What are the 4 stages of brain development?
Pre-natal, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
What are the 3 keys parts of the pre-natal stage of brain development?
- Embryo develops a neural tube 16 days after fertilisation
- 6-20 weeks after fertilisation cells are created
- cells migrate to the correct location to become neurons
What are the age is the start and end of the childhood stage?
Birth until age 12
What are the key ideas of the childhood stage?
- At 3, synapse density in the pre-frontal cortex is at its peak
- unnecessary connections are pruned later in childhood
What are the ages of the start and end of the adolescence stage?
13-19
What are the key aspects of the adolescence stage?
- The limbic system is the first to mature
-Pre-frontal cortex doesn’t mature which may explain typical teenage behaviour
What age does the adulthood stage start?
20
What are the key aspects of the adulthood stage?
- Prefrontal cortex matures at 25 and brain is now fully developed
- Later on neurodegenerative diseases can occurs, leading to the death of neurons
What do IQ tests measure?
Memory, attention and problem solving skills
What are some criticisms of IQ tests?
They are culturally biased and have been used as a method of social control
What are the 4 stages of brain development?
Pre-natal, childhood, adolescence and adulthood
What are the key aspects of the pre-natal stage?
- 16 days after fertilisation the neural tube develops
- 6-20 weeks after fertilisation cells are created
- Cells migrate to the correct location to become neurons
What are the ages of the start and end of the childhood stage?
Birth until aged 12
What are the key aspects of the childhood stage?
- At 3, the density of synapses in the pre-frontal cortex is at its peak
- Later on in childhood any unnecessary connections are pruned
What are the ages of the start and end of the adolescence stage?
13 until aged 19
What are the key aspects of the adolescence stage?
- The limbic system is the first part of the brain to mature
- The pre-frontal cortex has not yet matured which explains risky teenage behaviour
What age does the adulthood stage start?
20
What are the key aspects of the adulthood stage?
- At 25, the pre-frontal cortex fully matures and the brain is completely developed
- Later on in adulthood, neurodegenerative diseases can occur, leading to the death of neurons.
What do IQ tests measure?
Memory, attention and problem solving skills
What are some criticisms of IQ tests?
Used as a method of social control and are culturally biased
