The question of how the human brain develops over the first few years of life is a fascinating one, and is of importance to our thinking about education, social policy, robotics, and developmental disorders such as autism. Despite the relevance and applicability of this topic, there is surprisingly little known about the infant brain, and many fundamental questions remain. In this Co-operative group we intend to use several techniques to investigate the functional development of the brain in typically and atypically developing infants and toddlers. One method involves measuring the length of time that babies look toward different visual pictures, such as faces. Another method involves measuring small changes in voltage on the scalp as groups of nerve cells are active within the brain (ERP, EEG). A third method we intend to use involves measuring tiny changes in light as it passes through the baby?s head (NIRS). With these methods we will conduct experiments to discover how healthy babies and toddlers process information about their social and physical world. These experiments are designed to be enjoyable for babies, so their interest is maintained for some time. In addition, we will conduct similar studies on toddlers with developmental disorders (e.g. autism and Williams Syndrome) that effect their interaction with the social and physical worlds. The applicants will continue to present their research to the general public through media interviews and articles, and by writing and consulting on popular books and TV programmes. We will issue press releases when important scientific papers appear.

Technical Abstract:
This proposal extends existing collaborative links, and plans for a new building, into a cohesive grouping on cognitive and brain function in typical, atypical (e.g. Autism, Williams Syndrome), and high-risk (e.g. pre-term) human infants and toddlers over the first years of life. A core collaborative programme will initially utilise existing resources from component grants, and involves two stages of behavioural and neural (ERP, EEG, NIRS) assessments of visual and cognitive functions. Later project grants will enhance the tasks and methodology available for the core, and allow expansion of the clinical populations under study. The added value of the grouping lies not only in the integration of areas of expertise, but also in the standardisation of tasks and procedures applied to a variety of clinical populations.