Development and Function of the Brain

The nervous system, including the brain starts developing at the fifth week of pregnancy and at birth the brain consists of 10 billion neurones and 1 million billion connections. It used to be thought that the brain just naturally matures as a child grows enabling more complex actions to take place however Gerald Edelman a Nobel Prize winner has suggested that the brain develops through a process of natural selection ( Theory of Neuronal Group Selection ). In a dyspraxic Child the connections between the groups of neurones may not fully develop. Possible reasons are damage caused by birth trauma or a lack or lipids (fats) in the diet at key stages in the early weeks after birth.

The Left Hemisphere of the Brain

The brain consists of two hemispheres. The left hemisphere processes information sequentially and is described as analytical because it specializes in recognizing parts which make a whole. Although it is most efficient at processing verbal information, language should not be considered as being 'in' the left hemisphere. This hemisphere is able to recognize that one stimulus comes before another and verbal perception and generation depends on the awareness of the sequence in which sounds occur.

The Right Hemisphere

While the left hemisphere separates out parts that make a whole, the right hemisphere specializes in combining the parts to produce a whole. Unlike the left, the right hemisphere organizes simultaneously. It specializes in a method that perceives and constructs patterns. It is most efficient at visual and spatial processing and it is thought that non verbal stimuli are processed primarily in the Right Hemisphere.

Research into the operation of the right and left hemispheres shows that the effective processing of information requires access to both as they complement each other.

The Limbic System

Physically the cerebral cortex surrounds the limbic system which is responsible for actions relating to basic needs and emotions. The limbic system is controlled by the cortex and any action which would reduce the efficacy of the cortex increases the effect of the limbic system. Similarly, stimulating the cortex e.g by giving Ritalin dampens the limbic system. Hence, giving a stimulant to a hyperactive child (ADHD) enables the cortex to control the limbic system and enables the child to calm down. As mentioned above; The cortex in a Dyspraxic child is immature so there is insufficient control of the limbic system. This is why many Dyspraxic children have difficulty controlling their emotions - they become easily distressed, difficult to control and over active.

Color Coded Chart For Some Of The Different Areas of the Brain

Broca's Area: Motor Association Cortex-Specific to Speech

Precentral Gyrus: Primary Motor Cortex

Middle one/third of Superior Temporal Cortex: Auditory Projection Cortex

Postcentral Gyrus: Somatosensory Projection Cortex

Posterior Parietal Lobe: Visual Association Cortex

Permission to reprint Text and graphic from Madeline Portwoord, author, email July, 1997



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