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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Brian Scassellati, Ph.D. (Yale University, Computer & Cognitive Science, and Mechanical Engineering)
Larry Young, Ph.D. (Emory University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences)
Moderator: Gregory D. Abowd, D.Phil., (Georgia Tech)
Presentation Summaries:
Perspectives on robots and autism
Brian Scassellati
In the last decade, there has been a slowly growing interaction between robotics researchers and clinicians to look at the viability of using robots to enhance social and behavioral skills for individuals with autism. Dr. Scassellati will introduce some of the evidence that generated this excitement, discuss the challenges required in building useful assistive technology, and show some of the limitations of this type of assistance.
The Neurobiology of the Social Brain: Implications for Autism
Larry Young
Dr. Young will discuss his research in the highly social and monogamous prairie vole which has revealed a critical role for the neuropeptide, oxytocin in regulating many aspects of social relationships, including parent-infant attachment, social bonding and empathy. Oxytocin interacts with the brain’s reward system to increase the salience of social information. There are remarkable parallels between the effects of oxytocin on social cognition in rodents, primates and man. Preliminary studies suggest that elevating brain oxytocin levels may improve some aspects of social function in individuals with autism. Dr. Young will discuss the limitations of these studies as well as novel approaches targeting the oxytocin system that have potential for improving social cognition for individuals on the spectrum.
