Psych Chapter 6

Brain Development During Adolescence

During Adolescence in humans, there is a large amount of development in structures of the brain: • Cerebellum: There is an increase in the number of neurons and synapses in the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for balance, muscle tone, and the performance of motor skills. This might explain why some teenagers are more physically uncoordinated that older adults. • Amygdala: The amygdala becomes more active in adolescence • Corpus callosum: The corpus callosum thickens and there is an increase in the number of connections (or nerve fibers) between the two hemispheres. • Frontal lobe (including prefrontal cortex): motor movement and higher-order thinking.

Limbic system

• A complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance, care of offspring).

Timing of Experiences

• As children and adolescents grow, their brains become less plastic and their neural pathways become more set. • Certain stages in development can be suited to learning particular things. These periods are referred to as sensitive periods and are the best or optimum times for developing individual to learn specific things. • During sensitive periods, the growing brain needs specific types of stimulation in order to establish neural pathways. • Usually, this stimulation occurs as part of a person's natural development. For instance, infants must be exposed to the language in the first year of life to allow to use and understand language.

Developmental plasticity

• Generally, an infant or a child's brain will have more plasticity than an adult's brain. • This is referred to as developmental plasticity - the ability of a synapse to be modified. • Although changes to the brain occur more frequently in the foetal stage as well as in babies, children and adolescents) developmental plasticity), these changes continue through life as learning takes place (adaptive plasticity).

What is the role of myelin and why is its formation so important?

• Myelination is a term in anatomy that is defined as the process of forming a myelin sheath around a nerve to allow nerve impulses to move more quickly. An example of myelination is the formation of myelin around the axons of the body. • It is as if you're applying detergent to a 'slip n slide'. Stages of developmental plasticity: • Prior to birth and for the first few years of life, a child's neurons are quite flexible in terms of their function. The development of the nervous system starts before birth when the brain and spinal cord are formed.

Explain what is meant by the term Plasticity.

• Plasticity of the brain refers to the way it changes in response to stimulation from the environment. Describe the processes involved in developmental plasticity. • The ability of synapses to be modified.

Positive Psychology

• Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within them, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Developmental plasticity

• Prior to birth and for the first few years of life, a child's neurons are quite flexible in terms of their function. The development of the nervous system starts before birth when the brain and spinal cord are formed.

Development then goes through five states:

• Proliferation - Process whereby the unborn baby's cells that will become neurons divide and multiply, creating approx. 250,000 cells per minute. • Migration - Newly formed neurons move outward to their destined location. • Circuit forming/formation - Occurs when the axons of new neurons grow out to target cells and forms synapses with them. • Circuit pruning - Involves the elimination of excess neurons and synapses; that is, those which have not established a connection with a target cell die (no longer function) Myelination -A process where the axons of the neurons in the child's brain become covered in myelin - it is the final stage that needs to happen for the brain to become fully mature.

Strength-based parenting

• Strength-based parenting is a style of parenting that seeks to deliberately identify and cultivate positive states, positive processes and positive qualities if one's children.

What is meant by the term 'pruning' in the development of neurons in children and adults?

• Synaptic pruning involves the elimination of excess neurons and synapses; that is, those that have not established a connection with a neighboring cell will die. • Pruning occurs during infancy and childhood but there is a second wave of pruning in the early adolescence.

What is synaptogenesis?

• Synaptogenesis is the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system. Although it occurs throughout a healthy person's lifespan, an explosion of synapse formation occurs during early brain development, known as exuberant synaptogenesis.

Plasticity of the brain

• The brain is capable of learning throughout the lifespan because of its plasticity. • Plasticity of the brain refers to the way it changes in response to stimulation from the environment. • The process of plasticity occurs at the synaptic connections in the brain. • Plasticity is necessary for learning to take place and is present throughout a healthy person's life.

Frontal Lobe Development

• The frontal lobe of the left hemisphere is the very last part of the brain to undergo the process of myelination. • The last part of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for problem solving, complex planning, impulse control, risk management and critical thinking - perhaps a possible reason why adolescents can be very reckless. • Neuroscientists have found that during this time, when the prefrontal cortex is still in development, the adolescent brain may rely instead on the amygdala, a part of the limbic system, which plays an important role in processing our emotions. • Our delayed ability to employ mature or rational thinking to make sensible or safe decisions is one of the reasons why some states in Australia, including Victoria, have increasing strict rules in place for young probationary licensed drivers (P plate drivers aged 18 instead of some states being 17).