The Amazing Developing The Amazing Developing BrainBrain

Pat Wolfe, Ed.D.

Project GLAD September, 2008

The Developing BrainThe Developing Brain

There are two factors thatdetermine how the brain

develops...

1. Genes are the building blocks. Some aredeterminants and other are predispositions.

PET scans show that between the ages of 4 and 12 glucose utilization levels are 225% higher than in adult brains.

Harry Chugani, Wayne State Univ.

SynaptogenesisSynaptogenesis

4 years 10-12 year s

birth

This use of glucose indicates the growth ofsynapses and appears to be genetically

driven.

death

The Developing BrainThe Developing Brain

2. Environment - the on-the-jobforeman

The environment provides the instruction for thefi nal construction of the brain.

The brain gobbles up the externalenvironment through its sensory systemand then reassembles the digestedworld in the form of trillions ofconnections which are...

Constantly growing or dying , becomingstronger or weaker....

Depending on the richness of thebanquet.(Adapted f rom Kotulak’s I nside the Brain, 1997.)

Genes & Environment as Genes & Environment as PartnersPartners

Genes and the environment workclosely together during the first three to

four years to form a healthy brain.

It is during these years that the foundations are laid down for:

* vision* language

* vocabulary* intellectual development* emotional development

MyelinationMyelination

Myelin….

is a fatty substance (glial cells) that coats axons and speeds the electrical impulse.

appears to develop in a preset pattern from birth to about age 30.

Why Myelin?Why Myelin?

Myelination appears to determine thecritical periods or “windows ofopportunity” for proper development ofneural pathways.

I f the necessary stimuli aren’tavailable or if certain skills remainunused during these periods, thepathways may not develop properly andthe potential for those skills maynever be developed.

Development of VisionDevelopment of Vision

Lack of visual stimulation at birthcauses the brain cells designed tointerpret vision to dry up or be

diverted to other tasks.

Vision (continued)Vision (continued)

The neurons in the visual circuitshave a growth spurt at the age of 2 to 4

months, which corresponds to when babies start to really notice the world. This growth

peaks at 8 months, when each neuron is connected to 15,000 other neurons.

A baby whose eyes are clouded by cataracts frombirth will, despite cataract- removal surgery

at age two, be forever blind.

Although the eyes may be perfectly healthy, thechild will not be able to see.

Hearing and LanguageHearing and Language

• The critical period for The critical period for learning a spoken language is learning a spoken language is totally lost by about age ten.totally lost by about age ten.

• When a child is born deaf, the When a child is born deaf, the 50,000 neural pathways that 50,000 neural pathways that would normally carry sound would normally carry sound messages from the ears to messages from the ears to the brain are silent.the brain are silent.

Second Language Second Language DevelopmentDevelopment

The learning of a second language is The learning of a second language is alsoalsodependent upon the stimulation of dependent upon the stimulation of thetheneurons for the sounds of that neurons for the sounds of that language.language.

Learning a second language after Learning a second language after age 10 to 12 is not only more age 10 to 12 is not only more difficult, it is highly unlikely that it difficult, it is highly unlikely that it will be spoken without an accent.will be spoken without an accent.

VocabularyVocabulary

Babies whose mothers talk to them more have a bigger vocabulary.

At 20 months, babies of talkative mothers knew 131 more words than infants of less talkative moms.At 24 months the difference was 295 words.

Janellen Huttenlocher, University of Chicago

SyntaxSyntax

The critical period for learning syntax is The critical period for learning syntax is before age 3.before age 3.

Everyone can learn to use nouns and Everyone can learn to use nouns and verbsverbscorrectly throughout childhood. But the correctly throughout childhood. But the critical period for learning the correct critical period for learning the correct use of articles, conjunctions, and use of articles, conjunctions, and prepositionsprepositionsseems to be much shorter.seems to be much shorter.

Helen J. Neville, Helen J. Neville, Salk Institute, San DiegoSalk Institute, San Diego

Endangered MindsEndangered Minds

Author J ane Healy contends that manyof our children's minds are endangeredbecause they are living in a "language

deprived" environment.

1. Many children are not talked to or read to orencouraged to interact verbally.

2. Children watching television aren't personallyinvolved with language.

3. Majority of babies born in U.S. are placed infull time day care within a year. I n manyday care centers there is little interactivetalk.

“The biology of our species makes necessary a huge parental investment in order to achieve the fulfillment of each child’s potential.”

David Hamburg, Carnegie Corporation of New York

The lack of stimulating experiences and intellectual enrichment is a problem not only in poor neighbor-hoods. Many parents, regardless of their income, do not have enough time or knowledge to organize a stimulating environment for their children.

Intellectual DevelopmentIntellectual Development

The I Q’s of children born intoThe I Q’s of children born into

poverty, or of those who werepoverty, or of those who were

premature at birth, can bepremature at birth, can be

significantly raised by exposuresignificantly raised by exposure

to toys, words, proper parentingto toys, words, proper parenting

and other stimuli.and other stimuli.

Abecedarian ProjectAbecedarian Project

Craig and Sharon Ramey, exposed aCraig and Sharon Ramey, exposed a

group of impoverishedgroup of impoverished

inner-city children (beginning as inner-city children (beginning as young young

as 6 weeks) to an enrichedas 6 weeks) to an enriched

environment, 5 days a week, 50 environment, 5 days a week, 50 weeksweeks

a year. A control group received noa year. A control group received no

intervention other than nutritionalintervention other than nutritional

information for parents.information for parents.

Results............IQs of children in this group were significantly higher than in the control group....15 to 30 points higher! At 12 years of age, the benefits of the early intervention endured.

“The bottom line is that we now have clear and strong evidence that if we begin early intervention in the first years of life, we can prevent a very substantial amount of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.”

Craig Ramey, quoted in “Inside the Brain” by Ronald Kotulak

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development

The circuits controlling emotion arelaid down before birth...then the

environment takes over.

“Emotions, not cognitive stimulation, serve as the mind’s primary architect. We suggest that babies’emotional exchanges with their caregivers, ratherthan their ability to fit pegs into holes...shouldbecome the primary measuring rod of developmentand intellectual competence.”

Stanley Greenspan inGrowth of the Mind, 1997.

Notes from Bruce PerryNotes from Bruce Perry

* We are social animals. We have no natural body armor to protect us. Our connections with other people is our protection.

* The brain is created....the product of learning. We don’t just learn geography, we learn how to read the context...how close to stand to someone, how long to maintain eye contact, etc.

* The brain is not fully functional at birth; it is tremendously malleable. The experiences of childhood determine its potential.

* Consistent relationships are necessary. The child who has never been loved will not know how to love.

* Healthy children are not just bright; they are attached, productive members of society.

Romanian Orphan Brain &Romanian Orphan Brain &Normal Brain at 3Normal Brain at 3

Normal & Neglected BrainsNormal & Neglected Brains

Aside from parents, teachers

have more influence on our

culture than any other group.

Dr. Bruce Perry

The better we understand the brain,

the better we’ll be able to educate it.