Child Psychopathology

Question 1

What changes occur as the cortex matures?

Answer 1

Changes in the child’s ability to override emotional outbursts and to coordinate movement are seen

Question 2

What changes are seen when the visual pathways develop?

Answer 2

Child becomes able to reproduce what is seen on paper when drawing

Question 3

When does the left hemisphere have a growth spurt and what is its purpose?

Answer 3

Spurt between ages 3 and 6

Language skills

Question 4

What does the right hemisphere do?

Answer 4

Spatial skills and the recognition of shapes and patterns

Question 5

When does the corpus callosum grow and what is its purpose?

Answer 5

Between 3-6 years

Integration of both hemispheres and development of fine and gross motor skills through play

Question 6

What psychological issues are highly genetic?

Answer 6

ADHD and autism

Question 7

What mechanisms other than genetics are being implicated in control of synapse formation, neurotransmission and modification?

Answer 7

Inflammatory and autoimmune

Question 8

What are some intra-uterine and perinatal factors which may affect psychology of a child?

Answer 8

Maternal health – Maternal antibodies, obesity, diabetes
Substance misuse – alcohol, marijuana
Toxins – lead, mercury and PCB’s
Drugs - esp psychotropics/antiepileptics (lipid soluble)
Epigenetics – folate controlled methylation
Endocrine environment – esp androgens
Immune environment
Premature birth/ Perinatal complications
Twinning
Impressive levels of resilience

Question 9

What disorder is associated with issues in white matter connectivity?

Answer 9

ADHD

Question 10

What are some environmental factors during childhood which may affect a child’s psychology?

Answer 10

Carer - child relationship (attachment)
Parenting skill and parental mental disorder e.g. post-natal depression, substance misuse.
Marital harmony, family function. 
Nutrition, poverty, deprivation.
Abuse, neglect, 
Discipline
Day-care and schooling
Peer relationships, 
Life events, 
Physical disability

Question 11

What is toxic stress?

Answer 11

Toxic stress is long-term and undermines a child’s sense of safety and support

Question 12

How does prolonged stress affect hormones?

Answer 12

Prolonged stress leads to the production of stress hormones such as cortisol
Normally, these hormones help the body prepare to take action and get out of harm’s way

Question 13

How does prolonged stress exposure affect the body?

Answer 13

Reduces our immunity to disease and leads to problems with digestion, blood pressure, and muscle tensions
A child who undergoes chronic, intense stress can develop a low threshold to stress within the brain circuitry
Such a child may be nervous or hyper-vigilant

Question 14

How may attachment be described?

Answer 14

Secure or insecure

Question 15

How does stress affect a child’s brain?

Answer 15

Early life stress influences function of limbic circuit including amygdala
Determines subsequent patterns of stress response
Early life stress influences mood and patterns of response to threat including withdrawal and/or aggressive response

Question 16

How does experience of adversity train the brain to adapt to a hostile environment?

Answer 16

Surrounded by aggression so become aggressive

Question 17

What evidence is there that head injuries affect behaviour?

Answer 17

High prevalence in prisoners

Question 18

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 18

Dopamine neurons fire when you associate an action with a subsequent reward