Tracey A. Knaus, Ph.D.

Tracey A. Knaus, Ph.D.

Dr. Knaus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Orleans and the director of the Autism Brain and Language Lab. Her main research interests are in neurodevelopmental disorders, the relationship between brain anatomy, function, and behavior, and language and communication functions.  Dr. Knaus’ current research uses neuroimaging (MRI) to examine brain anatomy, connections between brain regions, and brain functions in typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  With these studies, her focus has been on language abilities and development, in the hopes of better understanding the neural mechanisms of language and communication. A better understanding of these neural mechanisms will allow development of more targeted interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder with language deficits, which is another focus of her research.

Selected Publications

  1. Knaus TA, Burns C, Kamps J, Foundas AL. Atypical activation of action-semantic network in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Cogn. 2017 Oct;117:57-64. PubMed PMID: 28629645.
  2. Knaus TA, Kamps J, Foundas AL. Handedness in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Percept Mot Skills. 2016 Apr;122(2):542-59. PubMed PMID: 27166333.
  3. Joseph RM, Fricker Z, Fenoglio A, Lindgren KA, Knaus TA, Tager-Flusberg H. Structural asymmetries of language-related gray and white matter and their relationship to language function in young children with ASD. Brain Imaging Behav. 2014 Mar;8(1):60-72. PubMed PMID: 23888326.
  4. Knaus TA, Tager-Flusberg H, Mock J, Dauterive R, Foundas AL. Prefrontal and occipital asymmetry and volume in boys with autism spectrum disorder. Cogn Behav Neurol. 2012 Dec;25(4):186-94. doi: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e318280e154. PubMed PMID: 23277139.
  5. Knaus TA, Tager-Flusberg H, Foundas AL. Sylvian fissure and parietal anatomy in children with autism spectrum disorder. Behav Neurol. 2012;25(4):327-39. PubMed PMID: 22713374; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5294235.
  6. Knaus TA, Silver AM, Dominick KC, Schuring MD, Shaffer N, Lindgren KA, Joseph RM, Tager-Flusberg H. Age-Related Changes in the Anatomy of Language Regions in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Imaging Behav. 2009 Mar 1;3(1):51-63. PubMed PMID: 20161060; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2747745.
  7. Knaus TA, Silver AM, Kennedy M, Lindgren KA, Dominick KC, Siegel J, Tager-Flusberg H. Language laterality in autism spectrum disorder and typical controls: a functional, volumetric, and diffusion tensor MRI study. Brain Lang. 2010 Feb;112(2):113-20. PubMed PMID: 20031197; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2822339.
  8. Knaus TA, Silver AM, Lindgren KA, Hadjikhani N, Tager-Flusberg H. fMRI activation during a language task in adolescents with ASD. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2008 Nov;14(6):967-79. PubMed PMID: 18954477; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2747321.
  9. Upadhyay J, Silver A, Knaus TA, Lindgren KA, Ducros M, Kim DS, Tager-Flusberg H. Effective and structural connectivity in the human auditory cortex. J Neurosci. 2008 Mar 26;28(13):3341-9. PubMed PMID: 18367601.
  10. Knaus TA, Corey DM, Bollich AM, Lemen LC, Foundas AL. Anatomical asymmetries of anterior perisylvian speech-language regions. Cortex. 2007 May;43(4):499-510. PubMed PMID: 17623996.
  11. Upadhyay J, Ducros M, Knaus TA, Lindgren KA, Silver A, Tager-Flusberg H, Kim DS. Function and connectivity in human primary auditory cortex: a combined fMRI and DTI study at 3 Tesla. Cereb Cortex. 2007 Oct;17(10):2420-32. PubMed PMID: 17190967.
  12. Zadina JN, Corey DM, Casbergue RM, Lemen LC, Rouse JC, Knaus TA, Foundas AL. Lobar asymmetries in subtypes of dyslexic and control subjects. J Child Neurol. 2006 Nov;21(11):922-31. PubMed PMID: 17092456.
  13. Knaus TA, Bollich AM, Corey DM, Lemen LC, Foundas AL. Variability in perisylvian brain anatomy in healthy adults. Brain Lang. 2006 May;97(2):219-32. PubMed PMID: 16300824.
  14. Knaus TA, Bollich AM, Corey DM, Lemen LC, Foundas AL. Sex-linked differences in the anatomy of the perisylvian language cortex: a volumetric MRI study of gray matter volumes. Neuropsychology. 2004 Oct;18(4):738-47. PubMed PMID: 15506842.
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