1. Development and Plasticity of the Brain

2. Development of the Brain
Plasticity of the brain refers to the idea that the brain is constantly changing throughout the lifetime.
YouTube - The Phenomenon of Neuroplasticity

3. Development of the Brain
Development of the brain is due to both experience and physical maturation.
Rapid development especially occurs early in life.
Prefrontal cortex develops rapidly between 7 and 12 months (allowing for object permanence).

4. Development of the Brain.
The human central nervous system begins to form when the embryo is approximately 2 weeks old.
The dorsal surface thickens forming a neural tube surrounding a fluid filled cavity.
The forward end enlarges and differentiates into the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain.
The rest of the neural tube becomes the spinal cord.

5. Figure 5.3: Human brain at four stages of development.
Chemical processes develop the brain to an amazing degree even before the start of any experience with the world. Detailed changes in development continue to occur throughout life.
Fig. 5-3, p. 123

6. Development of the Brain
The development of neurons in the brain involves the following four processes:
Proliferation
Migration
Myelination
synaptogenesis

7. Development of the Brain
Proliferation refers to the production of new cells/ neurons in the brain primarily occurring early in life.
Early in development, the cells lining the ventricles divide.
Some cells become stem cells that continue to divide
Others remain where they are or become neurons or glia that migrate to other locations.

8. Development of the Brain
Migration refers to the movement of the newly formed neurons and glia to their eventual locations.
Migration occurs in a variety of directions throughout the brain.
Migration occurs via cells following chemical paths in the brain of immunoglobins and chemokines.

9. Development of the Brain
Myelination refers to process by which glia produce the fatty sheath that covers the axons of some neurons.
Myelin speeds up the transmission of neural impulses.
Myelination first occurs in the spinal cord and then in the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain.
Myelination occurs gradually for decades.

10. Development of the Brain
Synaptogenesis is the final stage of neural development and refers to the formation of the synapses between neurons.
Occurs throughout the life as neurons are constantly forming new connections and discarding old ones.
Synaptogenesis slows significantly later in the lifetime.

11. YouTube - Brain Plasticity
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