 2013 in the MIND Institute auditorium.

Schlaggar, the A. Ernest and Jane G. Stein Associate Professor of Developmental Neurology at Washington University, will discuss his use of a sophisticated analysis approach called “Graph Theory” to analyze the brain. Graph Theory starts from the premise that no single brain region carries out complex functions. Rather, many regions must work together in order to carry out complex information processing. Graph Theory allows scientists to use functional brain imaging to determine which brain regions are interacting in order to accomplish functions such as language, memory and social behavior.

Schlaggar argues that neurodevelopmental approaches that fail to take the principles of graph theory into consideration will likely mischaracterize brain network structure and function. Scientists may also fail to detect alterations in multilevel information processing that lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and fragile X.

The talk is geeky, but it's interesting.

Development of the Brain's Functional Networks

Published on Jan 14, 2014

Bradley L Schlaggar, MD, PhD (Washington University), reviews methods used to study functional interactions and networks with rs-fcMRI and how these methods have been used to define developmental changes in network functional connectivity. The implementation of multivariate pattern analysis methods using support vector machine classification and regression has allowed us to make predictions about the maturity of the brains functional network architecture in individuals. The implications of these approaches for understanding typical and atypical development of the brain's functional network architecture will be discussed. Series: "MIND Institute Lecture Series on Neurodevelopmental Disorders" [1/2014] - (Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/)