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Recent Research on the Brain and Early Childhood Development
Disseminating a clear, consistent, science-based information on early brain development is the foundation of Better Brains for Babies. As research in neuroscience advances, our understanding of the brain and healthy brain development continues to change. The following are some recent reports and news releases highlighting cutting-edge research related to early brain development. Examples of the latest brain research are also highlighted on the BBB home page.
Click on the following links to view the articles in that content area:
Brain Disorders and Disabilities
Public Policy and Brain Development
Brain Anatomy and Development
Brain Development FAQs from Zero to Three.
Want to know more about how the brain changes during the early years? Zero to Three has answers to some of their most frequently asked questions about early brain development.
How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition
Researchers have found that being actively involved in a form of art can strengthen the attention networks in children's brains and improve overall cognition.
How Babies Become Bilingual So Easily
An international team of researchers is investigating how young children's brains learn multiple languages so easily.
Intuition, Memory Help Us Keep Track of Numbers
For many of us, numbers consume our daily lives: phone numbers, personal identification numbers, access codes, dates, etc. Scientists think our ability to remember numbers may relate to an innate “number sense,” as well as simple memorization.
New Imaging Study Sheds Light on Teen Peer Pressure
Researcher Tomáš Paus at the University of Nottingham has discovered that children who are better able to resist peer pressure also have stronger connections in the frontal lobes of the brain.
Newborn Brain May Be Wired for Speech
French researcher Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz is conducting ongoing research that suggests our brains may be wired for speech, long before we can even begin to speak or comprehend language. This news article highlights several recent studies about the brain and early language development.
NIH Releases Neuroimaging Data on Children’s Brains.
The National Institutes of Health have released new data from a multisite research study, including snapshots of young children's brain chemistry at key times in development. Information and publications from the study are available at the NIH Pediatric MRI Data Repository website.
The Science of Early Childhood Development.
A new interactive feature from Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child explains key concepts in brain development.
Stanford University study
Children's brains have the same basic architecture as adults', but portions that process complex information and decision-making become stronger with development.
Why We Can't Remember Our Infancy
This Dana Foundation news article highlights research on the phenomenon of "childhood amnesia", including developing evidence that even young infants show evidence of memory under certain conditions.
Zero to Three Baby Brain Map
Check out this interactive view of the baby's brain, with answers to common questions about early development.
Brain Disorders and Disabilities
ADHD and the Developing Brain
A new brain-imaging study at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that taking stimulants for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder may not have negative effects on the development of the cortex.
Autism and the Amygdala
A new research study, reported in CNN, shows that the amygdala is an average of 13% larger than normal in children with autism.
Disorders that Appear in Childhood.
The Dana Foundation's 2008 Progress Report on Brain Research includes a report highlighting scientific discoveries in 2007 that identified genetic bases of two common developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorder and AD/HD. The 2008 and 2009 Progress Reports are available from the Dana Foundation.
Early Detection Helps Reduce Effects of Dyslexia.
It's now possible to detect dyslexia in children too young to read.
New Study of Brain Development in Children with Bipolar Disorder.
Two faculty members at Brown University have received federal funding to study brain development in infants and children with bipolar disorder.
Research into Childhood Brain Disorders Still in Its Infancy
The Dana Foundation reports that scientists are just beginning to get a handle on how to study, diagnose and treat childhood brain disorders.
Reading Comprehension Process Differs in Children with Dyslexia
A fMRI study by Sheryl Rimrodt and Laurie Cutting and their team at the Kennedy Krieger Institute found that children with reading difficulties do not have the flexibility in their reading comprehension that typically developing readers do.
Screening for Childhood Disorders: Is There a Downside?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that all infants be screened for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It's a necessary step in identifying and treating the disorder early — but there are questions about the potential for overdiagnosis with widespread screening.
Sports Concussions and the Developing Brain.
Research shows that children's brains may be more vulnerable to head injuries that we realized.
Working Intensely Early on May Help Autistic Kids.
An intensive early intervention program for toddlers with autism boots children’s IQ, language, and social skills, according to a new report in Pediatrics.
Serotonin and SIDS
The article cites a study which examines how serotonin levels affected anxiety-related behavior in mice when surprised. Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, found that nearly three quarters of mice died before tuning four months old due to sudden drop in heart rate. They view that it occurs when serotonin activity cannot ramp up. The findings showed that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) can be prevented by regulating abnormal serotonin feedback.
Reference: Wenner, M. (2008). Serotonin and SIDS. Scientific American Mind (19)5, 8.
Language Development
Newborns Cry with an Accent
ABC news reports on a new study Current Biology, suggesting that newborn infants' cries have the same melody as their native language.
Attachment and Relationships
Young Children in an Environment of Relationships
This working paper, released by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, summarizes the most current research on early relationships and childn development. The research indicated that early relationships form the foundation for the development of brain circuits, as well as later developmental outcomes. The paper also identifies ways to improve policies that suppport strong, positive relationships in the early years.
New report: Parenting Education is Economic Development
This report from the Partnership for America's Economic Success explains why the nation’s economic health and well-being are enhanced when
parents know how to nurture children's developing brains. Read the research brief or the full report.
Play
Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School.
This report, released by the Alliance for Childhood, documents negative consequences of "test-driven" instructional strategies that have completely replaced play in many kindergartens.
The Serious Need for Play
A Scientific American article summarizes research on the benefits of free play for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Consistency and Stress
Poverty and the Brain: News from the Frontier
This news release from the Dana Foundation highlights research on connections between poverty and poor school performance. The research looks at the connections between poverty and early experiences, brain development, IQ scores, and school performance.
Poverty and the Brain
A recent study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience has shown differences in prefrontal cortex development between children from low and higher socioeconomic levels.
Stress Affects the Brain's Architecture
An article by Dorian Friedman highlights the importance of a nurturing, supportive environment to protect young children against the harmful effects of stress.
The Stress of Poverty Affects Childhood Brain Development
The link between low income, low parental education, and poor school achievement is well-documented. But what is it about poverty and low parent education that leads to children having more problems in school and later in life? The Harvard Institute's On the Brain explains recent research.
Public Policy and Brain Development
Early Childhood Development and Public Policy podcast
Listen to a podcast by pediatrician Dr. Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. He explains the impact of early experience on brain development and the implications for public policy.