Research and Clinical Services

The MIND Institute's Cognitive Analysis and Brain Imaging Laboratory (CABIL, pronounced "cable") is directed by Dr. Tony J. Simon and funded by the National Institutes of Health. CABIL's mission is to investigate, explain and eventually treat the impairments in cognitive function experienced by children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The cognitive analysis part of our research involves developing theory-driven experiments that are presented to children as computer games. These experiments test the functioning of specific brain circuits under different conditions and predict characteristic patterns of performance depending on how well the system is functioning. The brain imaging part of our research is achieved using safe, radiation-free neuroimaging methods to characterize the changes in brain development that affect the neural structure, connectivity and function of such children. Knowing how the brains of children with neurodevelopmental disorders differs from those of their typically developing peers helps us to generate possible explanations for the impairments in cognitive function.

The long-term goal of our work is to develop a range of intervention techniques that we hope will reduce or even eliminate many of the cognitive and intellectual difficulties that present challenges to children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Currently our major research focuses on children and young adults with chromosome 22q11.2 deletions (also known as Velocardiofacial or DiGeorge syndromes), and children adults with mutations of the fragile X gene. We also study boys with Klinefelter syndrome and girls with XXX syndrome.