Brain Development and the Environment

Question 1

people raised in widely different ___ may acquire differences in brain structure that have lieflong effect on their behaviour

Answer 1

cultures

Question 2

what helps maximize intellectual development

Answer 2

cognitively stimulating environments

Question 3

rats raised in enriched environments have more?

Answer 3

• more and larger synapses

- more and larger astrocytes

Question 4

perfect (absolute pitch) is believed to require what? to develop

Answer 4

• requires musical training during an early period when brain development is most sensitive to that experience
• -> need to be exposed to tones of that language in the critical period

Question 5

prenatal events can modify brain development such as?

Answer 5

stress at or near birth, a significant risk factor for later behavioural disorders

Question 6

developmental window which some event has a long lasting influence on the brain

Answer 6

critical period

Question 7

process that predisposes an animal to form an attachment to objects or animals at a critical period in development

Answer 7

imprinting

Question 8

imprinting results in larger?

Answer 8

synapses of forebrain

Question 9

early deprivation os sensory exepriences=

Answer 9

atrophy of dendrites

Question 10

early deprivation of social experience =

Answer 10

negative effect on later intellectual and social behaviours

Question 11

if deprivation is only short (less than a few months), can the child overcome some of the negative effects

Answer 11

yes

Question 12

stress in early life is associated with ? (3)

Answer 12

1. amygdala increasing size
2. hippocampus decreasing size
3. later development of depression and anxiety disorders

Question 13

when is the worst time for brain injury

Answer 13

last half of intrauterine period and first few months after birth

Question 14

when is the ‘better” time for a brain injury

Answer 14

first few years after birth

–> more resilient to deficits then when damage occurs in adults

Question 15

prenatal exposure to drugs may ?

Answer 15

increase the chance of later drug use,

–> nicotine and caffeine increases the chance of learning disability and hyperactivity

Question 16

what is spina bifida

–> what is it associated with

Answer 16

spinal cord abnormality due to failure of the neural tube (back end of spinal cord) to close completely
–> serious motor problems

Question 17

what is anencephaly

Answer 17

front end of the neural tube does not close so your forebrain fails to develop
–> infants usually die soon after birth

Question 18

spina bifida and anencephaly are examples of?

Answer 18

genetic abnormalities

Question 19

schiz develops from what type of abnormal brain development

Answer 19

• abnormal cell migration and differentiation

- -> faulty connections and disorganized pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus

Question 20

failure of pruning ( too many synapses) can cause?

Answer 20

neural dysfunction

Question 21

behavioural effects of brain damage to a given area are often not seen till?

Answer 21

that area matures

Question 22

when does the frontal lobe develop till?

Answer 22

into adult hood

Question 23

impaired cognitive functioning due to abnormal brain development

Answer 23

developmental disability

Question 24

5 causes of developmental disability

Answer 24

1. genetic abnormalities (DS)
2. prenatal exposure to infections or toxins such as alcohol
3. birth trauma, such as anoxia (CP)
4. malnutrition
5. environmental abnormality such as sensory deprivation

Question 25

chronic malnutrition can lead to?

Answer 25

kwashiorkor

Question 26

drugs can lead to what developmental disorder

Answer 26

spina bifida or ASD

Question 27

genetic abnormality = error of metabolism = what developmental disorder

Answer 27

phenylketonuria

Question 28

prenatal disease can lead to infection which can cause what developmental delay

Answer 28

- rubella | - retardation

Question 29

dendritic growth is lower in people with developmental disability which means ?

Answer 29

fewer connections in the brain | --> thinner and fewer spines

Question 30

what is considered a normal brain?

Answer 30

there is a range of normal that people fall into, every brain is different - plasticity occurs which can repair minor abnormalities