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Article: Changes in Brain Chemicals Mark Shifts in Infant Learning.
- Article from:
- Psychology & Psychiatry Journal
- Article date:
- November 14, 2009
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When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions -- such as learning when to leave the protective presence of their mother to start exploring the wider world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point.
Based on animal studies, the findings may shed light on the strength of attachments in many species -- including the conundrum of why human children form strong attachments to even abusive caregivers.
"This is one of the few times we know what causes this type of early transition," said psychologist Gordon A. Barr, Ph.D., of The ...