Neurodevelopment Flashcards
What is the area of the brain that is well formed at birth
brainstem
What is the area of the brain that is partially formed at birth and continues to grow
the limbic area
what area of the brain develops based on experience and is underdeveloped at birth
cortical areas
define synaptogenesis
growth and strengthening of neural connections
define neurogenesis
maturation of neurons and their subsequent interconnections via differentiation of neural stems
what does myelinogenesis lead to
lays down fatty myelin sheath along interconnected neurons to make a neural pathway
define epigenisis
continued shaping of the cortical areas based on life experiences such as family experience which is why attachment relationships are so important
define the maturational view of brain development
genetically predetermined developmental sequence of neuroanatomical regions
define lower order sensory functions
oral and motor, infants highly depend on these
by the second year of life, the prefrontal cortex supports what
successful performance on the object retrieval task that is designed to assess working memory and inhibitory control in children
when does the fastest rate of growth of the brain occur
prenatally
between birth and adulthood, how much does the brain grow in size
quadruplets
what age does brain development peak
18-30
what is the increase in brain weight postnatally due to
growth and maturation of existing neurons, including elaboration of dendrites and synapses and ongoing myelination
the emphasis on gross structural formation happens during which period
prenatal
what is the basic functional unit of the CNS
the neuron
define glial cells role
supportive and nutrient role enabling regeneration of damaged neurons, producing scar tissue to occupy damaged sites, and transporting nutrients from nerve cells
the emphasis on brain elaboration, differentiation, and maturation happens during which period of development
postnatal period
progress is hierarchical, which region of the brain develops last
anterior regions
when does rapid dentritic growth occur
eight months to two years
higher levels of dendrites are seen during adulthood T/F
false, during the postnatal period and then are pruned to allow experience from environment to shape them
what are the developmental problems caused by brain lesions in the postnatal period
dendrites may be thinner, have smaller number of spines or shorter branches
why is the initial overproduction of synapses important in the postnatal period
it provides a scope for recovery and adaptation
define myelination
the process of neuronal insulation that ensures rapid transmission of electrical signals and transmission of information within and between neural circuits
when is myelination complete
by late adolescence, but most likely goes on to age 25
why is myelination important
improved processing information and more effective cognitive functions
the brain develops in a linear fashion T/F
False, it has a series of growth spurts
the initial growth spurt of the brain occurs at what age
1.5-5 years
the second growth spurt of the brain occurs at what ages
5 and 10 years
the final growth spurt of the brain occurs at what ages
10 and 16 years
what age does the left hemisphere develop
5-7 years
what age does the right hemisphere develop
9 and 11 years
define critical periods
when neural networks are particularly sensitive to positive environmental influences such as learning/instruction vs neglect/abuse
brain disruptions in critical periods are particularly detrimental causing cessation of development or altering its course T/F
true
brain disruptions can permanently disrupt progression of brain development T/F
true
adults are better able to compensate for damage to the motor cortex T/F
false, young children are better able to compensate for damage to the motor cortex
define ipsilateral
structures on the same side of the brain
what are the most common causes of prenatal pathology
genetics, intrauterine trauma such as infection, toxins, injury as well as maternal nutrition, alcohol intake, drugs, and stress
postnatal infection and external trauma are particularly problematic at what age
preschool children
define information processing skills
attention, processing speed, and memory
why are information processing skills important
critical to all aspects of cognitive language and are predictive of language, working memory, and achievement levels in early adolescence
define Cowan’s model
the individual must first attend to information, register and encode it, and the store it in memory
the integrated neural system involves contributions from which structures
brainstem, reticular activating system, and posterior and anterior cerebral region
the development of attention is characterized by a systematic increase in the child’s ability to what
override innate response tendencies and replace them with more appropriate ones
what are the two attention systems operating in the brain called
luria
the first system of the luria is environmentaly triggered and requires higher order cognition for efficient functioning T/F
false, higher order cognition is largely unnecessary
the second system of the luria is mediated by what
more sophisticated cognitive processes and is responsible for volitional attention
define volitional attention
a person’s interpretation of environmental stimuli
The two attention systems always work together T/F
false, the first system emerges soon after birth and the second with increasing maturation. they do not work in parallel until later
Posner’s first component of attentional processing is located where and is directed towards what
posterior cerebral cortex including parietal lobes and parts of the thalamus and midbrain. directed towards selective attention and shifts in spatial attention
Posner’s second component of attentional processing is located where and is directed towards what
anterior brain regions. enhances the intensity of the attention directed towards particular cognitive tasks
contemporary views of attention view is that it is an integrated system of separate but interacting components T/F
true
define vigilance
sustained attention or the ability to maintain attention over time
what part of the brain mediates vigilance
the reticular formation
when does vigilance emerge
during infancy and early childhood, with accelerated progress between 8-11yrs followed only by gradual improvements in adolescence
define selective attention
filters out distracting stimuli
what part of the brain mediates selective attention
superior temporal, inferior parietal, and striatal regions
define attentional control domain
compromised of inhibition, self regulation and monitoring
define shifting attention/mental flexibility
ability to shift attention from one stimulus to another in a flexible manner
define divided attention
ability to attend to two tasks/stimuli
what part of the brain is associated with divided attention
the prefrontal cortex including the anterior cingulate gyrus
define sensory store
information enters the system via the sense organs and is held briefly in a literal form
define central executive memory
managerial role in voluntary retrieval and activation of stored information
define declarative/explicit memory
a conscious memory that is represented by a visual image
define procedural/implicit memory
memory for a skilled activity (piano) that the individual does not have conscious recall
what part of the brain is linked to procedural memory skills
basal ganglia and brainstem structures
what part of the brain is linked to declarative memory
temporal lobes, particularly the hippcampus
the frontal lobes serve what function in memory
selective attention, voluntary action, and management attributed to the central executive
how is immediate memory capacity measured
number of digits or letters a child can hold at a time
how many chunks of information can a preschool child hold
three to four
what is the hallmark of patients who have slowed processing
TBI
what is attentional control essential for
development and efficient functioning of cognitive flexibility and goal setting
define cognitive flexibility
the processes of working memory, shifting attention and conceptual transfer
define goal setting
initiating, planning, problem solving, and strategic behavior
why is whole brain integrity important
efficient executive skills in children
define social competence
the ability to achieve personal goals in social interaction while maintaining positive relationships with others over time
define social interaction
the social actions and reactions between individuals or groups modified to their interaction partners
define social adjustment
the capacity of individuals to adapt to the demands of their social environment
how does social competence develop
first the perception of basic aspects of face and emotion perception that extends to complex processes that involve understanding mental states that module appropriate behaviors within social contexts
at what age can infants demonstrate social initiatives and preferences
2-3 months
at what age can children integrate emotional information to recognize affect in faces and voices
7 months
the increase of what in the brain is important in social skill development
increase in white matter
damage to what area of the brain leads to significant changes in behavior, emotional regulation, personality, and social functioning
the prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex
