Brain Plasticity

At age two, most of the child's brain is not fully developed, it is seventy-five percent of adult weight. At age five the brain is ninety-five percent of adult weight. Based on solid scientific evidence, the brain is not a completed organ at birth. Post mortem studies reveal that myelination - one of the five basic processes that make up brain development begins in the brain stem and cerebellum before birth but is not completed in the frontal cortex of the brain until late adolescence period. Myelination process begins before birth, that is during the prenatal period - it is the first process to occur in brain development. Myelin, a fatty layer accumulates around nerve cells to allow nerve impulses to move more quickly - protecting the neuron and acting like an insulation for the human brain. The cerebral hemispheres are the first myelinated. By the second year, the cerebrum is completed. During the process of brain development, there is an increase in the axonal connection which contributes to the growth of the brain. According to neuroscientists, the brain is divided into two- the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. The left side of the body is controlled by the right hemisphere, while the left side of the brain which is the dominant part controls the right side of the

It is the same with all the other areas of child development, such as social, intellectual and language some children do not go through the expected sequence of development.

The human brain is a wondrous invention that has many scientists and researchers very busy to this very day. There are numerous qualities about the brain humans know about, yet there are still a great number of mysteries to the brain and how it functions left to be discovered and shared. Some facts scientists do know about the brain is that it is divided into to primary sections, called hemispheres. Each person has a left and right hemisphere of the brain. Each hemisphere is in charge of specific abilities, tasks, and functions. This paper will review what each hemisphere is responsible for and describe ways that each hemisphere is predisposed to learn.

A child develops through its whole life. They can develop; physically, linguistically, intellectually, socially and behaviourally. “Physical development is the way in which the body increases in skill and becomes more complex in its performance” [Meggitt, 2000, Page 2]. Twenty five days after conception; the body of the chid has developed immensely from the small fertilised egg. Up to birth the foetus mainly develops physically however once the child is born the child then begins the long process of development. Not only do the gross motor skills and the fine motor skills develop on the baby, but the sensory development also widens on the child.

Physical development: Babies turn their head towards sounds and movement’s .They like to watch the face of adult at feeding time. They start sitting with support and gradually sit

falls asleep without even being tired. She was sold at an auction to a couple, and whenever she

* Second, research has shown that damage to incoming sensory pathways or the destruction of brain tissue can lead to neural reorganization.

took over her every being as it robbed her of her memory , mobility, and cognitive

any type of damage to the left side of the head often experience these disabilities. Strokes can also cause severe issues with these parts of the brain as well (Broca’s Area vs. Wernicke’s Area).

The concept of neuroplasticity has long been questioned. The term of “neuroplasticity” did not even come about until the mid-late 20th century. When the term “plastic” was used to describe the brain by a select few neuroscientists, they were laughed at and the term was never thought of as a description for the human brain. The human brain was seen as a closed circuit and one that once you had it, you definitely had it. Scientists thought the brain would not develop anymore past a certain point in your life. Norman Doidge brings the concept of neuroplasticity into reality in his book “The Brain that Changes Itself,” a book about the triumphs in the frontier of brain science.

In the story,” The right side of Tim’s body was paralyzed and he was having great difficulty trying to talk”. Thus, it suggests that the left hemisphere of Tim’s brain suffered during his stroke, because language processing occur more in the left side if the brain. In general, the left hemisphere concentrates more on tasks that require verbal competence, such as speaking, reading, thinking, and reasoning.

When Charlotte was two and a half years old, her seizures were very serious and had started

exception that could have a normal life without it. But when she stopped, her manic-depressive

The brain changes its function when needed. For example, if you were to be blindfolded, extra touch signals would be transmitted through visual brain centers. Eventually entire regions of visual function would switch to other functions. This is essential for blind people to use the visual cortex to enhance hearing and for the deaf to be able to lip-read much better than others. The neuroplasticity of the brain helps to reorganize regions where nerves are severed. To me, this example is the easiest way to understand how a brain adapts through its neuroplasticity. It helps us accommodate to any and all situations of changes in our lives. Memory is stored in the hippocampus, and neuroplasticity helps accommodate for new memories or the retrieval of old memories. Brain plasticity can be trained also, and certain brain mechanisms can be targeted to produce a result. Older adulthood is normally a growth decline period and cognitive processes decline, however with training certain areas of the brain, brain plasticity can help adult minds grow. Growth is an essential element of ones lifespan, and would not be possible without the help of the brains neuroplasticity and its ability to reorganize and

A newborns brain growth is rapid and their growth and development reflects their experiences and social relationships (Berger,2014). From two weeks after conception until two weeks after birth the brain grows more rapidly than any other organ in the body (Berger,2014). We will now examine what biologically takes place inside the brain of an infant to better try to understand why development at this stage is so crucial. A newborns brain has billions of neurons, that are located in the portion of the brain called the Cortex, and they regulate and control thought, feeling, and sensation (Berger, 2014). In addition, research has found that children younger than