DEVELOPMENT & PLASTICITY OF THE BRAIN

• Embryonic Development


  The beginning of the nervous system
• The "Big 3"


  • Endoderm
  • Mesoderm
  • Ectoderm
• The "Big 3" give rise to the physiological system of the body beginning at embryonic development
• Neuronal Development


  1. Cell migration

  2. Cellular differentiation

  3. Outgrowth

  4. Proliferation of synapses

  
• Without the ongoing process of neurogenesis into adult life, intellectual and mental disorders and/or challenges are likely to emerge
• Neuronal development in adults

  Takes place in the hippocampus
• Lack of or low rates of neurogenesis in adults


  Is directly associated with difficulty in differentiating stimuli and problems with long-term memory
• Factors that can decrease rates of neurogenesis


  • Stress
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Aging
• Brain damage is an injury that causes the destruction or deterioration of the brain cells
• Types of brain injury

  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
  • Congenital Brain Damage (CBD)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

  Caused by an external force such as a blow to the head that causes the brain to move inside the skull or damages the skull
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)


  Occurs at the cellular level, most often associated with pressure on the brain from a tumor or neurological illness like a stroke
• Severity of brain damage

  • Mild brain injury may be temporary, causing headaches, confusion, memory problems and nausea
  • Moderate brain injury, symptoms can last longer and be more pronounced
• Even in mild brain injury, 15% of people will have persistent problems after one year
• Traumatic brain injuries


  • Closed head injury
  • Concussion
  • Contusion
  • Penetrating injury
  • Shaken baby syndrome
• Non-traumatic brain injuries


  • Anoxic/hypoxic
  • Brain infections/inflammation
  • Stroke
  • Tumor
• Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Blast injury
  • Blow to the head
  • Falls
  • Gunshot wound
  • Motor vehicle accident
  • Shaking an infant
• Causes of Non-Traumatic Brain Injury


  • Choking
  • Drowning
  • Drug overdose
  • Exposure to poisons or pollutants
  • Infection
  • Seizure
• General symptoms of brain injury


  • Affected balance
  • Blurred vision
  • Confusion
  • Difficulty speaking clearly
  • Headache
  • Memory problems
  • Seizures
• Symptoms of brain injury based on damaged brain region


  • Frontal lobe: speaking, personality, emotions and judgement
  • Temporal lobe: memory, understanding spoken words and hearing
  • Parietal Lobe: five senses including sense of touch
  • Occipital lobe: vision and visuospatial coordination
• Injuries to the brain stem can be catastrophic or dangerous as it is responsible for breathing, heart rate, and sleeping cycles
• Diagnosis of brain injury


  • Symptoms
  • Events led to injury
  • Person acting differently/unusual
  • Tests to determine the extent of an injury
• Tests to determine the extent of an injury


  • Imaging studies
  • Blood tests
  • Brain evaluations
• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, an estimated 50% of patients with severe head injuries require surgery
• If severe or experienced other injuries in the body, the doctor may insert a breathing tube and administer antibiotics or medications
• Treatments after acute brain injury stages


  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Psychotherapy
  • Speech/language therapy
• Brain injury may take time to heal or recover, and some people may never fully return to their cognitive function before the injury