SLHS Research Colloquium Series

Neural Markers of Language Development in Genetic Disorders of Intellectual Disability Presented by: Dr. Carol Wilkinson, MD, PhD; Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital Abstract: Brain-based markers for cognitive and language development within neurodevelopmental disorders are needed for (1) use as biomarker outcome measures within clinical trials and (2) improved understanding of the neurobiology underlying developmental delays in humans. As the underlying biology of such delays within genetic disorders likely occurs early in brain development it is also crucial that brain-based markers are identified and understood in infants or young children with neurodevelopmental disorders. This talk will discuss several possible EEG-based biomarkers for language and cognitive development within two genetic disorders associated with intellectual disability – Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome. Additional discussion will focus on how studies of genetic disorders can inform our understanding of typical brain development and vice versa.