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The Developing Brain (May 21, 2004, One)

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Program Summary

“You should know better!” As kids, we all heard that from our parents when they caught us doing something we shouldn’t. Well, listen up, Mom and Dad. Findings from a long-term series of children’s brain scans show that, gee, maybe we didn’t know better!

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and UCLA studied brain development in 13 healthy children by taking magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of their brains every two years from age 4 to 20. The images were then compiled into a video that compressed years of growth into seconds, giving scientists a three-dimensional view of brain development. They observed the amount of gray matter (“blank” brain) in each set of images and the order in which parts of the brain matured over time. They found that the brain develops from back to front, with the basic functions such as seeing, hearing, speaking, and walking developing first, while higher functions such as abstract thinking and decision-making—processes controlled by the frontal lobes—are still maturing well into adolescence. This could explain why your teenager sometimes acts like he doesn’t have a brain in his head!

Guests

Judith Rapoport, M.D., chief of the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland

Related Links and Resources

National Institute of Mental Health, May 17, 2004: “Imaging Study Shows Brain Maturing”
National Institute of Mental Health, 2001: “Stress and the Developing Brain”
Neuroscience for Kids: Brain Development

For Discussion:

• We’ve known for a long time which parts of the brain control various functions. How does this new study enhance our knowledge?
• What is gray matter? Why does it disappear over time?
• Are there differences between male and female brains?
• What factors affect brain development?
• What does “use it or lose it” mean?
• Do you think the study could explain why some adults display “childish” behavior?

Activities

Gray matters. For more information about the study, read “Time-lapse Imaging Tracks Brain Developing from Ages 5 to 20”, where you can view a clip from the brain development video. Red represents the amount of gray matter as the brain matures. Ask students to name the major sections of the brain, what functions they control, and the order in which they appear to mature, according to the clip. For helping in identifying the areas of the brain, look to 3-D Brain Anatomy, an interactive page from PBS that allows you to mouse over an image of the brain and learn about it more fully. The site is a companion to the program “The Secret Life of the Brain,” which follows the development of the brain from birth to old age and contains a Teen Guide with materials and activities.

My brain and welcome to it. Neuroscience for Kids: Brain Development explains how the brain develops before birth. How does your brain grow?, part of the Your Brain exhibit at England’s online Science Museum, is a detailed, fascinating exploration of how the brain wires itself.

What were you thinking? Can’t understand teenagers? You’ll find insight at Inside the Teenage Brain, a PBS “Frontline” episode. Scientists discuss brain research that accounts for teenagers’ often quixotic behavior. The importance of sleep, advice and resources for parents, and an interactive guide to the brain are featured. The Teenage Brain episode of PBS’s “The Secret Life of the Brain” discusses schizophrenia in teenagers.

The basic brain. Brain Watching, a lesson plan from Discovery School, covers brain anatomy and how messages are transmitted throughout the body. Projects include constructing a timeline of brain development using activities appropriate for each age. This lesson plan is designed for high school students, but it is not too difficult for middle schoolers.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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