Brain Injury During Infancy and Long Term Cognitive Changes
Dr. Penny Glass, Director
Child Development Program
Children’s National Medical Center
Washington, DC
Time and Date: Wednesday, April 5th, 3 pm
Location: Life Cycle, Room 201
Sponsor: Department of Psychology
Neuroscientists are generally in agreement on the central issues regarding
any lasting effects of brain injury that infants sustain: (1) severity of brain
injury is predictive of impaired cognitive outcome; (2) there is a different
pattern in the development of language skills (left brain) and visual/spatial
abilities (right brain).
Outcome studies of children with neuroradiographic evidence of early brain
injury provide a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of
neuroplasticity, compensation and functional recovery in the young
developing brain. To address these issues, test results will be discussed from
a large cohort of 150 children who suffered brain injury as newborns; CT
brain scans were taken at the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery, Children’s
National Medical Center. Neuropsychological evaluation of these children
during early childhood uncovered pockets of significant cognitive changes
and delays in recovery.
Dr. Penny Glass has achieved national and international recognition for her
work as a developmental psychologist. She is currently Director, Child
Development Program, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington
DC., and holds the rank of Associate Professor of Pediatrics, George
Washington University Medical Center. Her professional background is rich
and varied and includes research at the Yerkes Primate Center, Emory
University, teaching head start classes, working as a student scientist at
NIMH and as a research associate at the Universities of Illinois, Maryland
and Georgetown. Her recent studies chart the development of preterm
babies, and the long term effects of traumatic brain injury during infancy.