![]() The second part of this episode shows how the visual cortex is shaped by experience, and, using ferrets, demonstrates that the environment can shape some, but not all aspects of the developing brain. Because full term babies experienced the quiet of the womb during the critical final months of pregnancy, it is believed that a premie’s brain is “being shaped by the noise and lights outside the womb in ways nature never intended.” Her research investigates the hypothesis that the glare and clamor of the neonatal intensive care units contributes to cognitive difficulties premature infants later encounter in learning, paying attention, planning, and prioritizing. Neonatologist Heidelise Als examines premature infants who spend their early days in a neonatal unit that minimizes sensory stimulation. Morphological aspects of synaptogenesis and synaptic refinement in emerging neural networks are animated graphically. Developmental neurobiologists Susan McConnell and Carla Schatz explain the challenges of wiring the embryonic nervous system. ![]() ![]() The Baby’s Brain introduces the concept of neural plasticity, a theme reiterated in subsequent episodes. ![]() The first two episodes in the series are well suited for use in developmental psychology, developmental biology, biopsychology, and neuroscience courses. Episode 1 The Baby’s Brain: Wider Than the Sky ![]()
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