Lecture 3 - Body, brain, and health + Sensation, perception, and action

endocrine system

pituitary gland: produces growth hormone, triggers release of hormones (testosterone, androgens, estrogen, etc)

cephalocaudal principle

growth occurs in a head-to-tail direction

proximodistal principle

muscles grow from the center outward to the extremities

orthogenetic principle

development stars globally and undifferentiated before moving towards increasing differentiation and hierarchical integration

synaptogenesis

the growth of synapses (during childhood)

synaptic pruning

removal of unnecessary synapses

plasticity

the developing brain is responsive to the individual’s experiences and can develop in a variety of ways

Romanian Orphans case

structural neglect in institutional care (orphanages) due to banned abortion and contraception led to developmental delays and difficulties adjusting to new environments … ex of neuroplasticity?

ossification

growth and development of bones

survival reflexes

blinking, breathing, rooting

primitive reflexes

babinski, stepping, grasping

dynamic systems theory

developments take place through “self-organizing” process; children use sensory feedback and motor milestones

orienting system

reacts to events in the environment

focusing system

deliberately seeks out and maintains attention to events

hypo-responsive

teens need more stimulation to achieve the same level of satisfaction

hyper-responsive

adolescent brain has greater need for reward, leading to more reward seeking behaviors

neurocognitive maintenance

regular upkeep of the brain through physical and mental exercise

neurocognitive reserve

stockpile of neural resources we save up over our lifetime

compensation

enlisting help of other neural resources when faced with challenging tasks that our brain may otherwise not be able to manage