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VI. SENSITIVE PERIODS
Open accessAbstract
This chapter reviews sensitive periods in human brain development based on the literature on children raised in institutions. Sensitive experiences occur when experiences are uniquely influential for the development of neural circuitry. Because in humans, we make inferences about sensitive periods from evaluations of complex behaviors, we underestimate the occurrence of sensitive periods at the level of neural circuitry. Although we are most interested in complex behaviors, such as IQ or attachment or externalizing problems, many different sensitive periods at the level of circuits probably underlie these complex behaviors. Results from a number of studies suggest that across most, but not all, domains of development, institutional rearing limited to the first 4–6 months of life is associated with no significant increase risk for long-term adverse effects relative to noninstitutionalized children. Beyond that, evidence for sensitive periods is less compelling, meaning that “the earlier the better” rule for enhanced caregiving is a reasonable conclusion at the current state of the science.
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“Specifically, examining children's outcomes following placement in familybased care enhances knowledge of developmental plasticity, including the degree to which lasting improvement following early deprivation is possible (8).”
From A Comprehensive Multilevel Analysis of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project: Causal Effects on Recovery From Early Severe Deprivation (2023) · cites this paper as [8]
In the citing paper
“We have considered these results as compatible with sensitive periods in brain development [1, 43, 44].”
From Alternatives for abandoned children: Insights from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (2017) · cites this paper as [44]
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“For example, as described by Zeanah and colleagues (Zeanah, Gunnar, McCall, Kreppner, & Fox, 2011), the odds of attaining full physical growth potential even once adopted into a stable home are likely to be low as a result of multiple risk factors (e.g., early puberty, prenatal factors, and growth retardation).”
From Risk and developmental heterogeneity in previously institutionalized children (2012) · cites this paper as Zeanah, Gunnar, McCall, Kreppner, & Fox, 2011
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Citations
Cites
Sensitive periods in the development of the brain and behavior
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Metadata
- Authors
- Zeanah, C. H., Gunnar, M. R., McCall, R. B., Kreppner, J. M., & Fox, N. A.
- Affiliations
- Tulane University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zeanah, Charles H
- Venue
- Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 147-162
- ISSN
- 0037-976X (ISSN-L)
- 1540-5834
- PMC
- PMC4130246
- OpenAlex
- W2126510952
- Cited by
- 194
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 25.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- Binder Family Foundation
- National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH078105, MH080905, R01MH091363, R01MH080905)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD050212)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Keywords
- sensitive period, institutional upbringing, early institutionalization, brain development, caregiving, attachment, externalizing problems, IQ
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