8- Atypical Brain Development Flashcards
4 conditions caused by atypical brain development
Foetal alcohol syndrome, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, ADHD
What is the cause of foetal alcohol syndrome?
The mother drinks too much during pregnancy
4 key symptoms of foetal alcohol syndromes
- Prone to heart failure
- Learning and memory problems
- Movement coordination problems
- Facial characteristics
4 key features of brain development in foetal alcohol syndrome
- Fewer neurons
- Thinner cortex
- Smaller brain volume
- Less synapses generated
3 categories of the autism spectrum
- Severe autism
- Typical autism
- High functioning autism
What is reduced in ASD?
Activation of brain regions involved in social cognition processing when asked to process social information
What is there an increase in in ASD?
Several brain regions involved in sensory processing
What is wrong with neuronal pruning in ASD?
Insufficient neuronal pruning
Where are there too many synapses in someone with ASD?
In sensory regions
What causes schizophrenia in the brain?
Too much dopamine is released in the brains mesolimbic and mesocortical pathway
Is the precise aetiology clear in schizophrenia?
No
How is ADHD classified?
A neurodevelopment condition, not a disorder
What factors can cause ADHD?
Genetic factors and environmental factors
3 examples of environmental factors that can cause ADHD
Premature birth, malnutrition, the mother smoking in pregnancy
What can malfunction in the brain of someone with ADHD?
Prefrontal and parietal network
