By J. Fraser MustardFounding President, CIAR

May 21, 2004

Experience-Based Brain Development – Its Effect on Health, Learning and

Behaviour

4º Encuentro Internacional de Educación Inicial y Preescolar

Monterrey, México

CENDI

03-072

The Canadian Institute for Advanced ResearchCIAR

03-076

CIAR - Programs

Population Health

Human Development

03-077

Why Are Some People Healthy And Others Not?

Developmental Health and the Wealth of Nations

Books

Brain Development in Early Life Sets Trajectories for Development

Throughout Life

04-118

03-080

Health Learning Behaviour

Experience-Based Brain Development in the early years of life sets neurological and biological pathways that affect:

03-131

NEUROSCIENCE

03-078

Stimuli affect the formation of the connections (synapses) among the billions of neurons

Experience and Brain Development

Stimuli in early life switch on genetic pathways that differentiate neuron function – sensitive period

From studies in humans, monkeys and rats

00-078

Brain Plasticity in Early Years

1. Hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis - regulation of cortisol memory, diabetes, heart disease, behaviour

2. Autonomic nervous system blood pressure, respiration

3. Sensing pathways vision, sound, touch etc.

03-012

Synaptic Density

Rethinking the Brain, Families and Work Institute, Rima Shore, 1997.

At Birth 6 Years Old 14 Years Old

0 1 4 8 12 16

AGE

Human Brain Development – Synapse Formation

SensingPathways

(vision, hearing)

LanguageHigherCognitive Function

3 6 9-3-6

Months Years

C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000.

Con

cep t

i on

01-003

The Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Gland (HPA) Pathway – Stress

Affects cognition, behaviour, the immune system, and many other biological systems

Touch in early life is important in setting the neurological pathways and the control and response of this pathway – sensitive period

03-163

04-044

Stress:Two Key Pathways

Autonomic Nervous System - Epinephrine

Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Gland (HPA) Pathway

1.

2.

EmotionalStimulus

PIT

Cortisol CortisolCRF

ACTH

Amygdala Hippocampus

AdrenalCortex

HypothalamusPVN

+ + - -

LeDoux, Synaptic Self

03-002

HPA Pathway Control

03-109

Stress can make you ‘sick’

Stress can change the way the immune system responds

MediatorsCRF, Cortisol – Cytokines - Interleukins

Brain HPA Pathway and Immunology

Esther Sternberg (NIH)

Interaction of the Brain and Immune System

Hypothalamus

PituitaryGland

Immune Organs

Locus Ceruleus

CRF

ACTH

Cortisol

Cor

tisol

Cytokines SympatheticNervous system

Vagus

Ner

ve

Adrenal Gland

Immune Cells

CRF

03-110

Sternberg, Scientific American, 1997

01-023

Hyman, S., States of Mind, New York: John Wiley, 1999

Genes and Brain Stimulation

“ … in the dance of life, genes and environment are absolutely inextricable partners. On the one hand, genes supply the rough blueprint for the brain. Then stimulation from the environment, whether it’s light impinging on the retina or a mother’s voice on the auditory nerve, turns genes on and off, fine-tuning those brain structures both before and after birth.”

03-089

Serotonin Gene and DepressionAge 26

None Moderate Severe

.30

.50

.70

A. Caspi, Science, 18 July 2003, Vol 301.

Depression Risk

LL

SS

SL

S = Short Allele L = Long Allele

Early Childhood Abuse

03-063

HEALTH

From the time of the ancient Greeks to the 20th century, it was accepted that the mind can affect illness.

The new thrust of the biosciences and the new treatments for disease have recently caused us to have less interest in the mind-body interaction and disease.

Esther Sternberg (NIH)

04-007

The Brain and Health

00-063

HistoricalIndustrial Revolution and Population

Health in the West

Tom McKeown- 25% public health- 75% better nutrition

Robert Fogel- Major factor better nutrition of children- Early childhood set risks for chronic diseases of adults- Better quality of population improved economic growth

00-076

Socio-Economic Factors –Life Cycle and Health

In Utero - Barker et al

Early Years - Power and Hertzman

Adult Life - Marmot et al

Biological embedding in the early years influences health risks in adult life

Swedish Longitudinal Study – ECD and Adult Health

Number of Adverse ECD Circumstances*

Odds - RatiosAdult Health

0 1 2 3 4

General Physical

Circulatory

Mental

1

1

1

1.39

1.56

1.78

1.54

1.53

2.05 3.76

2.91

2.08

10.27

7.76

2.66

* Economic, family size, broken family and family dissention

Lundberg, Soc. Sci. Med, Vol. 36, No. 8, 1993

04-006

00-069

Health Problems Related to Early Life

Coronary Heart Disease

Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes

Obesity

Blood Pressure

Aging and Memory Loss

Mental Health (depression)

01-010

"Follow up through life of successive

samples of birth has pointed to the

crucial influence of early life on

subsequent mental and physical health

and development."

Acheson, Donald -

,1998

Independent Inquiry into

Inequalities in Health

03-065

BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour

Involves HPA axis, hippocampus and frontal brain

Early brain experience affects pathways

Behaviour affected by early child developmentantisocial behaviour and violencedrug and alcohol addictiondepressionpost traumatic stress

Behaviour possibly affected – autism, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia

04-009

01-009

Tremblay, R. - Developmental Health and the

Wealth of Nations, 1999

"The origin of these behavior problems can be

traced back to fetal development and infancy.

High quality care-giving support … during the

first three years … reduces … the seriousness

of behavior problems."

02-009

Martin TeicherScientific American, 2002

"The impact of severe stress

(early childhood) can leave an

indelible imprint on brainstructure and function.”

02-011

Martin TeicherScientific American, 2002

"The aftermath … can appear as

depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or

post-traumatic stress - or as aggression,

impulsiveness, delinquency, hyperactivity

or substance abuse."

02-041

Substance Abuse and Childhood Abuse

0 1.0 1.0

1 2.7 2.02 2.9 4.03 3.6 4.94+ 4.7 7.4

Exposure to Child Abuse *

Odds Ratios for Drug and Alcohol Use

Drugs Alcohol

Scale: 0 none 4 intense

*

03-064

LEARNING

02-036

Intervention Studies

Compatible with biological and animal studies

Grantham-McGregorAbecedarianYpsilantiOsborn and MilbankBergmann – FranceOther (World Bank Report)

110

105

100

95

90baseline 6 mo 12 mo 18 mo 24 mo

Mental Development of Undersized Children (Low Height for Age) : The Jamaican Study

develop-mentquotient

stimulation

supplement

control

stimulation &supplement

children ofnormal height

93-040

02-068

Growth Retardation and DevelopmentJamaica

Stimulation and supplements normalized development by 2 years

Age 11 - Benefits of stimulation still present but not supplementation

Grantham-McGregor

S-B at 24 Months

S-B at 36 Months

S-B at 48 Months

0

10

20

30

40

50Control

Intervention%

Percentages of Preschool Control and Intervention Children with IQ Scores Lower Than 84 in the

Carolina Early Intervention Program

S-B = Stanford-Binet IntelligenceScore

97-033

03-005

-202468

10121416

Intention to Treat

350 Days orLess in Centre

400 Days orMore in Centre

All

Very Low

Low Birth Weight

WISC Verbal Scores Age 8 –Low Birth Weight Children in ECD Centres (Ages 1 to 3)

Hill, Brooks-Gunn, Waldfogel. Dev. Psychol. 2003 July.

Low

03-084

1970 - British Birth CohortOsborn and Milbank (1987)

Does preschool education

benefit cognition, learning

behaviour?

“The simple answer is indubitably, yes”

03-086

1970 British Birth Cohort

Preschooling improved performance in school system

The effects of preschooling persist

Egerton and Bynner (2001)

Benefits children in all social classes

00-011

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

relative quantity

symbols

Language

Peer social skills

Habitual ways of responding

Emotional control

Binocular vision

Central Auditory System

age (yrs)

Sensitive Periods for Early Development

Cognitive skills:

criticalperiod

criticalperiod wanes

04-010

Summary

The longitudinal studies of birth cohorts, the intervention studies and observational studies all show that experience-based brain development in early life affects learning and behaviour.

The earlier an infant has exposure to quality experience, the better the outcome.

These data are compatible with our understanding of brain development and function.

LITERACY

03-115

02-001

0

600

1200

12 16 20 24 28 32 36

High SES

Middle SES

Low SES

Age - Months

Literacy – Early Vocabulary Growth

B. Hart & T. Risley, Meaningful Differences in Everyday Experiences of Young American Children, 1995

Cu

mu

lativ

e V

oca

bu

lary

01-040 Levels of Literacy:A Reflection of ECD

Level 1:

Level 2:

Level 3:

Level 4 and 5:

indicates persons with very poor skills.

people can deal with material thatis simple

is considered a suitable minimum forcoping with the demands of everyday life

describe people who demonstratecommand of higher-order processing skills

Percentage of Students at Each Level of Proficiency on the Combined Reading Literacy Scale (PISA 2000)

Chile Latin America Canada

17.5

59.4

17.4 26.5

53.0

15.0

1

27

24

03-139

5.65.7 48Level 4 & 5

Level 3

Level 1 & 2

Below Level 1

02-061

Document Literacy1994 – 1998, Ages 16 to 55

Level 1 and 2 Level 4 and 5SwedenCanadaAustraliaUnited StatesChile

23%42%43%48%85%

34%23%17%18% 3%

00-085

Chile

Canada

Netherlands

Sweden

170

190

210

230

250

270

290

310

330

350

0 5 10 15 20

InternationalMean

Mean scores

Parents’ Education (years)

SocioeconomicGradients forDocumentLiteracy Scores

00-042

SocioculturalGradients forLanguageScoresBy Country

Cuba

ArgentinaBrazil

Colombia

Chile

Parents' Education - Years

1 4 8 12 16200

240

280

320

360

Lang

uage

Sco

re

01-012

"Significant correlation with registered

criminality (teenage) appeared for language

development at 6, 18, and 24 months

Early Learning and Criminal Behaviour

Stattin, H. et al -

102; 369, 1993

Journal of Abnormal

Psychology

EARLY CHILDHOOD

DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME MEASURES

04-137

03-085

Early Development Instrument (EDI)

Physical health and well-being

Communication skills and general knowledge

Social knowledge and competence

Emotional health/maturity

Language and cognitive development

Percentage of Children Scoringin Bottom 10% by District

Early Development Instrument, Collection February 2000

02-065

15%

8.5%

21.5%

27.5%

34.5%

Percentage Grade 4 Students Below Numeracy Expectations

Source: Ministry of Education

0-11%

12-22%

23-34%

35-46%

47-58%

02-064

Average Economic Family Income

Families with at least one child < 15

< $58, 000$58,000 – 68,000$68,000 – 82,000$82,000 – 100,000$100,000 – 290,000

04-052

Data from 2001 Census

Measuring Readiness for School Learning

Percentage of students who scored in the lowest 10th

percentile in 2 or more domains

Over 25%

04-053

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

Measuring Readiness for School Learning

Less than 10%

Percentage of students who scored in the lowest 10th

percentile in 2 or more domains

04-055

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

Grade 3 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)

Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4

Fewer than 40%

04-060

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

Grade 3 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)

Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4

Over 70%

04-062

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

Grade 6 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)

Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4

Fewer than 40%

04-067

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

Grade 6 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)

Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4

Over 70%

04-069

Representation of data from “Toronto Report Card on Children”, Vol 5, Update 2003

EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT

AND PARENTING PROGRAMS

04-138

03-032

Most Effective Early Child Development Programs

Centre Based ECD Programs

Integrated Programs

Parent Involvement

Begin Early

99-004

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

parent-oriented

child-oriented

Source of Brain Stimulation

age

Components of Early Childhood Development and Parenting Centres:

ECD & care (parental and non-parental) arrangements

Play-based learningResourcesPrenatal & postnatal supports

Nutrition programs

03-154

“Gross underinvestment in children, and their mothers … is one of the most potent ‘engines’ driving the growing inequality within and between nations.”

Enrique Iglesias, PresidentInter-American Development Bank

Rates of Return to Human Development Investment Across all Ages

Pre-school Programs

School

Job Training

ReturnPer

$Invested

R

2

4

6

8

0 6 18 Age

Pre-School School Post School

03-074Pedro Carneiro, James Heckman, Human Capital Policy, 2003

00-068

ECD

Human Development

EconomicGrowth

Education HealthSocialCapital Equality

02-018

From Early Child Development

To

Human Development *

World Bank Report, 2002

01-039

www.founders.net

To download this presentation, go to:Slides - Slide Shows

References1. From Early Child Development to Human Development. Editor: Mary Eming

Young, World Bank, Washington, 2000.2. Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are. Joseph LeDoux, Viking

Penguin, New York, 2003.3. The End of Stress As We Know It. Bruce McEwen, Joseph Henry Press,

Washington, 2002.4. Developmental Health and the Wealth of Nations. Editors: Daniel P. Keating,

Clyde Hertzman, The Guilford Press, New York, 1999.5. From Neurons to Neighborhoods. The Science of Early Child Development.

Editors: Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips, National Academy Press, Washington, 2000.

6. Early Years Study, Final Report Reversing the Real Brain Drain. Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain and J. Fraser Mustard, Publications Ontario, Toronto,1999.

7. Vulnerable Children. Editor: J. Douglas Willms, University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, 2002.

8. Readiness to Learn at School. Magdalena Janus and Dan Offord, In Isuma (Canadian Journal of Policy Research) Vol. 1, No. 2, 2000.

9. Why are some people healthy and others not? Editors: Robert G. Evans et al, Aldine De Gruyter, New York, 1994.

10. The Early Years Study Three Years Later. Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain and J. Fraser Mustard, The Founders’ Network, 2002.

References