RESEARCH INTERESTS

Age-related differences in learning and consolidation across the life span

The primary goals of this line of research are to 1) better understand how children acquire and consolidate knowledge about patterns and regularities embedded in the environment, 2) characterize how explicit/controlled and implicit/automatic processes interact during learning and consolidation, and 3) track how learning preferences change from childhood to adulthood and old age.

Learning and consolidation in neurodevelopmental disorders

The main focus in this line of research is on understanding 1) how learning and consolidation of patterns/regularities are altered in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome and childhood sleep disorders, and 2) how controlled vs. automatic cognitive processes may compensate for the altered functions to achieve normal behavioural performance.

Neurocognitive underpinnings of learning and consolidation

The primary goals are 1) to gain a better understanding of the neurocognitive networks underlying the learning and consolidation of complex patterns/ regularities, and 2) how the contribution of these neural networks changes depending on the way of information processing (e.g., controlled vs. automatic), using various methods such as M/EEG and brain stimulation in healthy young adults.

Longitudinal changes in cognitive and social abilities in childhood and their relation to school performance

The primary goals of this line of research are to 1) track longitudinally how a wide range of cognitive and social functions develop between 6 and 14 years of age, 2) characterize how these functions and their changes predict children’s school performance (including math and reading skills) and social position among their peers. Prospectively, this project can help characterize the relationship between childhood cognitive/social abilities and later academic achievements (high school and university admissions).

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Janacsek, K., Shattuck, K. F., Tagarelli, K. M., Lum, J. A., Turkeltaub, P. E., & Ullman, M. T. (2020). Sequence learning in the human brain: A functional neuroanatomical meta-analysis of serial reaction time studies. NeuroImage, 207, 116387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116387

Ullman, M. T., Earle, F. S., Walenski, M., & Janacsek, K. (2020). The neurocognition of developmental disorders of language. Annual review of psychology, 71, 389-417. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011555

Zavecz, Z., Nagy, T., Galkó, A., Nemeth, D., & Janacsek, K. (2020). The relationship between subjective sleep quality and cognitive performance in healthy young adults: Evidence from three empirical studies. Scientific reports, 10(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61627-6

Juhasz, D., Nemeth, D., & Janacsek, K. (2019). Is there more room to improve? The lifespan trajectory of procedural learning and its relationship to the between-and within-group differences in average response times. PloS one, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215116

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Janacsek, K., Shattuck, K. F., Tagarelli, K. M., Lum, J. A., Turkeltaub, P. E., & Ullman, M. T. (2020). Sequence learning in the human brain: A functional neuroanatomical meta-analysis of serial reaction time studies. NeuroImage, 207, 116387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116387

Ullman, M. T., Earle, F. S., Walenski, M., & Janacsek, K. (2020). The neurocognition of developmental disorders of language. Annual review of psychology, 71, 389-417. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011555

Takács, A., Kóbor, A., Chezan, J., Elteto, N., Tarnok, Z., Nemeth, D., Ullman, M. T., & Janacsek, K. (2018). Is procedural memory enhanced in Tourette syndrome? Evidence from a sequence learning task. Cortex, 100, 84-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2017.08.037

Janacsek, K., & Nemeth, D. (2013). Implicit sequence learning and working memory: Correlated or complicated? Cortex, 49(8), 2001-2006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.02.012

Janacsek, K., Fiser, J., & Nemeth, D. (2012). The best time to acquire new skills: Age-related differences in implicit sequence learning across life span. Developmental Science, 15(4), 496-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2012.01150.x

* Indicates shared first authorship (equal contribution)

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