NJIT CNN Lab

ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood for an estimated 60% of children that are diagnosed with ADHD. Adult ADHD has large ramifications for adults living with the condition, and the CNN Lab is striving to understand the underlying mechanisms of Adult ADHD. If you are aged 18-35 and are diagnosed with ADHD and may be interested in participating in our Adult Study, we invite you to call or email us to learn more. We greatly appreciate any questions or interest in our research.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to visualize structures in the body such as the brain. Unlike X-Rays, PET Scans, or CT Scans, MRI does not expose the body to any radiation, which gives it an obvious advantage as an imaging tool. Using MRI technology, our lab is able to examine the neural structural and functional activity of each participant's brain, which gives us a wealth of information for our research. This participant suffered a concussion, and using MRI we can examine neural changes that may be occurring in this developing brain!

In the United States alone, over two million sport-related concussions occur every year, not including those that have not been reported. Concussions are associated with an increased risk of developing cognitive impairments and depression, and disproportionately affect children under the age of 19. However, compared to the body of literature available on adult concussions, there is a dearth of research devoted to pediatric and adolescent concussions.
Dr. Xiaobo Li, the head of the Computational Neuroanatomy and Neuroinformatics Lab at NJIT, with over 15 years of experience studying attentional difficulties in children and adults, is currently conducting a NIH-funded study which aims to investigate the brain, and behavioral changes in children post-concussion. We at the Computational Neuroanatomy and Neuroinformatics lab are reaching out to recruit potential participants to take part in this study.
Our goal is by recruiting 300 participants with a history of at least one concussion from the ages of nine to fifteen to take part in the Child Concussion Study, we will contribute to the current body of literature on concussion, and help inform the development of earlier and more effective diagnoses and interventions for affected children.
The study involves a one-time visit to NJIT for a duration of three hours, an abbreviated IQ test, several neuropsychological assessments, and an MRI scan. Upon completion of the study, the participant is compensated with $90.00, and their parent is provided with the results of all the clinical assessments and a disc with the MRI images. We provide parking, and healthy snacks for our participants and their parents.
If you are interested in participating, or if you have any questions about the study, please contact us by calling (973) 642-7974, or email us at [email protected].

We had an amazing, productive appointment last night for a teen with concussion history! Why do we do night appointments? 1) Because we work around our participant's schedule at their convenience. 2) Because we love our jobs and our research is important to the future. 3) Because research never sleeps!

We are currently conducting several studies for both children and adults with concussions and ADHD. Please feel free to read about our different studies and see if you may be interested in participating.