PSYCH 3400 Study Guide - Final Guide: Myelin, Grey Matter, Prefrontal Cortex
Document Summary
Said before that for a very long time, gray matter was the highest in early childhood. Now, we know it is the highest by volume by early adolescence: goes through a wave of synaptogenesis. Difference between gray matter volume and density: volume. Brains are bigger now than during childhood. Have the most gray matter than any other period during the lifespan: density: More neurons are being distributed in the prefrontal cortex, and are then pruning back. Question from last exam: which of our measures of the brain are used to look for white matter (or neural tracts): Excess gray matter is pruned out, making brain connections more specialized and efficient. The parts of the brain that control physical movement, vision, and the senses mature first, while the regions in the front that control higher thinking don"t finish the pruning process until the early 20s. Throughout adolescents, you see pruning of information in the brain that make connections more specialized.
