Infant Development, Brain Function, and Motor Skills

Vocabulary flashcards covering topics on physical patterns of growth, neuronal structures, brain imaging techniques, sleep patterns, dynamic systems theory, sensory perception, and motor development in infants.

Cephalocaudal pattern

A pattern of growth where the earliest growth begins at the top (the head) and works down towards the lower extremities.

Proximodistal pattern

A pattern of growth where development starts at the center of the body and works outwards towards the extremities.

Shaken baby syndrome

A condition caused by shaking an infant that can lead to brain swelling and or hemorrhage.

Neurons

Nerve cells within the brain that emit electrical and chemical signals to handle information processing.

Soma

The cell body of a neuron, which contains the nucleus at its center.

Dendrites

Structures attached to the cell body of a neuron that receive incoming information from other neurons.

Axon

The part of a neuron that leads away from the soma and carries electrical signals to other neurons.

Myelin sheath

A fatty sheath that insulates the axon and increases the speed of electrical signals.

Terminal buttons

Structures at the end of an axon that release neurotransmitters across the synapse.

Synapse

The gap across which neurotransmitters (chemical signals) are sent from terminal buttons to neuroreceptors on dendrites.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A noninvasive brain activity measurement method that uses attached electrodes to record the electrical activity of the brain.

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

A portable imaging technique using low levels of near-infrared light to monitor changes in blood oxygen levels during infant facial processing, perception, and attention.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A neuroimaging method that records magnetic fields using electrical currents to assess motor, cognitive, and perceptual activities.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

An imaging technique that uses radioactive tracers to analyze blood flow and metabolic activity in organs.

Cerebral cortex

The outer layer structure that acts as a covering over the forebrain.

Frontal lobe

The brain lobe associated with voluntary movement, thinking, personality, and intentionality.

Occipital lobe

The lobe located at the very back of the brain associated primarily with vision.

Temporal lobe

The brain lobe associated with hearing, language processing, and memory.

Parietal lobe

The brain lobe associated with spatial location, attention, and motor control.

Lateralization

The specialization of function in one hemisphere of the brain.

REM sleep

Active or wakeful sleep during which most dreams occur, accounting for approximately half of a newborn's total sleep.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

A condition in which an infant suddenly stops breathing and dies without an apparent cause.

Supine sleeping

The practice of putting infants to sleep on their backs to increase access to oxygen and lower the risk of SIDS.

Dynamic systems theory

A theory postulating that motor skills are developed for perception and action, where an infant's perception creates motivation to act.

Sensation

The process that occurs when environmental information interacts with sensory receptors.

Perception

The brain's interpretation of sensory input.

Ecological view

A theory by Gibson and Gibson stating that individuals directly perceive information in their environment and use feedback from their bodies to interact with the world.

Affordances

Opportunities for interaction offered by objects or environments.

Perceptual narrowing

A developmental process where infants become better at distinguishing between previously exposed faces and unfamiliar faces based on experience.

Reflexes

Innate, automatic reactions to stimuli that promote adaptive responsiveness.

Rooting reflex

An automatic reflex where an infant opens their mouth upon having their cheek or the side of their mouth touched.

Moro reflex

A response to being startled where an infant gasps, arches back, and extends limbs as if reaching to grab something.

Gross motor skills

Motor actions involving large muscle groups in the body that require postural control.

Palmer grasp

A fine motor skill where an infant grasps objects using the palm of their hand.

Pincer grasp

A fine motor skill where an infant grasps objects using their fingers.

Perceptual-motor coupling

The reciprocal integration of perception and motor action, where perceptual feedback directly influences and adjusts physical movement.