Brain maturation refers to the process of the brain growing and developing as we age. It includes the formation and organization of new neural connections, the strengthening of existing connections, and the growth of different brain regions. This maturation process is important for learning, memory, and overall cognitive abilities.
Full definition
And this can become tricky with premature babies, because the earlier your baby is born, the more adjustments you need to make in terms
of brain maturation.
We know that prematurity is extremely stressful for an infant, but by using a new technique we are able to
track brain maturation in babies to pinpoint the exact processes that might be affected by premature birth.
We know that this is a period in
which brain maturation takes place and so it is important to consider the impact of moving into adulthood.
Girls have been shown to have
earlier brain maturation, eye contact, and joint attention, which may in turn influence greater maternal responsiveness.12, 25,26 A significant gap in language input from fathers may have long - term implications.
«The process of sleep may be involved in brain «wiring» in childhood and thus
affect brain maturation,» explains Salome Kurth, first author of the study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, and a researcher at the University Hospital of Zurich.
«We are also interested in investigating how congenital Zika virus infection can interfere with not only prenatal, but also postnatal gray and
white brain maturation,» she added.
This early intervention will be the most critical intervention you will do for your autistic child, especially if the child is under the age of three years or before
full brain maturation.
Unfortunately, while fear - learning generally happens early in life, with emotional memories that are powerful and persistent, unlearning fears depends
upon brain maturation that happens only later, and requires active work and evidence - based treatment.
ADHD is characterized by an inability to focus, poor attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior, and the normal process
of brain maturation is delayed in children with ADHD.
They found that two specific genes, DLX1 and DLX2, regulate GABA synthesis during brain development, and that mutations to the genes resulted in
abnormal brain maturation.
Commenting for the ECNP Communications Committee, Dr Kamilla Miskowiak, said: «It is well - known that language development differs between girls and boys and that this is related to gender - related differences
in brain maturation.
Children lack
the brain maturation and cognitive skills to cope well with distressing emotions, and there is no evidence that nighttime fears or separation anxiety will diminish as a result of sleep training.
Many amazing things happen while your baby is sleeping including growth hormone secretion, immune system building and
brain maturation, Additionally, sleep helps your child be more coordinated and adaptable as well as less a irritable and impulsive.
Sleep is vital for healthy child development and
brain maturation in babies.
Linking Adolescent Sleep,
Brain Maturation, and Behavior.
After birth, these babies scored higher on
a brain maturation test, although they were more irritable.
The stress hormone cortisol plays a role in
brain maturation, which may help explain the result (Child Development, vol 81, p 115).
More detailed studies of
brain maturation are now needed to validate the findings, Sebat said.
Ongoing work examines adolescents longitudinally, to identify the role of GABA in
brain maturation, which may contribute to risky behavior and could in turn interfere with healthy neurodevelopment and compromise health and safety.
New research is revealing that poverty and stress not only affect the cognitive skills of young children but actually result in significant differences in
brain maturation - especially in areas important for language and reading.
Psychoanalytic theory and
brain maturation: the most detailed discussion of the early years and the emotional consequences of brain development is Allan Schore, Affect Regulation and the Origin of Self.