This document discusses brain development from infancy through adolescence. It notes that connections in the brain are strengthened through use and pruned away if not used. The brain grows rapidly in the first few years of life as connections are formed and then pruned away. Environmental influences shape brain development, with the earliest years seeing the most change as experiences bombard the developing brain. Brain growth continues through childhood and adolescence as different areas mature at different rates.

1. Olive R. Orpilla
COED

2.  Brain Development in
a.Infancy
b. Early Childhood
c. Middle Childhood
d. Adolescence
 Environmental Influences on
Development of the Brain

3. Connections that
are used become
strengthened and
survive, while the
unused ones are
replaced by other
pathways or
disappear

4.  Connections that are not used are removed
 After the first birthday, pruning occurs more
quickly.
 A 3 year old child has twice as many
connections as an adult.
 By 10 years, a child has nearly 500 trillion
synapses, which is the same as the average
adult

5. Contains approximately 100 billion+
neurons
Rapid growth begins in all areas
• Frontal lobes are immature
• Occipital & Temporal Lobe
progression
• Sensory areas of Parietal Lobe
mature

7. Connections are made permanent from early
infancy to early childhood
As we mature, the brain physically changes
due to outside experiences.
The first three years see the most rapid
changes due to the bombardment of
experience.
At this time, the brain is most flexible and
prepared to learn.

8.  A brain doubles in weight after 6
months.
Brain development proceeds at an
uneven pace occurring between 3 and
10 months and between 15 and 24
months.
There are 100 billion neurons present at
birth which conduct nerve impulses.
The neurons are nourished by glial cells.
Glial cells outnumber
neurons but are smaller
than neurons.
Production of myelin.

9. a fatty substance that form the
covering of the axon of the neuron.
It is myelin substance that conducts
impulses at higher speeds
Myelination of nerve fibers grows at
different parts of the brain.
The first to be myelinated is the
peripheral nervous system connecting
the sensory perception, brain
muscles, spinal chords and the
internal organs and glands.

10. The number of neuron is constant following
birth.
Ages between 6 and 8 the development of
frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex and the
sensory and motor areas are the primary sites
of brain growth.
Selective attention allows children to focus
cognitive ability on the elements of a problem
or situation.

11.  95% of brain growth is reached by time a
child reaches the age of 9.
• Growth is characterized by interrelated
process namely: Cell proliferation and
cell pruning
 Is the ability to identify and act a relationship
between objects in space.
 Lateralization of spatial perception.
The over production
of neurons
interconnections
Is a continuous
process in the
childhood phase

12. There are two major brain growth spurts
one occurring between ages 13 to 15;
• The first spurt , the cerebral cortex
becomes thicker and neuronal
pathways become more efficient.
• The second birth growth spurt has the
frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex as
focus of development.

13. Frontal Lobes, responsible for reasoning
and problem solving, develop.
Synaptic growth spurts most in temporal
and parietal lobes.
Synaptic pruning occurs mostly in frontal
lobes and adolescent losses 3 percent
matter in frontal lobes

14. Life’s experiences whether better or
worse have lasting effects on the
capacity of the central Nervous
System to learn and store
information
The midbrain are the most fully
developed at birth.
The last developed part of the brain
at birth is the cortex

15.  95% of brain functions
are laterized through a
pattern called left-brain
dominance. The pattern
called left-dominance.
The remaining small
portion of the functions
that account for
remaining small portion
of the functions that
account for 5% are
reversed.