Early Brain And Child Development

Front 1

3 prenatal effects on epigenetics that are bad:

Back 1

1) Low birth weight= +risk of heart disease as adult

2) Mothers who gain excessive weight in pregnancy have heavier toddlers. Kids conceived after mom’s bariatric surgery are 52% less likely to be obese than their older sibs

3) A diabetic mother’s high glucose may predispose her fetus to diabetes.

Front 2

The first __ years of life are very important and provide a foundation. Development (and CNS maturation) continue throughout life. Brain development is dependent upon both ____ and ____.

Back 2

3
genetics and experience

Front 3

When does brain development begin?

Back 3

When neural tube forms--18th to 24th day of gestation.

Front 4

Describe milestones in migration and differentiation in the 6th prenatal week: 2 events

What orchestrates these events?

Back 4

1) primitive neuroblasts and glialblasts begin migrating outward.

2) Cortical neuroblasts are carried along radial glial fibers to target destinations in higher centers

*Brainstem monoamine systems (noradrenergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic & adrenergic) orchestrate this migration and differentiation.

Front 5

How many neurons and glial cells do babies have at birth?

Back 5

100 billion neurons
10 times as many glial cells.

Front 6

Structural hierarchy of the brain:
How many layers of cortex?
Which is oldest?
What % of neurons are in cortex?

Back 6

-top to bottom; brainstem to cortex
-6 layers
-Deepest layer is oldest
-40%

Front 7

Functional hierarchy of brain: 4 functional divisions and general functions:

Back 7

Neocortex: abstract thought, etc.
Limbic: Sexual behavior, emotional reactivity, etc.
Diencephalon: Motor regulation, appetite, etc.
Brainstem: BP, HR, body temp, etc.

Front 8

When do motor/sensory regions start and finish myelination?

When is PFC done with myelination?

Back 8

-Motor and sensory regions begin myelinization before birth; completed before the first birthday

-Prefrontal cortex is not fully myelinated until almost adolescence

Front 9

Describe how synaptogenesis is organized/when it happens:

When is synapse density/# at its peak?

Back 9

-Mature neurons develop axons and dendrites forming connections/synapses.

-Occurs sequentially within the brain, by region.

-Explosive increase in synapses in the first 8 months

-Highest density & number of synapses are in 1st year

Front 10

Describe synaptic sculpting.
When do visual areas peak and finish declining?
When does PFC peak and finish declining?

Back 10

-Highest density & number of synapses are in 1st year

-“Overproduction” is followed by “Pruning” phase

-Visual areas peak at 4 months- decline until preschool age

-Prefrontal cortex peaks at 1 yr- decline stabilizes in adolescence

Front 11

How many synapses?
-at birth
-1 yo
-20 yo

What process is happening with synapses from 1yo to 20 yo?

Back 11

-50 trillion
-1000 trillion
-500 trillion

PRUNING.

Front 12

What are critical periods of development?

What's another name for them?

Back 12

-Critical periods of development are times during which a set of environmental signals must be present for neural systems to differentiate normally

-Synapses are formed after only minimal experience has been obtained

AKA Experience-expectant periods

Front 13

Describe the critical period for vision.
What are 3 reasons fully functional vision may be compromised?
Past what age is an imbalance irreversible?

Back 13

-Stereoscopic vision depends on regions in the visual
cortex receiving separate inputs from each eye

-These inputs result in separate columns of cells that are distinct for each eye

-If 1 eye is deprived of input (cataract, hemangioma, ptosis), these ocular dominance columns fail to develop; stereoscopic vision is compromised

-If not corrected by age 5, this is irreversible.

Front 14

briefly describe the role of experience in brain development.

what's the significance of repetitive sensory input? What's another name for repetitive sensory input?

Back 14

-All sensory information is “transduced” by the nervous system into changes in nerve cells at a molecular level

-This repetitive sensory input (patterned neuronal changes) allows the brain to make internal representations, which is how a child learns about the world:
-The sound of parent’s voice
-A feeling of mastery and self worth

Front 15

Briefly describe the role of learning in brain development.

Is learning irreversible; what is the critical period?

Back 15

-Patterns of experience define and stabilize patterns of synaptic connections

-Optimizes one’s adaptation to specific environmental factors

-In adults, experience can alter pre-existing neural organization (when exposed to new information, we modify old synapses and make new ones)

-Learning has no critical period.

Front 16

What did we learn from Michael Meaney's mice?
What did this study examine?
What specific effect does maternal licking have in mice?

Back 16

-Epigenetics!
-Stress-resistant mothers had high [glucocorticoid receptor] in Hc; and they licked their pups a lot (nurturing).
-The higher nurturing led to stress-resistant pups.
-If you cross-fostered the pups, the pups from stressed out mothers became stress-resistant and relaxed.
-Licking activated NGFI-A, reducing methylation of GR gene in pups' Hc-->negative feedback from HPA axis.

Front 17

Takeaway from the mother's mood/infant's behavior youtube vid:

Back 17

Baby freaks out when mom wears a masked face--baby knows something ain't right and reacts to it.

Front 18

Describe how early childhood is a sensitive period, but not a critical period:

Back 18

-experiences directly mold neuronal circuits (brain architecture) and influence a child’s developmental trajectory - its life course.

-Things are super-malleable early on, but don't become irreversible.

Front 19

In the Hart/Risely study, discuss the language environment in professional, working class, and welfare families.

Back 19

-Professional families were far more talkative--welfare the least.

-Correlated with child's vocab at 3yo. Twice the vocab in professional families.

Front 20

What kind of talk was constant across all families studied?

What does this imply?

Back 20

-Business talk was consistent in amount of words uttered--do this, don't do that, etc.

-Implies the volume of non-business talk (praise, chit chat, etc.) is really important to a baby's vocab building.

Front 21

Ratio of "praise/chat" vs. "prohibition" in talkative and taciturn families:

Back 21

-talkative families: 5-6x more P/C than prohibitions.

-taciturn families: more prohibitions than praise.

Front 22

Evidence that the volume of non-business talks makes babies smarter:

Back 22

-IQ at 3yo correlated with volume of non-business talk at 1 and 2yo.

-PPVT at 3rd grade correlated with non-business talk at 1 and 2yo.

Front 23

When studying ACE, are boys or girls more likely to suffer?

Back 23

Pretty similar numbers, but 15% of girls have 4 or more ACEs, while only 9% of boys have 4 or more.

Front 24

How do ACEs affect adult health outcomes?
15 outcomes

Back 24

as ACE Score (childhood stress) increases, the risk of the following health problems increases in a strong and graded fashion:

-Alcoholism/alcohol abuse
-COPD
-Ischemic heart disease
-Depression
-Suicide attempts
-Anger
-Fetal death
-Health related QOL
-Liver disease
-Smoking
-Unintended pregnancy
-Intimate partner violence
-STDs
-Obesity
-Physical inactivity

Front 25

How does poverty correlate with ACEs?
Divorce?

Back 25

-Risk for ACEs increases with poverty.
-36% of kids with ACEs have divorced parents.

Front 26

What's the effect of ACEs on academics and childhood health?

Back 26

Increases risk of failure, attendance problems, behavior concerns, frequently reported poor health.

Front 27

Discuss epigenetic changes related to stress that have been reported in humans.

What kind of stresses are we talking about?

Back 27

-Higher stress levels reported by mothers during their child's first year correlated with methylation levels on 139 DNA sites in their teenage children

-Methylation of 31 DNA sites correlated w/ fathers' higher stress in their child's preschool yrs (3½-4½ yo)

-depression, parenting & financial stress, expressed anger.

*These childhood exposures to stressed parents follow you into your teens.

Front 28

What's the effect of maternal support on Hc volume in depressed kids?

Back 28

Supportive mother=higher Hc volume at school age
Unsupportive mother=lower Hc volume

Front 29

What were the effects of early childhood stimulation on Adult Competence and Violent Behavior?

Back 29

-Studied growth-retarded children
-Groups that received psychosocial stimulation were (as adults) less likely to be involved in fights.
-Had higher IQs.

Front 30

Name the 3 household routines that have been shown to correlate with reduced likelihood of childhood obesity.

Back 30

4 year olds with:
-2 hours or less of TV daily
-family dinner 5 times or more/wk
-and sleeping 10.5 hours or more per night...

were 40% less likely to be obese.

Front 31

What direct and indirect, beneficial effects did parent-child groups have in at-risk girls?

Back 31

-direct: more parental control, improved child social skills, aggression, and stress response.

-indirect: kids have lower BMI and lower BP

Front 32

In the context of brain plasticity, why is it important to have a good environment early?

Back 32

-The brain is constantly changing

-Plasticity varies across all brain areas

-It takes less time, intensity and repetition to organize developing neural systems than to reorganize the developed neural systems

-Opportunity exists to overcome early adversity

Front 33

Preschool: list educational, social-emotional, and child well-being benefits: 3,3,2

Back 33

-Educational
Lower rate of special education and grade retention
Increased high school completion
Higher test scores

-Social-Emotional
Fewer behavior problems
More self-control
Improved peer relations

-Child well-being
Less child maltreatment and neglect

Front 34

Preschool: list later outcomes of access to it. 6

Back 34

-Increased Earnings and Tax Revenues
-Decreased Reliance on Social Services
-Decreased Criminal Activity; Juvenile and Adult
-Improved Health Behaviors; Better health outcomes, Less reliance on health services

-More Skilled Workforce; Increased productivity, Increased earnings

-Stops cycle of poverty

Front 35

How does access to preschool correlate with parent income?

Back 35

the richer you are, the more access you have.

except from $20-40k; an entitlement gap I assume?

Front 36

In infancy, the majority of milestones are ____ in nature.

What are some causes/consequences/likelihoods if these aren't met by critical time?

Back 36

-Motoric

-MR, cerebral palsy, chromosomal abnormalities, other acquired or genetic problems.

Front 37

Further testing is required in newborns if they don't have:

Back 37

-Symmetric tone & movements

Front 38

Further testing is required in 2 month olds if they don't:

Back 38

Regard faces or objects attentively

Front 39

Further testing is required in 4 month olds if they don't:

Back 39

have good head control in sitting

Front 40

Further testing is required in 6 month olds if they don't:

Back 40

Reach with a raking grasp - with both hands (ambidexterous)

Front 41

Further testing is required in 9 month olds if they don't:

Back 41

-Sit well alone.

Front 42

Further testing is required in 18 month olds if they don't:

Back 42

-walk well independently

Front 43

Further testing is required in 24 month olds if they don't:

Back 43

-Combine 2 words

Front 44

Further testing is required in 5 year olds if they can't:

Back 44

-Stay separated from parents for several hours at a time without freaking out.

Front 45

While adults ____ infant responsiveness, they ____ cognitive level of young children.

2 examples?

Back 45

-underestimate
-overestimate

-Children under 6mos will suffer from seeing violence
-A 15 month old isn't cognitively able to share toys.

Front 46

5 Rs of early childhood education:

Back 46

-READING together - daily
-RHYMING, playing and cuddling
-ROUTINES
-REWARDS for everyday successes – PRAISE is a powerful reward
-RELATIONSHIPS, reciprocal and nurturing – foundation of healthy child development

Front 47

Motor traits of newborns:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 47

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Symmetric tone & movements
Flexed posture, complete head lag & reflexic grasp (26 neonatal reflexes)

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Alerts to sound (bell or voice)
Fixates on face or object; follows briefly
Optimal focal distance 8-12 inches

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Sucking organizes attention
Recognizes maternal voice and smell

Front 48

Motor traits of 2 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 48

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Lifts head & shoulders off bed in prone
More open posture

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Regards face or object attentively
Visually follows (tracks) past the midline

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Peak of crying (up to 3 hours a day) occurs at 6-8 weeks of age

Front 49

Motor traits of 4 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 49

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Incomplete head lag -> good head control in sitting
Holds up head & puts weight of forearms in prone
Bears weight on legs in stand
Rolls prone to supine

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Follows/tracks 180 degree arc
Coos responsively (vowels)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Smiles responsively

Front 50

Motor traits of 6 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 50

MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
No head lag in pull to sit
Sits supported (50% sit alone)
Reaches with raking grasp - both hands (ambidexterous)
Transfers objects hand to hand
Rolls both directions

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Babbles (vowel-consonants / imitation)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Beginning of stranger anxiety & object permanence (gaze follows dropped yarn)

Front 51

Motor traits of 9 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 51

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Sits well alone
Holds 2 objects at once
Bangs 2 objects together
Grasps pellet with radial-palmer grasp

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Jargons/jabbers (>75%)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Finger feeds self
Plays pat-a-cake and waves bye-bye in imitation

Front 52

Motor traits of 12 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 52

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Pulls to stand and cruises
Takes few steps alone
Neat pincer grasp of pellet
Drinks from cup held by another

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Jargons/jabbers (90%)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Points to indicate wants (>75%)
Holds book upright with help, turning several pages at once

Front 53

Motor traits of 15 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 53

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Stoops and recovers
Walks well (>80%); Stands alone (>90%)
Puts cube in cup
Scribbles with crayon (>50%)

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Mama/Dada specific (>90%)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Plays ball with examiner
Gives and takes a toy
Imitates home activities

Front 54

In toddlers and preschoolers, the majority of milestones involve what two areas? What do these predict?

What does failure to meet milestones suggest?

Back 54

-Focus of key milestones in older children are skills in language and socialization which better predict future cognitive development

-Failure to attain milestones by critical times suggests mild to moderate MR, autistic spectrum disorders (PDD), and behavioral and language disorders

Front 55

Motor traits of 18 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 55

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Walks well independently
Runs (>75%)
Climbs step holding hands
Throws or casts a ball
Stacks 2 cubes (>50%)

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Points to desired object (shared attention)
6 wds in addition to Mama/Dada (>75%)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Feeds self with spoon

Front 56

Motor traits of 24 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 56

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Kicks ball
Jumps - both feet off ground (<50%)
Throws ball overhand (75%)
Stacks 4-6 cubes

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Combines 2 words (90%)
Points to pictures in books (90%)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Removes clothes; puts on a hat
Washes & dries hands; uses spoon & fork

Front 57

Motor traits of 36 m/os:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 57

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Broad jumps; pedals a tricycle
Stands on 1 foot 1-2 seconds
Imitates vertical stroke with crayon
Stacks 8 cubes

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Speech >50% intelligible
Knows simple adjectives (cold, tired)

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Puts on a tee-shirt
Names a playmate

Front 58

Motor traits of 4 y/o:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 58

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Balances on 1 foot 4-5 seconds
Draws a person with at least 3 parts

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Asks questions (Why? When? How?)
Names 4 colors
Speech is fully intelligible

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Pretend play - “pretends” to read & write
Relates events
Turns book pages one at a time

Front 59

Motor traits of 5 y/o:
Sensory/language traits:
Social/Cognitive traits:

Back 59

-MOTOR (GROSS & FINE)
Balances on 1 foot 5-10 seconds
Draws a person with at least 6 parts

-SENSORY/LANGUAGE
Speaks in full sentences; good grammer

-SOCIAL/COGNITIVE
Able to separate from parents for several hours at a time
Takes turns; plays well with other kids
Tells long stories; relates experiences
Follows directions in groups

Front 60

Encourage parents and caregivers of infants 1-3 months old to...

Back 60

Talk to your baby while you hold, feed or play with him
Let him look at your face
Respond to his gestures, faces and sounds
Give him colorful objects to look at including books and pictures

Front 61

Encourage parents and caregivers of older infants to...

Back 61

Copy her sounds and expressions
Play peek-a-boo and patty-cake
Teach her to wave “bye bye” & to shake her head “no” & “yes”
Read books together - pointing to characters, letting her pat and taste the book

Front 62

Encourage parents and caregivers of 1 year olds to...

Back 62

Be encouraging and supportive, and set appropriate limits
Be consistent; establish routines for meals, naps and bedtime
Make time to play daily
Speak slowly and simply, name objects and give time to him to respond

Front 63

Encourage parents and caregivers of 2 year olds to...

Back 63

Offer simple choices (which book to read together) throughout the day
Create ways for your child to play with other children and to have out-of-home social experiences
Encourage drawing, building and creative play
Introduce simple musical instruments
Spend 1-on-1 time together daily
Acknowledge desirable behavior often (“I like it when you play so well together” =TIME IN)-2 to 10 “times in” for every “time out”!!

Front 64

Encourage parents and caregivers of children of all ages to...

Back 64

Give children lots of warm physical contact and attention which will give them a sense of security & well-being
Talk, sing and play while dressing, bathing, playing with and feeding children
Be aware of their moods; read their gestures, faces and sounds; respond when they are upset and when they are happy
Read together and tell stories daily (bedtime routines)
Speak second languages
TV isn’t recommended for children under 2 yo; instead, spend time playing together
For children over 2 yo, limit TV and video time to no more than 1-2 hours of educational viewing per day