Welcome to Prof. Dr Pamela Banta Lavenex "Neurocognitive Development" research group
Why, as adults, do we not remember the events of our first 3 or 4 years of life?
How does our memory evolve across our lifespan?
How do different memory systems interact across the lifespan?
How does atypical development affect memory function?
Can alternative cognitive strategies be adopted to improve memory performance?
These are just a few of the questions that we investigate in our laboratory. We use a variety of behavioral paradigms to assess and characterize memory function across the lifespan, from 12 months to 75 years of age, in typically developing individuals. We also assess memory function in individuals who have sustained brain damage, as well as in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic origin, such as Down syndrome or Williams syndrome. In typically developing individuals, our research has shown that different regions of the brain mature at different moments, and that this maturation underlies the emergence and development of distinct memory processes. In atypically developed individuals, our research has shown that there can be a dissociation in the functions of different memory systems, and that different syndromes present unique cognitive profiles.
