Brain Energy, Function, and Health

Brain Energy Use

• The brain consumes energy at 10 times the rate of the rest of the body per gram of tissue
• The brain uses 20% of the body's energy, even when resting, while making up only 2% of body weight

Fueling the Brain

• Glucose is the primary energy source and is carried through the bloodstream then converted into energy
• The brain needs a constant supply of glucose, as it can't store it
• Whole grains provide a slow, steady release of glucose into the bloodstream, which helps maintain focus and alertness

Brain Health Factors

• Lack of oxygen to brain cells can cause damage, and once cells die, they cannot be revived
• The brain has two hemispheres, the left controlling the right side of the body, and the right controlling the left side

Brain Organization

• Specific areas in the cortex control functions like movement, vision, and hearing
• Damage to these areas can cause loss of corresponding functions such as facial recognition

Neuroplasticity

• The brain can reorganize and rewire itself to adapt to needs and repair damage

Lobes of the Brain

• Frontal lobe is involved in personality, decision-making, planning, and movement
• Parietal lobe handles spatial relationships, touch, pain, temperature, and object identification
• Occipital lobe processes visual information
• Temporal lobe processes smell, taste, sound, and is involved in memory storage

Cerebellum

• Coordinates movement by combining sensory information from the eyes, ears, and muscles
• Cerebellum is fully developed by the age of two

The Brain's Body Map

• There's a direct correspondence between body parts and areas of the primary motor and sensory cortices in the brain

Brain Development

• The brain creates about 86 billion neurons during neurogenesis
• It's commonly believed that humans are born with all the brain cells they'll ever have

Neurogenesis and Brain Cells at Birth

• A baby's brain forms 86 billion cells in 9 months, which is 200,000 cells per minute
• Counting to one billion would take 32 years, so counting to 86 billion would take 2,700 years

Neuron Structure

• A neuron consists of a cell body, dendrites which receive signals, and an axon which relays signals
• Axons are often coated with myelin, a fatty substance that speeds up communication

Neuron Development

• Neurons are produced in the developing embryo's neural tube, which eventually forms the brain and spinal cord
• Neurons migrate to their designated brain regions and form trillions of synapses, allowing for communication between cells

Early Neural Connections

• Around seven weeks after conception, the first neurons and synapses develop
• This enables the fetus to make movements like yawning and stretching, which help stimulate brain development

Myelination Process

• Myelin begins to coat neurons' axons during the second trimester
• This enhances nerve signal conduction
• Myelination continues throughout pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence

Neuronal Migration

• By mid-pregnancy, most neurons are formed and migrate to specialized brain regions
• Once in place, they form connections with neighboring neurons

Neurons and Synapses

• Neurons are closely packed but don't physically touch
• Synapses form as axons and dendrites grow, allowing signal transmission

Cerebral Cortex Development

• The cerebral cortex, responsible for conscious experience, thinking, problem-solving, and memory, is rudimentary at birth
• It continues to mature during life, and has most of the brain's neurons
• Senses and basic motor regions are active, but emotional, physical, and cognitive maturation occurs as the cortex develops

Post-natal Brain Development

• At birth, the brain is the most incomplete body organ
• Although babies are born with 86 billion neurons, they lack the trillions of connections found in adults
• Learning creates new connections between neurons

Vital Functions at Birth

• The lower brain regions (spinal cord and brainstem) are well-developed at birth
• These control vital functions like breathing, heartbeat, and circulation
• Higher functions like movement and speech develop later as the cerebral cortex matures

Neural Growth

• Dendrites undergo rapid growth (exuberance) in early childhood, providing thousands of connections to other neurons

Synaptic Growth and Pruning

• Synaptogenesis, the formation of new connections, continues with synaptic blooming happening in infancy and toddlerhood
• After the initial period of synaptic blooming (rapid neural growth), the brain undergoes synaptic pruning, where unused neural connections are reduced
• Connections that are used more frequently become stronger
• About 40% of the initial connections are lost, and this pruning continues through childhood and adolescence

Early Brain Development Growth Rate

• In the first three years of life, the brain grows faster than any other body part
• By age three, the brain reaches about 80% of its adult size and about 90% by age five
• This growth is mainly due to the development of dendrites in neurons, which receive signals from other neurons

Brain Wiring's Importance

• The brain's wiring, formed by trillions of synapses and their connections, is essential for all cognitive functions
• The organization and number of these connections influence everything from recognizing letters to maintaining relationships

Neurons and Interlligence

• Neurons themselves are simple cells, but when connected in vast networks, they create intelligence, emotions, and consciousness
• Neurons work together to perform complex tasks like breathing, thinking, seeing, and moving

Communication Between Neurons

• Neurons communicate via synapses, with a tiny gap (synaptic cleft) between them
• These communication points are where messages are passed from one neuron to another, facilitating all brain functions

Experience and Brain Development in Infants

• The brain has more neurons and connections than in adults
• Neurons that are frequently stimulated strengthen their connections, while those less stimulated may lose them through synaptic pruning
• Early brain development is shaped by both biological programming and experiences

The Impact of Experiences

• Every experience such as listening to music or learning to ride a bike activates specific neural circuits
• These circuits that are used often become stronger, while those that are rarely activated may be pruned

Synaptic Growth and Pruning (Figures)

• At birth, each neuron in the cerebral cortex has around 2,500 synapses
• By age 2-3 years, this increases to approximately 15,000 synapses per neuron, about double the adult average
• By age two, a toddler's cerebral cortex has over a hundred trillion synapses
• Synaptic exuberance continues through middle childhood, ages 4-8, after which the number of synapses gradually declines to adult levels during adolescence
• Synaptic pruning eliminates unused synapses, which makes the brain more efficient
• Connections that are frequently used become stronger, while unused connections weaken and die

Myelination After Birth

• Myelination is where a fatty substance called myelin coats the axons of neurons
• This helps speed up communication between brain cells and improves coordination and thought processes
• Myelination begins in the 14th week of fetal development but is limited at birth
• By birth, areas of the brain related to survival functions such as the brainstem for heartbeat, respiration, and reflexes are well myelinated
• Myelination of the cortex and other areas continues after birth and is most rapid during the first few years of life, but some areas are not fully myelinated until the mid to late teens or even early adulthood
• Visual pathways and areas for more complex motor skills such as walking and running continue to myelinate throughout early childhood
• Rapid brain development is crucial for cognitive and motor skills, as synaptic exuberance and myelination shapes how children learn and interact with the world

Key Concepts and Takeaways

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the myelin, leaving scar tissue (sclerosis) that disrupts nerve communication
• Common symptoms include muscle weakness, coordination problems, and difficulty with balance and movement
• Myelination is the process of coating axons with a fatty substance, myelin, which increases the speed of nerve impulse transmission
• Myelination begins in the 14th week of fetal development and is most rapid during the first two years of life
• At birth, essential areas like the brainstem for vital functions like heartbeat and breathing are well-myelinated, while higher brain areas, including the cortex, myelinate later
• Myelination of the cortex , responsible for complex actions like thinking, decision-making, and motor control continues into adolescence or even early adulthood

Motor Development and Myelination

• Myelination facilitates increasingly complex motor skills such as crawling, walking, and running
• Muscle control follows a cephalocaudal pattern control starts at the head and neck and progresses toward the feet
• Myelination of muscles and motor pathways largely completes by age 2

Synaptic Growth and Pruning

• The brain goes through a period of synaptic exuberance, where neurons form new connections during early development up to age 2-3
• This is followed by synaptic pruning, where unused connections are eliminated, enhancing the efficiency of brain function

Neuroplasticity Defined

• Refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and rewire itself in response to experience or damage
• The brain changes constantly through learning and experience, forming new synapses and adjusting connections
• Neuroplasticity is especially pronounced in young children, which helps them recover from significant brain injuries, such as in cases of hemispherectomy

Case Study - Brandi Binder

• Brandi Binder had half of her brain removed at age six due to Rasmussen's encephalitis
• After surgery, her left hemisphere compensated for the missing functions that occurred in the right hemisphere, including creative abilities
• Binder went on to graduate with honors with the removal of her hemisphere, demonstrating the brain's neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity In Terms of Hardwiring

• The brain's wiring is flexible and constantly evolving, not "hard-wired" like a computer
• Plasticity allows the brain to adapt to new experiences and recover from damage
• Neuroplasticity is greatest in young children but continues throughout life, albeit at a slower rate as people age
• Neuroplasticity is important for learning new skills and recovering lost functions after brain damage

Myelination

• Myelination is the process of coating axons with myelin, which speeds up nerve transmission and enhances brain communication
• Myelination begins in fetal development and continues into adolescence, with some parts of the brain myelinating as late as early adulthood
• Rapid myelination in infancy supports the development of motor skills such as such as crawling or walking
• Myelination progresses from head to feet, which is why infants first gain control over their head and neck, then their lower limbs

Early Exerience and Stimulation

• Early childhood is a critical period for brain development as the brain is highly receptive to stimuli and experiences during the first few years of life
• Numerous synaptic connections form in response to sensory experiences such as touch, sight, sound, and movement
• IF these connections are pruned away if not regularly used, meaning early experiences directly influence the child's future cognitive and emotional development
• A lack of stimulation or prolonged deprivation stunt brain development

Parent's Role

• Parents play a vital role in providing the stimulation and development
• Infants prefer human stimuli such as faces, voices, touch and rely on caregivers for emotional and cognitive growth
• Activities like talking, reading, singing, and engaging in meaningful play with infants are vital for brain stimulation and development
• A loving caregiving enviroment encourages exploration and learning, which builds the brain

Impact of Deprivation

• Prolonged deprivation, such as in orphanages, can cause severe cognitive, social, and emotional impairments
• Children adopted at a young age can recover from early deprivation, while older children show more lasting impairments
• Deprivation leads to smaller brain sizes and fewer cognitive connections, especially when children miss out on early sensory experiences and social interactions

Media and Screen Time

• Educational DVDs such as Baby Einstein do not significantly contribute with beneficial activities
• The first two years are critical for cognitive and social growth and should be limited to prevent them from hindering

Takeaways From Development

• Early experiences shape the brain's development, and adequate stimulation is necessary for optimal brain function
• Neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt and learn, but decreases with age
• A loving verbal interaction is vital for children's health and development

Sensory Development in the Womb

• Sensory development starts in the womb with touch and hearing
• The brain forms synapses in response to sensory experiences, and infants react with these senses

Sensory Intergration

• Babies can integrate sensory information which allows them to interact with the world

Sensory Transduction

• Sensory transduction converts external sensory information into electrical signals
• Vision converts light
• Hearing converts Sound
• Smell and Taste converts chemical molecules
• Touch converts mechanical energy

Newborn Vision

• They are unable to focus unless an Object is 8-16 inches away
• Their visual clarity is 20/400 and meaning their clarity of sight is less than an average human being
• They are initally colourblind because their colour-vision cells are underdeveloped
• Newborns like to look at Movement, Brightness and the faces of people

Sensory Vision and Development

• They tend to develop at or before 12 months and clarity starts to improve with age

Sensory Month to Month Development

• At 1 months Infants see mainly blurry objects and only large shapes and simple patterns
• By 2-3 Months they can see moderate patterns like checkerboards and are able to see moving objects
• They will start being able to see colours but unable to differentiate them like older aged people

Habituation to stimuli

• Infants will lose interest in a stimulus once they've seen repeatedly but show interest in a new or novel stimulus

Newborn and Challenge Vision

• Immature Eyes: They need time to develop and they are bad at contrast senstivity which makes it hard to focus
• Their retina needs time to develop which leads to blurriness
• Colourblindness from certain cone deficiencies in the Retina

Sensory Preferences and Movements

• Movement: Infants as young as two weeks prefer to focus on moving objects
• Newborns and Faces: Like to be around human and help them be social

Vision With Tracking

• Newborns can track objects even if Jerky
• By 2 months prefer faces
• Depth of vision improves by 3

Face Recognition

• It needs the brain region called the fusiform gyrus
• Babies can recognise quickly
• They know male from female after time

Depth Persception

• Improves by 7-9 months from visual cliff experiment

Hearinng and Vision

• Can distinguish well
• Sounds can be differentiated by 5 months
• Can know their name by 5 months

Touch and Pain

• Touch is first, newborns use it to feel
• Infants do experience pain
• Touch impacts and without it, can delay things

Taste and Smell

• Their taste is developed
• They prefer to taste sweet
• They know mothers by smell

Health and System

• Time for the immune system is needed
• Babies receive natural antibodies

Motor Development

• Rapid amounts of weight and height, higher accelerated growth

Bones

• Cartilage is 300-350 which with time convert and fuse to around 206 Bones
• Skull expands from spots
• Hardening of bones goes until adolecence

Bone Healing

• Bones heal quicker

Development of Muslces

• Begins at the neck then to the limb and arms
• Control of mass is first, then fine is second
• Babies develop strength by age 1 which then increases during adolescence

Motor Skills and Development

• Cephalocaudal is control from head to feet
• Proximodistal is torso to limbs

Motor Skills and Achievements

• Milestones, hold their heads at 6 weeks
• Sitting is 7 months
• Crawling happens around these times

Motor Types

• Crawling, Juming
• Manipulating objects is fine motor

Fine Motor skills

• Differences with girls being able to crawl etc better than boys

Experience

• Skill is good with help and guidance so achievement happens

Development Insights

• A year and content increases

Skill Progression

• Babies have spurts which makes them hungry

Vaccinating

• These help system
• Isnt autism

Development

• Sitting, head all happen during appropriate timescales

Grasp Reflex

• Exploration for cogitive development

Motor Skills

• Reach for objects, grip, pincer
• Year 1
• Improve skills

Locomotion

• Rolling happens at 3 months
• Creeping and crawling helps build safeness

Walking

• Indepence but ranges
• Age 3-5 they can cycle

Training and Toilet

• History, old ways of punishment
• Babies can let people then now
• Communications with babies starts with this

Skill Refinement

• Good drawing skills

Emotions

• Big emotional events in life
• Linked with mental health

Subjective Experience

• Emotions affect the way individuals measure events
• Concious experiements

Responses and Emo

• Physiological change and autonomic nervous system

Nature of Parenting

• Easy kids mean easy lives
• Fussy leads too frustrating

Holding

• Too much can't spoil
• Positive touch leads to development

Cared Attachment

• Being there is easy and leads to well being
• Leads to development trust

Infants Receiving Attention

• See it as predictate and safe

Key Aspects

• Responses
• Affective
• Parental skills that are in the infancy with emotional support

Early Response

• Show things with face

Social Smiling

• Starts around 2 momths and are stable

Emotions

• Express 3,5 months and increase with more feelings

Anger

• From preventing things

Paul Erkman

• People can identify through facial expressions and 6 are all the basic ones can be identified

Feelings and Recognition

• Are the same across the planet
• Evulotionanary survival

Recognition

• Are quicker and accurate identifying male and happiness female

Amygdala

• Cruitial survival
• Is there fore a quick started reaction

Self

• Are made with emotion expression
• Social concepts are needed for emotions to occur and express
• Cutural and social rules to guide