Chapter 4

What is the Cephalocaudal trend in child growth?

Children grow from head to tail, where the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body.

What is the Proximodistal trend?

Growth proceeds from the center of the body outward; during puberty, this trend reverses.

When does the fastest body growth occur during development?

During the first two years of life, where growth occurs in spurts.

What is Neurogenesis?

The creation of new neurons.

What are synaptic connections?

The specialized junctions where neurons communicate with each other by transmitting signals.

Why are dendrites important in neuron function?

Dendrites accept information/signals from other neurons and pass the info into the cell body; more dendrites lead to more efficient thinking.

What is synaptogenesis?

The formation of synaptic connections and new neurons and dendrites.

What is synaptic pruning?

The brain’s natural process of eliminating unused or weaker synapses to strengthen the remaining ones.

What role do glial cells play in brain development?

They are responsible for myelination, which improves the efficiency of message transfer and account for half of the brain's volume.

At what ages are significant changes in neural connectome observed?

At ages 9, 32, and 66, marking changes in how we use the brain and its maturation.

What are the main regions of brain development during early years?

Basic functions, motor & sensory processing, emotional & memory center, and high cognitive functions.