The Early Growing Season: The Early Growing Season: How to Nurture - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Early Growing Season: The Early Growing Season: How to Nurture Brain Power in How to Nurture Brain Power in Young Children Young Children Kathy Theuer, E.d.D. Kathy Theuer, E.d.D. Associate Dean, School of Education Associate Dean, School of Education Brandman University Brandman University 1

Nurturing Brain Power Nurturing Brain Power � Physical Development of the Brain � Physical Development of the Brain � Social and Emotional Development � Social and Emotional Development � Cognitive Development � Cognitive Development 2

Education is discovering the brain, and that’s about the best news there could be…. anyone who does not have a holistic grasp of the brain’s architecture, purposes and main ways of operating is as far behind the times as an automobile designer without a full understanding of engines. Leslie Hart 3

The Decade of the Brain The Decade of the Brain 1990-2000 1990-2000 New imaging technologies New imaging technologies Better understanding of the brain Better understanding of the brain and how it functions and how it functions 4

Electroencephalography Electroencephalography EEG EEG 5

Computerized Axial Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan Tomography (CAT) Scan 6

Positron Emission Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Tomography (PET) More Active 7

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (MRI) 8

Functional Magnetic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Seeing Hearing 9

Fields of Study in Neuroscience Fields of Study in Neuroscience � Neuroanatomy � Neuroanatomy � Developmental Neuroscience � Developmental Neuroscience � Cognitive Neuroscience � Cognitive Neuroscience � Behavioral Neuroscience � Behavioral Neuroscience � Clinical Neuroscience � Clinical Neuroscience 10

Brain Research In the Popular Media… In Educational Journals and Books… 11

Brain Basics Brain Basics � Composition of the Brain � Composition of the Brain � 75% water � 75% water � 10% Fat � 10% Fat � 8% Protein � 8% Protein � Energy Requirements � Energy Requirements � 2% of body’s adult weight � 2% of body’s adult weight � Consumes 20% of body’s energy � Consumes 20% of body’s energy 12

Brain Power Brain Power � Uses 8 gallons of blood per hour � Uses 8 gallons of blood per hour � Blood provides fuel in the form of � Blood provides fuel in the form of oxygen and glucose oxygen and glucose � Brain uses 1/5th of the body’s oxygen � Brain uses 1/5th of the body’s oxygen � Water is required to move neuron � Water is required to move neuron signals signals 13

Brain Composition Brain Composition � Weighs 3 pounds when fully developed � Weighs 3 pounds when fully developed � Made up of at least 100 billion nerve � Made up of at least 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) cells (neurons) 14

15 Axon Neurons Neurons Dendrite Synapse

16 Nerve Cell Growth Nerve Cell Growth

17 Brain Development Brain Development

Brain Development Brain Development Before Birth Before Birth Π 1st month ‐ Π Neural tube forms 1st month ‐ Neural tube forms Π 2nd month ‐ Π major structures of the 2nd month ‐ major structures of the brain begin to form brain begin to form 18

Brain Development Brain Development Before Birth Before Birth Π 3rd ‐ 6th months Π 3rd ‐ 6th months 1st wave of brain cell proliferation 1st wave of brain cell proliferation 19

Brain Development Brain Development Before Birth Before Birth Π 6th month ‐ cerebral cortex 6th month ‐ cerebral cortex Π starts to separate into lobes starts to separate into lobes Π 8th month ‐ Π the auditory cortex, visual 8th month ‐ the auditory cortex, visual cortex and Broca’s area have begun to cortex and Broca’s area have begun to function function 20

Brain Development Brain Development Before Birth Before Birth Π 8th ‐ 9th month Π 8th ‐ 9th month 1st wave of pruning 1st wave of pruning Autism may be a result of insufficient or abnormal pruning during this time 21

Brain Development Brain Development (Ages 6-12) (Ages 6-12) 2nd Wave of Brain Cell Proliferation 2nd Wave of Brain Cell Proliferation � Focus is on number of connections � Focus is on number of connections between nerve cells between nerve cells � Gray matter thickens � Gray matter thickens Connection to ADHD & Tourette’s? 22

Brain Development Brain Development (Ages 12-25) (Ages 12-25) 2nd Wave of Pruning 2nd Wave of Pruning � Gray matter thins � Gray matter thins � White matter thickens � White matter thickens � Fewer but faster connections � Fewer but faster connections Connection to schizophrenia & bipolar disorder? 23

Teen Brain Teen Brain The prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) The prefrontal cortex (thinking brain) is the last part of the brain to develop. is the last part of the brain to develop. 24

Brain Maturation Brain Maturation Maturation occurs from Back to Front Maturation occurs from Back to Front 25

Sensitive Periods Sensitive Periods Vision Birth 2 Vision Birth 2 Hearing Birth 10 Hearing Birth 10 Emotional Control Birth 3 Emotional Control Birth 3 Vocabulary Birth 6 Vocabulary Birth 6 Motor Development Birth 10 Motor Development Birth 10 Second Language Birth 10 Second Language Birth 10 26

The Dendrite Song The Dendrite Song (To the tune of Clementine ) (To the tune of Clementine ) Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, To connect throughout your brain To connect throughout your brain Take in info, analyze it, Take in info, analyze it, Grow some new ones Grow some new ones Unrestrained Unrestrained 27

Axons send out Axons send out Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters To the dendrites all around To the dendrites all around Across the synapse Across the synapse Jumps the impulse Jumps the impulse New ideas can now abound New ideas can now abound 28

Stimulation Stimulation Is what the brain needs Is what the brain needs To make dendrites stretch and grow To make dendrites stretch and grow New connections New connections Make us smarter Make us smarter In what we think and what we know. In what we think and what we know. 29

Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, Use your dendrites, To connect throughout your brain To connect throughout your brain Take in info, analyze it, Take in info, analyze it, Grow some new ones Grow some new ones Unrestrained Unrestrained 30

Brain Food Brain Food � Complex Carbohydrates � Complex Carbohydrates fruits, vegetables and whole grains fruits, vegetables and whole grains � Protein � Protein meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, and beans meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, and beans 31

Essential Fatty Acids Essential Fatty Acids � Omega 3 ‐ flax seeds, walnuts, green � Omega 3 ‐ flax seeds, walnuts, green leafy vegetables leafy vegetables � Omega 6 ‐ sunflower, safflower, corn, � Omega 6 ‐ sunflower, safflower, corn, sesame oils sesame oils � Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) ‐ human � Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) ‐ human breast milk, salmon and tuna breast milk, salmon and tuna 32

Vitamins & Minerals Vitamins & Minerals � Choline � Choline beef or chicken liver, pork, eggs, wheat beef or chicken liver, pork, eggs, wheat germ, or soybeans germ, or soybeans � Iron � Iron meat, fish, or beans meat, fish, or beans � Folic Acid � Folic Acid enriched cereals, grains, liver, eggs, beans, enriched cereals, grains, liver, eggs, beans, or green leafy vegetables or green leafy vegetables 33

Toxins & Brain Development Toxins & Brain Development Environmental chemicals Environmental chemicals • • Recreational drugs Recreational drugs • • Prescription medications Prescription medications • • 34

Environmental Chemicals Environmental Chemicals � Lead � Lead � Mercury � Mercury � Organophosphates � Organophosphates 35

Recreational Drugs Recreational Drugs � Alcohol � Alcohol � Nicotine � Nicotine � Psycho ‐ stimulants � Psycho ‐ stimulants ‐ Cocaine, methanphetamine, ritalin ‐ Cocaine, methanphetamine, ritalin 36

Stress & Brain Development Stress & Brain Development Stress Stress Release of stress hormones Release of stress hormones (Cortisol and Adrenaline) (Cortisol and Adrenaline) Increase heart rate, blood pressure Increase heart rate, blood pressure 37

Prolonged Stress Prolonged Stress � Can cause genes important for survival to � Can cause genes important for survival to be over ‐ expressed be over ‐ expressed � Can activate genes linked to depression � Can activate genes linked to depression and other mental problems. and other mental problems. � Can leave a memory trace that gets � Can leave a memory trace that gets triggered by a lesser stress and reinforced triggered by a lesser stress and reinforced 38

Stress & Memory Stress & Memory Can cause the hippocampus to shrink Can cause the hippocampus to shrink 39

Stress during Pregnancy Stress during Pregnancy Stress can be Stress can be transferred from transferred from mother to child mother to child 40