Early Childhood: Brain Development

Brain Development

• The brain continues to change both its structure and its functions during the period of early childhood.
• The two hemispheres become more specialized.
• Synapses now form at a slower rate than they did in infancy and the rate of synaptic pruning increases. However, a good deal of myelination and synaptic remodeling is still occurring.
• The overall rate of brain metabolism rises to twice that of adult levels by the ages of 4 and 5 years, and this high level of metabolism continues until 9 to 10 years of age.
• The myelin coating essential for the development of the neural pathways that connect individual parts of the brain undergoes its most prominent increase in the first 3 to 4 years of life
• The corpus callosum, the thick band of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, also myelinates rapidly during early childhood
• This allows the two hemispheres to communicate and better coordinate activities that use both sides of the body at the same time.
• Cerebellum: structure that aids in balance and control of body movement- contributes to dramatic gains in motor coordination and in thinking.
• Reticular formation: structure in brain stem that maintains alertness and consciousness- myelinates throughout early childhood and into adolescence.
• Hippocampus: inner-brain structure that plays a vital role in memory and spatial understanding- develops rapidly in the second half of the first year, when recall memory and independent movement emerge.
• Amygdala: inner-brain structure that processes novelty and emotional information- governs regulation of emotion.

Prefrontal Cortex

• Most rapid brain growth occurs in the frontal areas that regulate planning and goal setting.
  • “bottom up” model
  • Greater development of prefrontal cortex - changes and growth in ability to think, strategize, and control emotion
  • Makes it increasingly possible for preschoolers to control emotional outbursts, understand how to play games, understand rules, cooperative play
• The prefrontal cortex, the highest level in the brain, shows extensive development from 3 to 6 years of age and continues to grow through the remainder of childhood and adolescence.
• The prefrontal cortex plays important roles in attention, memory, and self- regulation.