Intro to DCN
A field of interdisciplinary study examining cognitive development in relation to brain development
Developmental cognitive neuroscience
Technique used to measure long segments of electrical activity produced in the brain on the scalp
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
The neural tube develops during this stage of prenatal development
Embryonic
Postnatally, many brain structures and functions show this pattern of development
Rise and fall
Neurotransmitters originating outside of the cortex
Extrinsic
Developmental changes in the brain that are expected to be due experiences specific to an individual, such as training with a musical instrument
Experience-dependent
The primary benefit of fMRI is its excellent ____; the biggest drawback is its ____
Spatial resolution; behavioral requirements
Birthplace of neurons
Ventricular zone
Occurs as a result of increasing numbers of synapses, dendrites, fiber bundles, and myelination
Increasing brain size
This NT is already active in prenatal development, but does not reaching mature levels until about 10 years of age
Acetylcholine
A view prevalent in the 17th century, proposing that a complete human is already contained in the male sperm or the female egg
Preformationism
Event-related potential (ERP) components vary in timing, direction of amplitude, and spatial characteristics, and are expected to reflect
Distinct cognitive processes
Area of the developing forebrain containing the developing cortex
Telencephalon
Development of this is ongoing does not follow the characteristic pattern of postnatal development
Myelination
When levels of GABA are reduced in the animal brain, levels of this NT drop, as well
Glutamate
This viewpoint on human functional brain development holds that cognitive change is the result of the growth of specific brain areas
Maturational perspective
Although infants are unlikely to cooperate during an fMRI study, they may complete a structural MRI, which is recommended for use with these two methods for accurate source information
ERP and fNIRS
Seen when newly born neurons push older neurons towards the surface of the brain
Passive cell displacement
Synapse elimination occurs at varying developmental timepoints based on
Brain region
There is evidence that the impact of this NT on the brain changes across early postnatal development
GABA
Waddington’s epigenetic landscape presents a range of possible developmental paths to different end states, in support of this bidirectional view of developmental change
Probabilistic epigenesis
Using this technique researchers attempt to solve the “inverse problem” of brain activity
Cortical source analysis
During the prenatal period, cells demonstrate great flexibility in their ability to differentiate, which is evidence of this
Plasticity
Research with these participants shows that there is a lot of variation in brain structure that cannot be explained simply by genetics
Monozygotic twins
These three NTs innervate deeper cortical levels before more superficial ones
Acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin