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Manipulation of spatial information is central to a broad range of cognitive functions, including navigation and way-finding, recognizing and interacting with objects, and even reading. Several lines of research in our department probe the mental representation and processing of spatial information, exploring such topics as frames of reference and forms of location representation in the visual system; representation of object shape and orientation; development of spatial competence; relationships between language and spatial processes; and navigation through local environments. Although much of the research focuses on visuo-spatial cognition, other forms of spatial representation and processing are also addressed (e.g., body surface representations in the somatosensory system). Methods include cognitive neuropsychological studies of brain-damaged patients with unilateral spatial neglect or impairments in visual location perception; studies of spatial development in normal children, and in children with Williams Syndrome; and studies of navigation and other aspects of spatial cognition in normal adults. |
