Brain Development Flashcards
What is the three-part brain called?
triune
What part of the brain is triggered by threat?
Reptilian or amygdala
What three threat circuits are present in the reptilian brain?
Fear, Rage and Separation/Loss
How does the limbic brain receive information or stimulus?
through the senses
What four circuits are present in the mammalian brain?
Seeking/Exploring, Caring, Social Bonding and Play.
What is the name of the part of the brain that links right and left hemispheres?
Corpus Callosum
What is the name of the stress chemical?
Cortisol
What chemicals are generated in the brain when pleasure and joy are stimulated by shared experience?
Opioids, oxytocin, prolactin
What is the brain fertiliser that is generated through rough and tumble play called?
BDNF - Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor
GABA is the anti-anxiety chemical that calms the amygdala, lowers the brain’s threat response system and naturally inhibits the production of cortisol. It creates a good vagus nerve in the brain stem. It is stimulated when an adult calms and soothes a child. What would be a likely consequence in a child where insufficient calming and soothing had taken place?
Any of the following: psychologically fragile; prone to Fear or Anger disproportionate to the situation; poor emotional self-regulation; easily upset by minor stresses.
Why do we need dopamine to learn?
It helps us to focus, feel alert and feel confident.
What part of the brain is dominant in the first months of life?
Right hemisphere
Why are the arts, imagination and play central to emotional development?
The communication and expression of feeling states; creating shared opportunities for fun and joy.
How does the brain science support us to think positively about children’s emotional and social development?
Plasticity of brain; growth spurts throughout life; production of neurons and pruning at various stages through life; neuronal systems: once present, always available for adaptation through experience, use it or lose it.
