Magnetic resonance and memory function in children with focal brain damage

Magnetic resonance techniques are now extensively used for the investigation of structure-function relationships in the human brain. One approach uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify brain areas that are activated on performance of specific tasks. A second approach addresses the relationships between focal pathophysiology, as determined by a variety of magnetic resonance techniques, and cognitive function as measured by neuropsychological testing. The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate how we have been using this latter approach to examine abnormalities of the temporal lobes in several groups of children with memory impairments, including children with the newly discovered syndrome of developmental amnesia.