ABSTRACT
As noted in the previous chapter, sustained rates of rapid and prolonged growth contribute to differentiation and functional complexity. Stimulation occurs prenatally through spontaneous electrical activity as a result of the diversity of general movements (i.e., writhing and fidgety) and through exogenous stimulation. General movements recur in the first 6 weeks after birth before undergoing substantial reorganization and eventual integration. The recurrence of writhing and fidgety movements may reflect the fleeting influence of preterm brain electrical activity whose signal strengths change during the course of synaptogenesis. Experience also plays a vital role in the development of motor and perceptual skills by providing the sensory inputs needed to organize synapses into networks capable of organized and reentrant interactions.
