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Audio Resources

Audio 4.1: Play and Brain Development

Description: This podcast highlights research suggesting that free play may be critical to the formation of connections in the prefrontal cortex, the brain area most involved in executive control. The potential epigenetic effects of play on gene expression are also mentioned.

Video Resources

Video 4.1: The Mysterious Teenage Brain

Description: In this video, a cognitive neuropsychologist contrasts the prefrontal cortex in adolescents with that in adults. The relatively underdeveloped adolescent prefrontal cortex may explain teenagers’ fabled impulsivity.

Video 4.2: Motor Milestones and Cognition

Description: This segment describes research showing that the age at which infants reach motor milestones may predict their performance on cognitive tests at age 4. Interestingly, the results held only for non-twin children.

Web Resources

Web 4.1: Neonatal Sense of Touch

Description: This page describes research showing that a baby’s very first experiences with touch may influence how the child later perceives caresses and other tactile stimulation.