Clinical Assessment and Phenotyping Services

Core Services

Administrative Services

Neuroscience Services

Statistics and Methodology Services

Clinical Assessment and Phenotyping Services

- Psych. Assessment
- Psychophysiology
- Human Neuroimaging
- Sleep Laboratory
- Genetic Consultation

Participant Recruitment and Assessment

User Satisfaction

Clinical Assessment and Phenotyping Services

Adam Anderson , Ph.D., Core Director, 322-3521
Lynette Dufton, M.A., Psychological Assessment Graduate Student Assistant
Joseph Solus, Ph.D., Human Genetic Studies Consultant
Adam Anderson, Ph.D., Neuroimaging Faculty Liaison, 322-8353
Patrick Henry, Neuroimaging Engineer, 322-4584
Sasha Key, Ph.D, Psychophysiology Laboratory Faculty Director, 322-3498
Susan Williams, Core Manager, Psychophysiology Lab, 343-1961
Beth Malow, M.D., Sleep Laboratory Faculty Coordinator
Pagan Howard, P.G.S.T., Sleep Laboratory Technician
Suzanne Goldman, Ph.D., A.P.R.N., Sleep Laboratory Actigraphy Specialist

Overview

Assists the investigators with state-of-the-art psychological and behavioral assessments including standardized assessment in such specialized populations as infants and children with autism spectrum disorders.

Assists the investigators in accessing and using four, highly specialized technologies that add new dimensions to their ongoing clinical research, specifically in genetics, human neuroimaging, psychophysiology (ERP, EEG), and sleep and circadian rhythm


Psychological Assessment Services

Services:

  • Assistance in administering and scoring screenings and assessments.
  • Qualified student assistants, paid by the Core, are assigned and supervised to assure the best match with investigator needs.
  • Consultation on screening and assessment choices and on problems or issues that arise in assessing children and families or in providing feedback to families.

    • Direct Testing Services:

  • Assist in psychological testing for discrete, time-limited needs or when intensive testing efforts are needed.
  • Conduct direct testing for pilot data purposes or to demonstrate feasibility for grants.
  • Help train project staff or research assistants to administer specific tests.
  • Test consultation on psychological or behavioral measures needed by investigators, especially in planning phases of projects and grants, plan in-services or intensive assessment workshops that address topics of concern.
  • Provide updates and inservices on new tests and restandardizations.
  • Provide reliability checks and supervision of tests used for longitudinal research.
  • Assist investigators on research projects that examine assessment techniques.

    • Links:

    If the test you need is not included, it may be possible to arrange a loan through other resources; frequently used tests not in Center's collection can be recommended for purchase. To make arrangements to borrow a test or to locate a test, call or e-mail Lynette Dufton, Graduate Student Assistant.
    Evon Batey Lee, 322-4487


    Psychophysiology Services
    227-231 MRL
    Faculty Coordinator: Sasha Key, Ph.D, Research Assistant Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences

    Equipment for obtaining EEG and ERP data reflecting change in EEG associated with internal and/or external events in participants from six months through adulthood. Lab equipment includes two Electro Geodesics Inc. 128-lead EEG systems capable of functioning independently or as a 256-electrode system for integrating data with other imaging techniques (e.g., fMRI). Each EEG recording system includes a Dell PC with the E-prime software for visual and auditory stimulus presentation and an Apple computer for electrophysiological data collection and analysis.

    Services:

  • Access to facility and equipment.
  • Assistance in development of experimental paradigms.
  • Assistance in testing procedures, data and analyses, and interpretation of results.

    • Visit EEG web site

    Susan M. Williams, Core Manager, 343-1961
    Jon Tapp, 322-8086, for software and database programming


    Human Neuroimaging Services
    VIIS, MCN
    Faculty Coordinator:  Adam Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology and Radiological Sciences

    Incorporates the expertise of the Vanderbilt Imaging Institute for Imaging Sciences to provide consulting in experimental design and technical support to perform imaging studies with children, adolescents, and adults, and animal imaging.

    Services:

  • Consultation on designing protocols.
  • Consultation on preparing grant applications that include imaging methods.
  • Manage staff engineers to ensure that studies are implemented in a timely manner.
  • Supports structural and functional studies.

    • Facility Web site
    Patrick Henry, Ph.D., Core Manager, 322-4584


    Sleep and Circadian Laboratory Services
    Faculty Coordinator: Beth Malow, Ph.D.

    Services:

  • 2 rooms outfitted for in-laboratory polysomnography with digital video-EEG-PSG systems.
  • Systems that allow for qualitative and quantitative analysis of sleep states and stages.
  • Secure data storage and archiving.

    • Beth Malow, Ph.D., Faculty Coordinator,

    Genetic Consultation Services
    Genetic Studies Faculty Consultant: Joseph Solus, Ph.D.

    Services:

  • Assist VKC Investigators with small and intermediate size genetic study needs in the selection of the appropriate methods, cores, and design to accomplish their goals.
  • Assist with the selection and design of specific methods and reagents for studies including PCR design, polymorphism (SNPs and other types) detection, polymorphism determination and statistical methodologies.
  • Assist clinical investigators with little or no experience with the specific methods of molecular genetics.

    • Joseph Solus, Ph.D. , Ph.D., Genetic Studies Faculty Consultant, 343-2607