Chapter 10Medical Aspects of Learning Disabilities

The Brain

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Cerebral Hemispheres

• Left hemisphere– Language

• Right hemisphere– Nonverbal stimuli

• Corpus collosum– Connection

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Recent Brain Research

• Postmortem studies– Autopsies

• Imaging Techniques – MRI, fMRI, PET

• Genetic studies– Family studies, twin studies

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fMRI Brain Image

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Early Learning and Brain Development

• How the brain develops

• The wiring of the brain

• Synaptic pruning

• Critical periods of learning

• Social influences on brain development

The Neurotransmitter System

Source: Adapted from The Dana Brain Science Guide: Resources for Secondary and Post-Secondary Teachers and Students, 1999, New York: The Charles A. Dana Foundation, p. 102.