The Article Developing Human Brain Functions - Research Paper Example

The article “Developing Human Brain Functions” by Mark Johnson is very enlightening.  It deepened my understanding of the various aspects that relate to the human brain functions.  Of particular interest to me is the development of the new field, developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN).   The article mentioned that “of all the cognitive and neurosciences, DCN is probably the field with the most scope for practical and clinical application.”   For me, this is something significant because it could lead to early diagnosis of several mental disorders, especially among infants.  This would be a positive development in the field of psychology as early diagnosis would also mean early medical intervention.  With DCN, I believe that the causes and symptoms of various mental disorders such as schizophrenia, amnesia, autism and Alzheimer’s will be brought to a better light. 

From the article, it was mentioned that in DCN, the “methods involve the imaging of brain function in noninvasive ways that are very safe and friendly to infants and their parents.”  Although the proponents of this method being used for imaging the brain function claim that it is safe, I still doubt whether there are a number of parents who would allow their babies to become “guinea pigs” and undergo such experiments.  I think that this can be a possible hindrance to the further advancement of DCN in the area of infant brain development.  I also wonder whether this method of studying brain functions could be applied not only to babies but to geriatric individuals as well.  If it is possible, then the medical world will probably have a better understanding of mental disorders like Alzheimer’s, which is common to old people.

Another point that struck me in the article is the statement that “a few months of

age babies’ processing of other people’s faces is deeper and more detailed when accompanied by the cues associated with communicative interaction, such as direct gaze babies.”  I agree with this finding based on my personal experience.  I noticed that at age one to three months, I can carry a baby easily away from her mother without the baby crying.  However, if I carry a baby aged six months and up, away from her mother, the baby will immediately cry.  This observation is in agreement with the presented finding because I realize that babies at a later age have better recognition of the people who interact with them; thus, would react negatively to a face (in this case mine) not constantly in communication with him. 

Overall, I benefitted from reading this very informative article. It inspired me to read more articles on the relevance of DCN in other fields of psychology.