On Friday, Alekzander took part in the second part of an on-going biomedical research study. What other six month old can claim that? Apparently only about 70 other babies in the area! Remember our grand adventure up to Kannapolis a few weeks ago? We trekked back up to the Nutrition Research Institute and met Dr. Carol Cheatham. She is investigating the relationship between a certain gene (that possibly controls how the body uses fatty acids (found in breastmilk)) and a child's ability to remember.
Alekzander was fitted with a stretchy net that recorded electrical activity generated in his brain. Under the watchful eye of a camera and the researcher, Alekzander sat on my lap and watched a series of pictures on a computer screen. The same image was repeated twelve times; this image became "old" as Alekzander was used to seeing it. Next, a series of 100 pictures was shown; among those 100 pictures a percentage of them were the "old" picture and the rest were new. Brain activity, or electrical impulses, were measured as the pictures flashed on the screen. Ideally Alekzander should have been able to recognize, or remember, the old pictures each time he saw them. The recognition would have 'sparked' an electrical impulse in his brain. Quite amazing!
Normally, Alekzander is a model citizen and is quite complacent. I thought he'd be a star pupil this time around. Unfortunately, he fussed much of the time and barely looked at the computer screen (even though he can't get enough of my laptop at home), so I'm not sure how much help our results will be. He did get a special bear and pacifier for his troubles. And I thought he looked pretty cool at the very least.
For more information about this study, contact Julie or Karina at julie_stegall@unc.edu or karina_agopian@unc.edu or join the Cheatham Nutrition & Cognition Lab on Facebook.
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