Study Guide with article summaries for Developmental Neuropsychology at the University of Groningen

Cognitive control and motivational systems in developmental neurobiology

Cognitive control is an executive process which can be vital to the maintenance and monitoring of long term goal oriented behavior. In the past, the development of cognitive control has been explained as a growth from infancy to adulthood. The role of context on cognitive control impacts one’s  behavioral regulation abilities, for example in a stressful context one may experience diminished control.  Recent studies suggest that cognitive control capacity is impacted by specific periods of development whereby one is more susceptible to incentive based modulation.

Revision of treatments and guidelines for phenylketonuria: evidence from neurocognition

An inborn, inherited, error of metabolism, phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare, highly treatable disease. In contrast to its relatively treatable nature, when left untreated, PKU can result in seizures, intellectual disability, and further medical issues. The most common method for prevention is the early introduction of a strict diet highlighting the restriction of phenylalanine (Phe). Despite its treatability, patients with PKU show an average 8-10 points lower than normal in addition to underperforming in neuropsychological tests.

Cognitive impairments have been associated with concurrent blood Phe levels, and even more so with lifetime blood Phe levels. The question being raised by the authors concerns whether or not the recommend Phe level for patients with PKU is too high. Currently, from the age of 0-10, this level varies between 240 and 360 micromolars/L. The drawback is that this range is not the

Investigating the role of the frontal cortex in autism

Little is known about the underlying neural developmental defects which result in the emergence of autistic behavior during the early years of life. The frontal lobe has been identified as the most likely region to be involved, and yet little is known about it. The frontal lobe plays a key role in higher order language, cognitive, emotional, and social faculties, each one affected by autism. This has provided support for the frontal lobe hypothesis