Child - Area 2 Flashcards
(42 cards)
What the stages of brain development ?
Pre-natal, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
What is the limbic system ?
Contains amygdala, ventral striatum and nucleus accumbens. Helps to process emotional experiences and regulates emotions.
What is the cerebral cortex ?
Thinking is divided into cortices. Frontal cortex controls higher cognitive function and executive function. Does not reach full maturity until late adolescence.
What is synaptogenesis ?
Process in which new synapses are formed between neurones, axon and dendrites.
What is exuberant synaptogenesis ?
Synaptogenesis that occurs before birth and continues post natally.
Why does more synapses mean better cognitve processing ?
More synapses means better neurotransmitters so better cognitive processing. Promoting flexibility means brains are open to alteration through experience and learning.
What is myelination ?
Brain weight is 25% of adult brain as a baby. Increasing hand eye coordination improves myelination as is rapid in first two years.
What is synaptic pruning ?
Genetically programmed plan where brain fine tunes brain structure after first 3 years. Neurones used more long term experience greater neurotransmitter activity strengthening the synapses.
What did Willoughby et al state about adolescence and mortality rates ?
Found mortality rates increase in adolescence across western cultures.
What did Steinberg hypothesis ?
Hypothesised that risk taking in adolescence is directed by interaction of 2 brain systems that mature at different times.
What is the ventral striatum responsible for ?
Emotion regulation system. Changed due to increased activity of neurotransmitter dopamine.
What other brain region is included in ventral striatum ?
Nucleus acumens is a reward system, which is responsible for sensation seeking behaviour and responds to new experiences.
What did Johnston state about ventral striatum ?
Changes in VS matches increases in arrests for criminal behaviour mid to late adolescence.
What is the pre frontal cortex responsible for ?
Slower to develop and is responsible for planning reasoning, decision making and ability to asses risk. Undergoes synaptic pruning.
Why cant pre frontal cortex control ventral striatum ?
It matures later so cannot assert executive control over VS and NA that rewards sensation seeking behaviour associated with risk taking.
What did Meyer and Bucci look at ?
Lab experiment to mimic system imbalance in rats.
What did Meyer and Bucci find ?
Reduced activity in PFC whilst increased activity in NA.
Rats took twice as long as control group to learn to inhibit a response to an expected reward.
What does early affects stress cause on child ?
Can predispose individuals to later risk taking behaviours.
More stress experienced, more likely they are to engage in risky behaviour in adolescence,
What did Kotch look at ?
Longitudinal study of child neglect.
What did Kotch find ?
Parental neglect of 2 year old children predicted aggressive behaviour at age 8.
What did De Bellis state ?
Neurotransmitters and hormones released may damage PFC. Reduces moderating influence on ventral striatum in adolescence.
What did Tottenham state ?
Early neglect causes lasting damage to amygdala and ventral striatum.
What is the background to Barkley-Levenson and Galvan ?
Adolescents have heightened sensitivity to reward.
Increased response to ventral striatum when adolescent anticipates and receives unexpected or expected reward.
Previously used money and maybe adolescence value money more.
What is subjective value ?
Value individual places on a stimulus (choices)
