See Also: NRC Membership Listing > Human Development

A relatively new field of study called Developmental Psychopathology focuses on the ways biological and psychological factors affect whether an individual will develop a  mental disorder. Behavior changes as individuals develop, not only because of the maturation of the brain and the effects of behavioral experience, but also because of  interrelationships among brain, behavior, and experience over time. Understanding the development of brain-behavior relationships as a person matures is key to identifying, treating, and preventing mental disorders such as autism, mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and depression that are among the most persistent problems in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. A group of UT-Houston researchers are studying how the brain and behavior change with development in children, adolescents and adults with mental disorders, or risks for mental disorders, with the aim of understanding in more detail why and how these disorders occur. They are also studying why certain disorders tend to occur together, and whether new techniques such as neuroimaging can help predict the course of illness and response to treatment.

Autism

A set of related studies using behavioral, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological techniques as well as animal model studies are underway to identify the parts of the brain that are involved in autism. Researchers are examining a new theory about how autism occurs, focusing on disruptions in parts of the brain that are associated with emotion and social behavior as well as those associated with thinking, learning and memory. Studies will link brain disruptions to specific symptoms of autism and will help to explain why there is so much variation in the symptoms of autism. New studies are planned that will examine genetic contributions to autism and their role in early brain development.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Another study uses magnetic resonance imaging and EEG techniques to examine differences in brain structure and activity between children with and without ADHD. Functional differences are also being explored between children with ADHD on and off medication, and also between children with ADHD who do or do not respond successfully to medication treatment. The relationship of ADHD to other disorders such as mental retardation and traumatic brain injury is also being studied. Studies will lead to better diagnosis and treatment for children with ADHD.

Conduct Disorder

Several studies of children and adolescents with Conduct Disorder (CD) are underway. In one study, we are exploring aspects of cognitive functioning in adolescents with CD. In another, we are examining differences in the way CD is manifested in adolescent males and females. In a third project, we are assessing the effectiveness of new medication treatments for children and adolescents with CD.

Aging

A long-term study of aging in adults with mental retardation has shown that, even though most persons with Down Syndrome have brain tissue changes by age 35 that resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease, few of them actually
display symptoms of Alzheimer’s until much later. However, persons with mental retardation in general are at high risk for treatable mental disorders, such as depression that can lead to cognitive and behavioral changes resembling dementia.

Hemophilia and HIV

Another long-term study is investigating how the nervous system, cognition, and behavior of children and adolescents with hemophilia have been affected by infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Using behavioral, medical and neuroimaging techniques, researchers have shown that as an individual’s immune system is gradually affected by AIDS, losses in cognition and behavior are more likely to occur.

Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials

A series of clinical trials were performed at the CHDR over a decade that examined the efficacy of various medication treatments for pediatric HIV illness. The role that the CHDR played was to track the neurodevelopmental status of infants, children, and adolescents over the months or years that they received these medication treatments. These trials have helped demonstrate the effectiveness of certain medications for both treatment and prevention of HIV infection in infants of mothers with HIV.