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Development of Brain

Time-linked Sequences of Normal Development

 Neuroanatomic Bases of Normal Development

1. Embryonal and Fetal Period
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- Originates from neuroectoderm

- 3rd week : neural plate →neural fold→neural tube (closure of neuropores)
- Prosencephalon → Telencephalon →Cerebral cortex, corpus striatum
→ Diencephalon →Thalamus, Hypothalamus

Mesencephalon → Midbrain

Rhombencephalon →Metencephalon →Pons, cerebellum

→ Myelencephalon → Medulla oblongata

- Within a few months of midfetal life, the cerebrum which begins as a small
bihemisphere organ, evolves into a deeply sulcated structure
- 5th month : sylvian, rolandic, calcarine fissure
6th and 7th month : secondary sulci
8th and 9th month : tertiary sulci
- Changes in neuronal organization are occurring in cerebral cortex and central ganglionic
masses, involved the processes of synaptogenesis and axonal path-finding.
- Neuron become more widely separated, increase in the size and complexity of dendrites
and axons, enlargement of synaptic surfaces
- 10th week : myelination of spinal nerve and roots is associated with the beginning of
reflex motor activities,followed by myelination of ascending and descending tract
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2. Neonatal Period and Infancy

- After birth, brain continues to grow, from 375 to 400 g at birth (40 weeks), it reaches
1000 g by the end of the first postnatal year.
- Glial cells (oligodendrocytes and astrocytes) continue to divide and multiply during the
first 6 months of postnatal life
- The visual system begins myelinate about 40th gestational week, myelination proceed
rapidly and being nearly complete a few month after birth
- Corticospinal tract are not fully myelinated until halfway through the second postnatal
year. Most of the principal tracts are myelinated by the end of this period.
- In the cerebrum, the first myelin is seen at 40 weeks in the posterior frontal and parietal
lobes, and occipital lobes myelinate soon thereafter
- Myelination of anterior frontal and temporal lobes occurs later, during the first year of
postnatal life.
- By the end of second year, myelination of cerebrum is largely complete.
3. Childhood, Puberty, and Adolescence
- Growth of the brain continues, slower rate than before, until 12 to 15 years, when the
average adult weight of 1230 to 1275 g in females and 1350 to 1410 g in males,
myelination also continues slowly during this period.
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 Physiologic and Psychologic Development

1. Neural Development in the Fetus
- The human fetus is capable of a complete series of reflex activities, some of which
appears as early as 5 weeks of postconceptional age
- Patterned movements of head, trunk, and extrimities
- Reflexes subserving blinking, sucking, grasping, and visceral function, as well as tendon
and plantar reflexes are all elicitable in late fetal life. They seem to develop along with
the myelination of peripheral nerves, spinal roots, spinal cord, and brainstem.
2. Development during the Neonatal Period, Infancy, and Early Childhood
- At term, effective sucking, rooting, and grasping reactions are present, the infant is able
to swallow and cry, and the startle reaction (Moro reflex), support and steppage
movement
- Behavior during infancy and early childhood, they have explored sensorimotor
performance in the first year and language and social development in early childhood.
- Within a few months : smiling and head and hand-eye control
6 months : ability to sit
10 months : the strength to stand
12 month :s the muscle coordination for walk
2 years : ability to run
6 years : play game (baseball), musical skill
- Late childhoold and adolescence : motor skills attain their maximal precision,
intelligence and mathematical, emotional control
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 Motor Development
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 Sensory Development
- The sense organs are fully formed at birth. The neonate is crudely aware of visual,
auditory,tactile, and olfactory stimuli.
- By 6 months, infant discriminates between colors, and saturated colors can be matched
at 30 months
- 2 or 3 months : perception of form, attracted more to certain patterns than to colors
- 3 months : discovered their hand and spend considerable time watching their
movement
 The Development of Intelligence
- There is a steady improvement of intelligence that parallels to age
 The Development of Languange
- Infant : babbling, cooing, lalling stages , then babbling become interspersed with pauses,
inflection and intonation
- 18 months : combine 1 ½ words, knows 6-20 words
2 years :2 words, knows 50-200 words
2 ½ years : 3 words
3 years : 4 words, consonant p,b,m,h,w,d,n,t,k, knows 200-400 words
4 years : consonant ng, capable to telling stories but with little distinction between fact
and fancy
5-6 years : consonant y,j,zh,wh, knows several thousand words
7 years : f.l.v,sh,ch,s,v
 Sexual Development

 The Development of Personality and Social Adaptation