Читать книгу Developmental Psychopathology - Группа авторов - Страница 62

Over the course of the first few months and years of life, various skills and competencies improve at an impressively rapid rate. Many of the changes that we observe in human development happen in response to changes in the brain. Even before we are born, the brain and central nervous system support basic sensory and motor functions. Once born, rapid brain development occurs and continues well into adolescence.

At birth, the brain contains most of the information‐transmitting cells—also known as neurons—that it will ever have. Yet, the brain becomes four times larger by adulthood, with much of that growth occurring during the first few years of life (Groeschel et al., 2010). Processes that account for such growth in the size of the brain include synaptogenesis (the process of synapse formation between neurons) and myelination (the formation of myelin sheaths that allow for the increase in speed of electrical transmissions between neurons).

Additionally, certain areas of the cerebral cortex—the brain’s outermost layer and most complex system—are specialized for certain functions. For example, the occipital lobe is primarily involved in visual processing; memory, visual recognition, and emotional/auditory processing occurs in the temporal lobe; spatial awareness and sensory processing are associated with the parietal lobe; and, the frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for humans’ ability to organize and plan ahead. As the brain continues to develop, connections between neurons become more efficient, and repeated stimulation enables the development and adjustment of humans’ physical and cognitive capacities.