PhD Ocular biomarkers in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders

Closing Date

1 Oct 2018

Salary

£20,000 per annum

Address

King’s Health Partners Institute of Women and Children’s Health, King's College London

Duration

3 years

Project Description

Attention deficits are prevalent across neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and have a major impact on learning and adaptive skills. Early identification is critical for enabling timely, targeted interventions and to positively impact the developmental trajectory. However, given the complexity and co-occurrence of NDDs, behavioral diagnosis is challenging. This has triggered a quest for identification of objective markers. 

Primarily this project aims to identify the utility of eye vergence as an indicator of visuo-spatial attention processing in children aged 4-15 years (using computerised eye-tracking tasks). Eye vergence is a fixational binocular eye movement involved in depth perception that has recently been associated with attentional and cortical control processes and with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By working with a group of children with a range of NDDs (N=100 clinical subjects and N=60 typically developing controls), recruited from the Newcomen Centre, Evelina London, we plan to investigate eye vergence in relation to diagnostic and dimensional categories and to potentially identify subgroups of children with specific/overlapping attentional differences. 

In addition, we intend to determine if there are readily identifiable structural and functional differences in the processing of visual information in NDDs, using retinal imaging and functioning. Structural and functional disturbances of the eye provides an exciting window into mechanisms underpinning the visual and cognitive differences associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. 

We will compare neuropsychological and behavioral data gathered during routine clinic sessions with neurophysiological data collected through eye-tracking, computer tasks, retinal imaging and ERG in a large clinical sample of children aged 4-15 years with NDDs. The neuropsychological measures used during routine clinic are well established and validated. We will examine modulation of eye vergence, scan path, fixation and pupil size in a battery of eye-tracking tasks that elicit different attentional processes, including orienting, disengaging, inhibiting and sustaining attention. These tasks will be adapted from a battery developed by Professor Hans Super from Braingaze (Industry Partner - http://www.braingaze.com/), and from validated eye tracking tasks. 

In summary, the aim of this project is to find objective measures that characterise visual attention deficits in NDDs with greater precision and enable early diagnosis. Moreover, we hope to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning these deficits and to help map symptom phenotypes onto cognitive domains and underlying neural substrates. Ultimately, by developing techniques to characterise specific attention deficits, we intend to assist effective individualised treatment for attention problems. 

The successful candidate for this project will be registered in, and be part of the vibrant postgraduate research community in, the King’s College London, Centre and Department of Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/depts/sgdp-centre/index.aspx) in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/index.aspx). 
 

Your Profile

Applications are invited from candidates with an interest in multi-disciplinary research and training in women’s and children’s health, and have a 1st class or upper second degree in a relevant bioscience, biomedical science, physical science or health related discipline. A master’s degree in a relevant area will be an advantage, as will experience of working with children and / or neurodevelopmental conditions. 
 

Application

Application for this studentship is via King's Apply, where you should apply to the King’s Health Partners Institute of Women and Children’s Health Programme and select Project 2. 
King's Apply: https://apply.kcl.ac.uk/

Funding Notes

This studentship is funded by King’s College London for 3 years for UK and EU candidates. It includes a tax free stipend up to £20,000 per annum, full fees, and an allowance for research consumables and conference travel

For more information and to apply, click here