Exam 1: Brain Development

Question 1

EEG

Answer 1

electrical recordings on scalp

generated by neurons

Used to study the time course of neural events and brain/behavior relationships.

Event related potentials (ERP) detect changes in brain’s electrical activity that occur in response to a particular stimulus.

Question 2

MEG

Answer 2

detects magnetic fields generated by electrical currents in the brain

-unlike eeg, MEG can localize the origin of electrical signals in brain and their time course

Question 3

fMRI

Answer 3

detect fluctuations in cerebral blood flow in different areas of the brain

Question 4

MRI

Answer 4

snapshot of brain

Question 5

When does neurogenesis begin?

Answer 5

42 days after conception

Question 6

Arborization

Answer 6

increase in size and complexity of dendrites
-form spines
-inc ability to connect with other neurons

Question 7

White matter vs grey matter

Answer 7

White matter: myelinated axons
Grey Matter: cell bodies at surface of cortex

Question 8

Last area of cortex to mature

Answer 8

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
-regulates attention, controlling impulses, foreseeing consequences, setting priorities, executive functions

Question 9

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 9

atypical pattern of pruning: delayed or reduced rate of synaptic pruning

-larger brains, greater synaptic densities, increased cortical thickness

Question 10

Schizophrenia

Answer 10

Atypical pattern of pruning: excessive pruning in adolescence

Timing and onset of schizophrenia in adolescence linked to aberrant pruning around puberty

Question 11

Experience-Expectant Plasticity

Answer 11

Each species evolves in specific niche with predictable array of experiences available to all typically developing members of that species.

evolutionary Experiences -> how brain development unfolds

ex. pattern visual, voices, movement -> human brain expects this input

Happens during sensitive periods. Subject to synaptic pruning (use it or lose it).

Intrinsically and extrinsically regulated

Question 12

Experience-dependent plasticity

Answer 12

neural connections are created and reorganized throughout life gaining experiences

extrinsically regulated

Question 13

Worst time to suffer brain damage

Answer 13

when neurogenesis and neuron migration occur (prenatal development all way through 1st year after birth)

Question 14

When is greatest plasticity observed

Answer 14

synapse generation and pruning during early childhood

Question 15

Near-infared spectroscopy (NIRS)

Answer 15

measures neural activity via metabolic change
-good for infants and young children

Question 16

What EEGs taught us?

Answer 16

-measure electrical activity by ERPS in response to stimuli

Changes in brain activity patterns:
-before age 5, more theta activity (sleep) and less alpha activity (engaged attention)

After age 7, theta dec and alpha inc

Question 17

Fluid intelligence

Answer 17

peaks at 25, then declines

problem solving and pattern recognition

Question 18

Crystallized intelligence

Answer 18

specific knowledge and facts

-retains through adulthood until 65 and then declines