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 Both sets of patients and their families reported significant concern about independent living skills that often superseded cognitive concerns.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. Our clinical research interests are 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 used in the ACS study, I have a specific focus of research on executive functions in other clinical populations. One extension is a project funded by GSU Brains and Behavior Program (B&B) that examines the white matter integrity of prefrontal cortex and associated behavior change pre- and post- adenotonsillectomy in young children with obstructive sleep apnea (Wise co-I) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Another extension is the examination of executive functions in children with neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy, cancer) and a typically developing group using DTI and FMRI for a study with colleagues at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Jones & Burns). FMRI research projects that examine neural activation during a false memory paradigm (Kleider), executive functioning paradigm (Washburn), and a social categorization paradigm (Vanman) are being analyzed.

Another area of my 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 Autism Spectrum Disorders [ASD] and typically developing individuals. Preliminary findings from our B&B seed grant have shown disrupted facial mimicry in ASD as measured by facial EMG (Mumaw, King, & Robins, 2007 IMFAR; Rozga, Mumaw, King, & Robins, INSAR 2009). This study uses dynamic audiovisual emotion perception task and was recently funded by Autism Speaks (co-PI: Robins). In addition, data from this study encouraged the development of a seed grant proposal awarded by an NSF-funded Center for Behavioral Neuroscience. This grant enables the correlation of brain activation during an FMRI emotion perception task with a measure of empathy and also acquires DTI data to examine the role of white matter integrity. I also am a co-investigator and scientifically direct the psychophysiological measurement of arousal and valence during different experimental paradigms. One study examines individual differences that influence police officer shoot decisions (PI: Kleider & Co-I Parrott). http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpsy/7357.html

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

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.

Kleider, H.M., Parrott, D.J., & King, T.Z. (2009). Shooting behaviour: How working memory and negative emotionality influence police officer shoot decisions. Applied Cognitive Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/acp.1580

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.

Kohl, A.D., Wendell, J., King, T.Z., Morris, R., Krawiecki, N. (2009, May). Neurological Predictors of IQ in Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor; an 18 year follow up study. Poster session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA. Also presented at: (2009, May) Brains & Behavior Spring Retreat, Atlanta, GA. Earned 1st place in the General Research Award category of the Georgia Psychological Association's conference.

Kohl, A., Papazoglou, A., King, T., Morris, R., Krawiecki, N. (2009, February). Neurological predictors of academic achievement in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Atlanta, GA. Final Program, Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting International Neuropsychological Society. Abstract published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, Volume 15, Supplement S1, February 2009, pp i-249. doi:10.1017/S1355617709090420

Mumaw, M., King, T., Mao, H., Morris, R., & Krawiecki, N. (2009, February). Prefrontal white matter integrity and n-back performance in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Atlanta, GA. Also presented to the Winship 6th Annual Scientific Research Symposium (Spring 2009) and GSU Brains and Behavior Spring Retreat . Abstract published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, Volume 15, Supplement S1, February 2009, pp i-249 doi:10.1017/S1355617709090420

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.

Sargent, K.N., Robins, D.L., & King, T.Z. (2009, Feb). Analysis of head movement in MRI training and subsequent fMRI scans. [Abstract]. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Atlanta, GA.

Mumaw, M., King, T., Mao, H., Morris, R.D., & Krawiecki, N.(2008, June). Executive skills and frontal lobe white matter integrity in adult survivors of childhood brain tumors: Relationship to radiation treatment [Abstract]. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, Boston, MA.

Micklewright, J.L., King, T.Z., O’Toole, K., Henrich, C., Floyd, F.J., Tone, E., Schmitz, M.L.. (2008, Oct). Conditional indirect effect of parental distress on externalizing behavior problems and socialization skills following pediatric traumatic brain injury. [Abstract]. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, Presented at the annual meeting of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, NY, NY.

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.

Banks, M.S., McManus, S.M., Mumaw, M.A., Robins, D.L., & King, T.Z. (2008, Feb). Reaction time disparities between individuals with autism spectrum disorders and typically-developing controls in response to congruent and incongruent emotional movies [Abstract]. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 207. Presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

McManus, S.M. Banks, M.S., Mumaw, M.A. King T.Z., & Robins, D.L. (2008, Feb). Face bias during an audio-visual emotion perception task absent in Autism Spectrum Disorders [Abstract]. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 213. Presented at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

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.

Mumaw, M., King, T., & Robins, D. (2007, May). Disrupted facial mimicry in autism: Preliminary physiological data during dynamic emotion perception. Poster presented at the annual International Meeting for Autism Research, Seattle, WA.

McManus, S.M., Banks, M.S., King, T.Z., & Robins, D.L. (2007). Emotion perception in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Poster presented at the Georgia Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA, May, 2007. Earned 2nd place for GPA Graduate Student Poster.

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,