Child and Adolescent Brain Development (CFHD 515

Child and Adolescence brain
development
(CFHD 515)
Dr. Vasunun Chumchua

Mahidol University
All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

Chumchua, Mahidol University
Critical periods for some aspects of brain
development and function

Questions
“Promoting early brain development”?
• Re-discovery of importance of early experience
– “How brain connections grow and change as a result of

stimuli from the environment?.
–How early stress can be harmful to the developing brain.
– Principle of "use it or lose it"

Is it all over after 3?
• Is the course of development set in infancy?
“the brain over-produces brain cells (neurons) and connections between

brain cells (synapses) and then starts pruning them back around the age of
three”
• Early experience is important but, with some exceptions,

human beings remain open to the positive effects of
additional experience
– The same is true for the impact of experience on brain

Development
How important is it to ‘stimulate your child’s brain’?

Implications for practice
• It is important to provide a safe, warm,

supportive, stimulating environment for infants
• But its never too late to improve developmental

outcome for an individual
• At any point, current conditions are as important

as past conditions

Brain Connections
■ 15,000 synaptic connections

for each cell.
■ Signals can be sent to other
cells at speeds of more than
200 mph.
■ Connections (synapses)
grow and change as a result
of stimulation from the
environment.
11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

Early Experiences are Crucial
■ Most brain cell connections are
made in 1st year.
■ By age 3, 80% of synaptic
connections are made.
■ Connections decline after this
time to age 10.
■ During first 10 yrs, brain is twice
as active as adults.
■ Then growth levels off &
pruning begins.
*
11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson
Use it or Lose it
• What is not used is pruned.
• What is used develops stronger

connections.
• Develops in “spurts” when the

brain is best equipped to learn
certain skills.

Human 6 Years 14 Years
Brain
at Birth Old Old
5 Days 2
Months
1 Year 28 Years
*
Early Brain Development
• Behavioral and brain development are interrelated.
• Depends on interaction of many factors: genetics,

experience, relationships, health, and nutrition
(nature and nurture).
• 60% of nutrition is used by the brain during the
first year --- decreases to 30% by age 3.

Early Brain Development
• Quality of relationships and experiences
in first 3 years has deep and lasting
impact on how the brain gets “wired”.
• Sets foundation for development in

every aspect of life.
• Most developmental achievements occur

naturally.
• Progresses in a non-linear fashion.

“Windows” of Learning
▪ Periods when particular experiences are
especially important or when some
skills are more easily developed.
▪ Typically moderate to long periods.
▪ Some windows should not be missed…

if so, opportunity to learn can be greatly
diminished.
Brain Development:
Windows of Opportunity
• By age 2 – emotional control
• By age 2 – social attachment
• By age 5 – motor development
• Birth to 10 years – language skills
• Birth to 4 years – visual development
• Birth to 4 years – math and logic skills
• 3 to 10 years – music

Abstract thought
Concrete thought
Logic/Reasoning
FOREBRAIN Affiliation
Cortex
“Executive Center” Attachment
Contextual
Memory
Sexual Behavior
MIDBRAIN Emotional
Limbic Reactivity
“Emotional Center” Arousal
Appetite/Satiety
HINDBR Motor Regulation
AIN Blood Pressure
Cerebellum &
Sleep
Brainstem
“Alarm Center”
Temperature *
Heart Rate
Brain Hemispheres
Left side --- positive emotions, language,
approaching new situations or ideas.
Right side --- negative emotions, intense

emotions, creativity.
Right hemisphere has growth spurt in first

1½ years, and is dominant for first 3 years.
Early attachment experiences may impact

development of the right brain.
Healthy right brain activity supports mental

health throughout lifespan.
Deficits that occur in the early years may be
overcome with later enrichment, though the
process will likely be more difficult.
Among the most important windows are those

involving emotional and social development.
Brain has plasticity and can recover over

time.
Two Basics the
Developing Brain Needs
• Safety
• Positive Experiences

…on brain growth, development and
behavior during pregnancy, infancy or
early childhood:
– Inadequate nutrition
– Drugs
– Alcohol
– Toxins (smoking, lead, chemicals)
• Lack of critical early nurturing
• Chaotic and cognitively impoverished
environments
• Pervasive physical threat
• Watching violence
• Early, frequent, and
intense stress
Stress & Development
■ When stressed, brain releases

the chemical Cortisol.
■ High levels of Cortisol can slow

brain development and child may
experience more cognitive,
motor, and social delays.

A Safe Environment for
Brain Development
▪ Reduce stress by making child’s world safe,
secure and responsive.
▪ Remove any physical threats.
▪ Responsive to crying.
▪ Predictable daily routines.
▪ Adequate nutrition & hydration.

Positive Experiences for
Building the Young Brain
• Loving care & touch • Music
• Consistent, individual • Limit television
attention • Balance – pay attention
• Everyday, simple to the whole child
activities • Read and respond to
• Exposure to new child’s cues
experiences • One size doesn’t fit all
• Understand child • Know child & what
development he/she is capable of
• Talking doing
Stimulation
• Overstimulation may result in frustration, stress,
or withdrawal.
• Too many new experiences at once may be

overwhelming and won’t help development.
• Child needs time to process what he/she has

learned.

Learning
• Children with a secure bond to caregivers are
more ready to learn.
• Children learn by doing.
• Fancy, expensive toys, videos, and flash cards

are not necessary.
• Repetition in a variety of ways

– modeling, actions, verbally, etc.

Language
■ Children exposed to lots of language in reading, singing,
and talking develop more neuron connections in the brain
area that handles language.
■ Children not involved in lots of verbal interaction have

brains that are measurably less developed.

Thinking
• Exposure to lots of language is

directly linked with advanced
thinking skills.
• Toddlers understand and can

solve more difficult problems at a
younger age than children in poor
quality environments.

Physical Activity
• Toddler brains thrive with the
opportunity to climb, play, splash,
and run.
• Exercise actually causes the parts of

the brain that control movement to
develop more neuron connections.
• For example, leaving a child in a

playpen or in front of TV all day
slows motor development.
Emotional Control
• Brain development helps
determine a person’s emotional
tendencies.
• Infants raised with inconsistent

routines, changing caregivers,
and stressful environments are
more anxious, impulsive, may
be less caring toward others,
and have fewer problem-
solving skills.
Infant/Early Childhood
Mental Health
• Synonymous with healthy social and emotional development.
• Capacity to experience, regulate and express emotions.
• Infant characteristics – biological influences, individual
differences.
• In various contexts within which caregiving takes place –
social & cultural.
• Focuses on unfolding infant-parent relationship.

What Science Tells Us
•Early relationships have permanent effects on brain
development, health, and later mental health.
• Social-emotional and physical health are inseparable in
the very early years.
• Responsive caregiving can mediate the effects of some
chronic health conditions, e.g., prematurity, poverty.
• Social and emotional development is strongly linked to
success in school (and beyond).
• Intervention can be effective; children and adults can
recover.
7 Essentials for
Early Development
1. Encourage exploration.
2. Mentor in basic skills.
3. Celebrate developmental advances.
4. Rehearse and extend new skills.
5. Protect from inappropriate disapproval, teasing, neglect, and
punishment.
6. Communicate richly and responsively.
7. Guide and limit behavior; teach what is acceptable.
(Ramey & Ramey, Right From Birth, 1999)
Thompson, R. A., & Nelson, C. A. (2001). Developmental science and the media: Early brain
development. American Psychologist, 56(1), 5-15.
Conclusions
• Investing in early childhood development is warranted by
preventing later difficulty as well as enhancing developing
potential
• The young brain develops rapidly, with the potential for
remarkable growth but also vulnerability to harm and stress
• Early learning involves the mind, the emotions, and social
capacities in an integrated fashion
• Relationships provide the central catalysts to healthy
cognitive and socio-emotional growth
• Programs and policies for infants and toddlers must better
incorporate our expanding knowledge of early childhood
development
Adolescence
APuberty (11-13 yrs)
 11-13 years (puberty)
 increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex increasing the
ability to inhibit impulses and autonomic responses.
 Highly changes occur in brain structure

and chemistry of prefrontal cortex
• Continuing myelinisation of connection
• Changes in the density of synapses
A spurt of growth of synapses followed by a period of pruning

occurs around the puberty
 Hormonal changes resulting in more gender differences

“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of
mind;
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks,
red lips and supple knees;
it is a matter
of the will, quality of the imagination, a
vigor of the emotions; it is the
freshness of the deep springs of life”
Samuel Ullman

The teen brain
“ The 2nd wave of synapse formation: a spurt of growth in

the frontal cortex just before puberty and then pruning back
in adolescence.”
The teen brain
Giedd hypothesizes
“Use it or lose it
principle ”
“Doing music or sports or academics, the cell and connections will be

hardwired Lying on the couch or playing video game or MTV, the cell and
connections are going to survive
Adolescent Brain development
Red indicates more gray matter, blue less gray matter.

Gray matter wanes in a back-to-front wave as the brain
matures and neural connections are pruned.
Source: Paul Thompson, Ph.D. UCLA Laboratory of Neuroimaging
Adolescent brain (13-18 yrs.)
• Increase impulsive and risk-taking behaviors

– Related to a lack of inhibitory control
– Possibly mediated by a “dip” in the functioning
of prefrontal cortex
– Changes in the brain’s “evaluation of reward”
network.

Arnett (1999) Review of “Strom and Stress”
• Many (perhaps most) adolescents navigate

this interval with minimal difficulties
• However, empiric evidence for:

– Increased conflicts with parents (intensity)
– Mood volatility (and increased negative mood)
– Increased risk behavior, recklessness, and sensation-seeking

A neurobiological model of
adolescent development

Adolescent brain (13-18 yrs.)

Adolescent brain Development
• Change in the prefrontal cortex:
The CEO of the brain

Controlling planning
Working memory
Organization
Modulating mood PFC matures
Reason better
Develop more control
over impulses
make Judgments better

Adolescent brain Development
• Corpus Callosum:
Found waves of growth in the callosum:

– Influencing language learning and associative thinking grew more
rapidly than surrounding regions before and during puberty but fell off
shortly after.
– The ability to learn new languages declines after the age of 12

Adolescent Brain Development
Cerebellum
• Physical coordination
• Regulate certain though processes
• More sensitive to the environment than heredity
• Supports activity of higher learning:

– Mathematics, music, advanced social skill
fMRI
:  the number of neuron
 the complexity of the connection between them

Nelson
• Later developing processes more susceptible to the

effects of experience
• Motor development more plastic than language

development
• Sensitive periods
• Genetics and experience: Indissoluble

Adolescence Cognitive
• Cognitive development
– Very concrete thinking
– Poor understanding of consequences
– Lack of impulse control
– Need for instant gratification
– Thus, experimentation and high risk taking
behaviors
– Tendency to set unrealistic vocational goals

Adolescence Cognitive
Adolescent Perceptual Brain
• Teens and adults respond differently to the same images
• Shown a set of photos of people’s faces contorted in fear,
adults named the right emotion, but teens seldom did, often
stating that the person was angry
• This difference in perception was accompanied with
differences in functional MRI. Adults used the advanced
prefrontal cortex and the basic amygdala. Younger teens
relied entirely on the amygdala, while older teens showed a
progression towards using the frontal area
• “Good judgment is learned; but you can’t learn it if you don’t
have the necessary hardware”
>>>Thus, we see that 15 year olds are unbelievably smart –

particularly memory and ability to absorb new information and
reason through complex
AdolescentCognitive Development
summary
19 years • ability to think abstractly

• ability to analyze situations logically
• ability to think realistically about the
future, goal setting
• moral reasoning
• Entertain hypothetical situations,
use of metaphors
10 years
Need guidance for rational decision
making
Social Toxicity
Social factors that poison youth’ well

being and healthy development
Positive Youth Outcomes
• Volunteerism
• Music & Performing
Arts
• High School Graduation
• Enrollment in College
Summary
• The brain is the most complex organ of the body

and undergoes developmental changes throughout
infancy, childhood and adolescence.
• The brain is a self-organising system that during

postnatal life adapts to its specific environment at
multiple time scales.
• While there are sensitive periods in human

development, they are multiple, complex
and dynamic, making simple generalizations
premature

Summary
• The study of human structural and functional brain development is
limited by the methods available and by ethical concerns.
• The brain expands in volume by a factor of four from birth to the

teenage years. Scanning of the structure of the brain reveals that while
white matter (fibre bundles and major connections) increase steadily
throughout childhood, the gray matter of the brain (including the
connection between cells)
show a characteristic “rise and fall” pattern

Postnatal Brain Development: Take home message
Dendritic
Synaptogenesis
Myelination Stress and Strom
Prunning Self regulation
Grey Matter Positive Youth
White Matter
Prefrontal Cortex
Corpus Collosum
Epigenetic
Hippocampus


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Child and Adolescence brain

Dr. Vasunun Chumchua

All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

– “How brain connections grow and change as a result of

–How early stress can be harmful to the developing brain.

– Principle of "use it or lose it"

All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

“the brain over-produces brain cells (neurons) and connections between

• Early experience is important but, with some exceptions,

– The same is true for the impact of experience on brain

How important is it to ‘stimulate your child’s brain’?

All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

• It is important to provide a safe, warm,

• But its never too late to improve developmental

• At any point, current conditions are as important

All Rights Reserved by Dr. Vasunun

■ 15,000 synaptic connections

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• What is not used is pruned.

• What is used develops stronger

• Develops in “spurts” when the

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• Depends on interaction of many factors: genetics,

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• Sets foundation for development in

• Most developmental achievements occur

• Progresses in a non-linear fashion.

▪ Typically moderate to long periods.

▪ Some windows should not be missed…

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

Right side --- negative emotions, intense

Right hemisphere has growth spurt in first

Early attachment experiences may impact

Healthy right brain activity supports mental

Among the most important windows are those

Brain has plasticity and can recover over

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

■ When stressed, brain releases

■ High levels of Cortisol can slow

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

▪ Remove any physical threats.

▪ Predictable daily routines.

▪ Adequate nutrition & hydration.

• Too many new experiences at once may be

• Child needs time to process what he/she has

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• Children learn by doing.

• Fancy, expensive toys, videos, and flash cards

• Repetition in a variety of ways

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

■ Children not involved in lots of verbal interaction have

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• Exposure to lots of language is

• Toddlers understand and can

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

• Exercise actually causes the parts of

• For example, leaving a child in a

• Infants raised with inconsistent

11.25.08 Infant-Toddler 5, D.Richardson *

 Highly changes occur in brain structure

A spurt of growth of synapses followed by a period of pruning

 Hormonal changes resulting in more gender differences