  The Developing Child Brain and BehaviorThis symposium, held April 17, 1998, addressed brain and cognitive development in young children. Research on these two aspects of development provides complementary approaches to the study of intelligence. The speakers discussed the role of the environment in influencing development: one from the perspective of a brain scientist, and the other from the perspective of a developmental psychologist. Adaptability of the Developing Human Brain
Dr. Chugani discussed the idea of "windows of opportunity" in a child's early years for efficiently learning new skills and for reorganizing brain pathways following injury. He addressed the ways in which the timing, type, and degree of input affect the structure and functioning of the developing brain. Dr. Chugani is a pediatric neurologist and leading researcher in human brain development. His special area of expertise involves using brain-imaging techniques to understand how some disabilities in childrenÐepilepsy, for exampleÐaffect brain development and function. Dr. Chugani is Professor of Pediatrics, Neurology and Radiology; Director of the Positron Emission Tomography Center; and Director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program at Wayne State University School of Medicine1s Children's Hospital of Michigan. more information on Harry T. Chuganu, Ph.D. Early Experience and Early Intervention:
Dr. Ramey discussed his current work on children's successful transition to school and on creating a new generation of education and support programs to improve young children's cognitive development and social competence. Dr. Ramey is University Professor of Psychology, Pediatrics, Maternal and Child Health, and Neurobiology, and Director of the Civitan International Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Civitan Center is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to understanding the process of human development and treating and preventing developmental disabilities. He is recognized nationally for his extensive longitudinal research on early care and education. more information on Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D.
Erikson Institute and the University of Chicago co-sponsored this symposium series, "The Developing Child: Brain and Behavior," which brought well-known researchers to speak to the early childhood community of the greater Chicago area. Both institutions are engaged in major projects funded by the McCormick Tribune Foundation as part of its Focus on Quality Initiative. |
The human brain undergoes dramatic changes from birth to adolescence, the implications of which we are just beginning to understand. In his presentation, Dr. Harry Chugani explained how the brain develops and the importance of the complex interplay between our genes and our early experiences to our ultimate developmental outcome. He described how, from birth, connections between brain cells are made, and how, between the age of three and adolescence, some connections are selectively maintained and "hard-wired," while others are selectively eliminated, or "pruned."
Intensive early intervention can improve young children's development. In his presentation, Dr. Craig Ramey summarized his research on early childhood intervention to illustrate the plasticity of neurodevelopmental processes in both at-risk populations and children with established developmental disabilities.
