College of Arts & Sciences

Tricia King

As a developmental clinical neuropsychologist, my clinical research interests examine the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive and social-emotional abilities of individuals with neurological conditions across the lifespan. My research has a specific emphasis on examining the biopsychosocial factors that contribute to optimal executive and emotional functioning following neurological injury during childhood. Executive and emotional functions are of interest to me because of the importance of these skills in daily life. I have observed the significant disruption in the development of these skills in children and devastating loss of these skills in adults following frontal-subcortical system lesions, including disruption of white matter pathways. My focus on adaptive functioning capabilities grew out of my postdoctoral training with adults with vascular dementia, and subsequently my clinical research with adult survivors of childhood brain tumors. Both sets of patients and their families reported significant concern about independent living skills that often superseded cognitive concerns. My interest in these brain-behavior relationships is broad, spanning a wide range of research methods, psychological domains, and populations. Three primary foci of my research program are studies of survivors of childhood brain tumors, neuroimaging studies of executive functions, and psychophysiological and neuroimaging studies of emotion.

The major focus of my lab is examining the adaptive functioning of adult survivors of childhood brain tumors. We are evaluating a group of young adults who are in their twenties and who were followed longitudinally as children beginning at the time of diagnosis and treatment. The goal is to identify the childhood and current adult predictors of adaptive functioning. In particular, we are interested in identifying executive and emotional functioning correlates as well as neuroimaging correlates of adult survivors’ adaptive living skills. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has awarded me a Research Scholar Grant for this program of research. http://www.whsc.emory.edu/press_releases2.cfm?announcement_id_seq=11303

Building on the neuroimaging paradigms (functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, default mode network) used in the ACS study, I have a specific focus of research on executive functions in other clinical populations. Two extensions of this neuroimaging work are pilot collaborations funded by Children’s Health Care of Atlanta: 1) to examine long-term outcomes following infant heart surgery (with Bill Mahle) and 2) recovery in high school football concussion (with Tom Burns). In collaboration with John Schoffner, Robin Morris and Diana Robins, we are examining the neural mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD; funded by Department of Defense and Foundation of Mitochondrial Medicine). FMRI research projects that examine neural activation during a false memory paradigm (with Heather Kleider funded by the Joint Center for Advanced Brain Imaging seed grant) and executive functioning/ cognitive control paradigms (with David Washburn funded by NICHD) are underway.

Most recently, our lab was awarded funding from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (with Julie Haarbauer-Krupa), based on the GSU Language and Literacy Pilot Study, to longitudinally examine the role of executive function in language and reading outcomes in school age children following traumatic brain injury before the age of five years.

Another area of research builds upon my interest in emotion using a multilevel approach including psychophysiological methods (i.e., facial electromyography, skin conductance, and heart rate) and neuroimaging markers. One area of focus is on emotion perception in ASD and typically developing individuals. We have found disrupted facial mimicry in ASD as measured by facial EMG (Mumaw, King, & Robins, 2007 IMFAR; Rozga, Mumaw, King, & Robins, INSAR 2009) using dynamic audiovisual emotion perception task (funded by Autism Speaks and GSU Brains and Behavior Seed Grant; co-PI Diana Robins). In addition, neuroimaging data (fMRI, DTI) was obtained to examine correlates with empathy (seed grant provided by NSF-funded Center for Behavioral Neuroscience). I also serve as a co-mentor for Negar Fani who was awarded an NIMH F32 postdoctoral fellowship to examine the neuroendophenotypes of PTSD.

Select Representative Publications (student co-authors' names are italicized)

Fani, N., King, T.Z., Jovanovic, T., Glover, E.M., Bradley, B., Choi, K., Ely, T., Gutman, D.A., & Ressler, K.J. (advance online pub 2012). White Matter Integrity in Highly Traumatized Adults With and Without Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Neuropsychopharmacology.

Burns, T., King, T.Z., & Spencer, K. (advance online pub 2012). Mullen Scales of Early Learning:  The Utility in Assessing Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy, and Epilepsy. Applied Neuropsychology:Child.

Miicklewright, J.L., King, T.Z., O’Toole, K., Henrich, C., & Floyd, F.J. (2012). Parental distress, parenting practices, and child adaptive outcomes following traumatic brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychology Society, 18, 1-8.

Ailion, A.S., King, T.Z., Henrich, C.C., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.S. (GSURC 2012; CAA April 2012). Time Varying Predictor Model of Socialization Behavior in Children Diagnosed with Pediatric Brain Tumors. Poster presented to the Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference. Abstract published in Honors College Undergraduate Research Journal Discovery.  Earned 1st place Award in 2012 Honors College Paper/Project Competition. Received the Academic Recognition Award at the Royal Flame Awards Ceremony with plaque and Senate/House resolutions. The Honors College also selected student to represent GSU at the Colonial Academic Alliance’s undergraduate research conference to be held at Old Dominion University.

Ailion, A.S., King, T.Z., Henrich, C.C., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.S. (2012, February). Longitudinal analysis of risk factors affecting reading trajectories in children diagnosed with pediatric brain tumors.  [Abstract] Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Poster presented to the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychology Society (INS), Montréal, Québec. Poster also presented at the Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC 2011), Atlanta, GA. Won First Place Overall Research Presentation at the PURC.

Brewster, R., King, T.Z., & Robins, D. (2012, Feb). White matter quality between the amygdala and fusiform gyrus predicts socialization skill in a mixed sample of participants with ASDs and controls. Poster presented to the 40th Annual International Neuropsychological Society Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada. [Abstract] Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Smith K.M., & King T.Z. (2012, Feb). White Matter Connectivity and Word Reading in Typically Developing Young Adults. Poster presented to the 40th Annual International Neuropsychological Society Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada. [Abstract] Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Jayakar, R., Kohl, A.D, King, T.Z., Morris, R., & Krawiecki, N. (2011, February). Impact of Radiotherapy on Recognition Memory False Positive Error Rates in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors. Oral presentation at the 39th annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Boston, MA. [Abstract] Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Mumaw, M., King, T.Z., Mao, H., Wang, L., Goldstein, F. (2011, February). Executive functioning fully mediates the relationship between white matter integrity and activities of daily living in Alzheimer’s disease and normal aging. [Abstract] Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Boston, MA. 

Papazoglou, A., King, T.Z., Burns, T. (2010). Active seizures are associated with reduced adaptive functioning in children with epilepsy. Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, 19(7), 409-413.

Kleider, H.M., Parrott, D.J., & King, T.Z. (2010). Shooting behavior: How working memory and negative emotionality influence police officer shoot decisions. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24, 707-717.

Papazoglou, A., King, T.Z., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.S. (2009). Parent report of attention problems predicts later adaptive functioning in children with brain tumors. Child Neuropsychology, 15(1), 40-52.

Parfene, C., Stewart, T.L., King, T.Z. (2009). Epilepsy stigma and stigma by association in the workplace. Epilepsy & Behavior. DOI:10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.05.011 [Undergraduate Honors Thesis 2008-2009]

Rozga, A., Mumaw, M., King, T.Z., & Robins, D.L. (2009). Lack of emotion-specific facial mimicry responses among high-functioning individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, May 7-9, Chicago, Illinois.

Papazoglou, A., King, T.Z., Burns, T., Morris, R., & Henrich, C. (2009, Feb.).Poor seizure control is associated with reduced adaptive functioning in children with epilepsy. [Abstract]. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Atlanta, GA.

Ryan, J.P., King, T.Z., Washburn, D.A., Amoss, R.T., & Vanman, E.J. (2008, May). Activation of the reflective and reflexive systems while viewing members of artificial and naturally occurring groups: An fMRI study. Presented at the Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Micklewright, J.L., King, T.Z., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.S. (2008). Quantifying Pediatric Neuro-oncology Risk Factors:  Development of the Neurological Predictor Scale.  Journal of Child Neurology, 23(4), 455-458.  Presentation earned Top prize National Academy of Neuropsychology Research Award.

Papazoglou, A., King, T.Z., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.S. (2008). Cognitive predictors of adaptive functioning vary according to pediatric brain tumor location. Developmental Neuropsychology, 33(4), 1-16.

Papazoglou, A., King, T.Z., Morris, R.D., Morris, M.K., & Krawiecki, N.S. (2008). Attention Mediates Radiation’s Impact on Daily Living Skills in Children Treated for Brain Tumors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 50(6), 1253-1257.

Micklewright, J.L., King, T.Z., Morris, R.D., & Morris, M.K.  (2007). Attention and memory in children with brain tumors.  Child Neuropsychology, 13(6), 522-527.

Inman, C., Mumaw, M., & King, T. (2007, May). Emotional awareness and psychophysiological markers of performance on the Iowa Gambling Task. Earned American Psychological Society Student Travel Award. [Undergraduate Honors Thesis, 2006-2007]

King, T., Morris, R., Hsu, Y-S., Chai, D., Krawiecki, N. (2007, Feb). Longitudinal models of adaptive behaviors in children treated for brain tumors [Abstract]. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 13 S1.