Cognitive developmental biology: history, process and fortune's wheel.

Full Abstract

Biological contributions to cognitive development continue to be conceived predominantly along deterministic lines, with proponents of different positions arguing about the preponderance of gene-based versus experience-based influences that organize brain circuits irreversibly during prenatal or early postnatal life, and evolutionary influences acting through selection on small numbers of genes. This article discusses evolutionary, mechanistic and probabilistic aspects of developmental processes that cognitive scientists need to better integrate. Developmental processes inseparably fuse experience-dependent and experience-independent components, have important stochastic contributions, and exhibit a greater degree of mechanistic continuity between developing and adult nervous systems than previously thought. Their balanced integration leads to new models for "critical or sensitive" period phenomena and behavioral biases. A general understanding of behavioral development - cognitive developmental biology--will require better coordination between comparative animal and human developmental research programs.

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Author information

Author/s: Balaban, Evan (E);

Affiliation: Behavioral Neurosciences Program, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Canada QC H3A 1B1. evan(-atsign-)psych.mcgill.ca <evan(-atsign-)psych.mcgill.ca>

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Cognition (Cognition), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Sep; vol 101 (issue 2) : pp 298-332

Dates: Created 2006/08/22; Completed 2006/10/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16750186, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Brain - physiopathology
Cognition Disorders - genetics
Concept Formation - physiology
Forkhead Transcription Factors - genetics

Associated Chemicals: FOXP2 protein, human (0) ; Forkhead Transcription Factors (0)

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