Postnatal Brain Development

2013 ◽  
pp. 128-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie C. Markant ◽  
Kathleen M. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Postnatal Brain ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Synaptic Pruning ◽  
New Discovery

While key aspects of neural development occur prenatally in humans, the brain continues to show significant development postnatally. In this chapter, we review several aspects of brain development that continue well into childhood and adolescence. First, we discuss the continued sculpting of synaptic connections, including the extension of axons and dendrites, neurotransmitter function, synaptic pruning, and myelination. Second, we examine noninvasive indices of structural brain development, including regional volume and connectivity in the brain that may be more easily linked to changes in child behavior across development. Third, we briefly discuss broad developmental changes in functional activity of the brain and connectivity across regions. Finally, we discuss the evidence for postnatal neurogenesis, a relatively new discovery in postnatal brain development. We conclude that although prenatal events of brain development are critical, postnatal sculpting of the brain continues to play a central role in individual differences in behavior and developmental change.

scholarly journals Neuroinflammation and Brain Development: Possible Risk Factors in COVID-19-Infected Children

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Luana da Silva Chagas ◽  
Poliana Capucho Sandre ◽  
Patricia Coelho de Velasco ◽  
Henrique Marcondes ◽  
Natalia Cristina Aparecida Ribeiro e Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Additional Risk ◽  
Autoimmune Hypothyroidism ◽  
Inflammatory Syndrome ◽  
Nutritional Imbalance ◽  
Synaptic Pruning

COVID-19, a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) betacoronavirus, affects children in a different way than it does in adults, with milder symptoms. However, several cases of neurological symptoms with neuroinflammatory syndromes, such as the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), following mild cases, have been reported. As with other viral infections, such as rubella, influenza, and cytomegalovirus, SARS-CoV-2 induces a surge of proinflammatory cytokines that affect microglial function, which can be harmful to brain development. Along with the viral induction of neuroinflammation, other noninfectious conditions may interact to produce additional inflammation, such as the nutritional imbalance of fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Additionally, transient thyrotoxicosis induced by SARS-CoV-2 with secondary autoimmune hypothyroidism has been reported, which could go undetected during pregnancy. Together, those factors may pose additional risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection impacting mechanisms of neural development such as synaptic pruning and neural circuitry formation. The present review discusses those conditions in the perspective of the understanding of risk factors that should be considered and the possible emergence of neurodevelopmental disorders in COVID-19-infected children.

scholarly journals Generation of Vascularized Brain Organoids to Study Neurovascular Interactions

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen-Ge Luo ◽  
Xin-Yao Sun ◽  
Xiang-Chun Ju ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Peng-Ming Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Neural Progenitors ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Specific Population ◽  
Neurovascular Interactions ◽  
The Brain

The recently developed brain organoids have been used to recapitulate the processes of brain development and related diseases. However, the lack of vasculatures, which regulate neurogenesis, brain disorders, and aging process, limits the utility of brain organoids. In this study, we induced vessel and brain organoids respectively, and then fused two types of organoids together to obtain vascularized brain organoids. The fused brain organoids were engrafted with robust vascular network-like structures, and exhibited increased number of neural progenitors, in line with the possibility that vessels regulate neural development. Fusion organoids also contained functional blood-brain-barrier (BBB)-like structures, as well as microglial cells, a specific population of immune cells in the brain. The incorporated microglia responded actively to immune stimuli to the fused brain organoids. Thus, the fusion organoids established in this study allow modeling interactions between the neuronal and non-neuronal components in vitro, in particular the vasculature and microglia niche.

scholarly journals Maternal Supply of Both Arachidonic and Docosahexaenoic Acids Is Required for Optimal Neurodevelopment

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2061
Author(s):  
Sanjay Basak ◽  
Rahul Mallick ◽  
Antara Banerjee ◽  
Surajit Pathak ◽  
Asim K. Duttaroy
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Rapid Rate ◽  
Postnatal Brain ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Docosahexaenoic Acids

During the last trimester of gestation and for the first 18 months after birth, both docosahexaenoic acid,22:6n-3 (DHA) and arachidonic acid,20:4n-6 (ARA) are preferentially deposited within the cerebral cortex at a rapid rate. Although the structural and functional roles of DHA in brain development are well investigated, similar roles of ARA are not well documented. The mode of action of these two fatty acids and their derivatives at different structural–functional roles and their levels in the gene expression and signaling pathways of the brain have been continuously emanating. In addition to DHA, the importance of ARA has been much discussed in recent years for fetal and postnatal brain development and the maternal supply of ARA and DHA. These fatty acids are also involved in various brain developmental processes; however, their mechanistic cross talks are not clearly known yet. This review describes the importance of ARA, in addition to DHA, in supporting the optimal brain development and growth and functional roles in the brain.

scholarly journals Brain-specific Drp1 regulates postsynaptic endocytosis and dendrite formation independently of mitochondrial division

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kie Itoh ◽  
Daisuke Murata ◽  
Takashi Kato ◽  
Tatsuya Yamada ◽  
Yoichi Araki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Development ◽  
Dendritic Spines ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Sensorimotor Gating ◽  
Neuronal Morphology ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Mitochondrial Division ◽  
Postnatal Brain ◽  
The Brain

Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) divides mitochondria as a mechano-chemical GTPase. However, the function of Drp1 beyond mitochondrial division is largely unknown. Multiple Drp1 isoforms are produced through mRNA splicing. One such isoform, Drp1ABCD, contains all four alternative exons and is specifically expressed in the brain. Here, we studied the function of Drp1ABCD in mouse neurons in both culture and animal systems using isoform-specific knockdown by shRNA and isoform-specific knockout by CRISPR/Cas9. We found that the expression of Drp1ABCD is induced during postnatal brain development. Drp1ABCD is enriched in dendritic spines and regulates postsynaptic clathrin-mediated endocytosis by positioning the endocytic zone at the postsynaptic density, independently of mitochondrial division. Drp1ABCD loss promotes the formation of ectopic dendrites in neurons and enhanced sensorimotor gating behavior in mice. These data reveal that Drp1ABCD controls postsynaptic endocytosis, neuronal morphology and brain function.

scholarly journals Maternal Supply of Both Arachidonic and Docosahexaenoic Acids is Required for Optimal Neurodevelopment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjay Basak ◽  
Rahul Mallick ◽  
Antara Banerjee ◽  
Surajit Pathak ◽  
Asim K. Duttaroy
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Rapid Rate ◽  
Postnatal Brain ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Docosahexaenoic Acids

During the last trimester of gestation and for the first 18 months after birth, both docosahexaenoic acid,22:6n-3 (DHA) and arachidonic acid,20:4n-6 (ARA) are preferentially deposited within the cerebral cortex at a rapid rate. Although, the structural and functional roles of DHA in brain development are well investigated, similar roles of ARA are not well documented. The mode of action of these two fatty acids and their derivatives at different structural-functional roles and their levels in the gene expression and signaling pathways of the brain have been continuously emanating. In addition to DHA, importance of ARA has been much discussed in recent years for fetal and postnatal brain development and the maternal supply of ARA and DHA. These fatty acids are also involved in various brain developmental processes; however, their mechanistic cross talks are not clearly known yet. This review describes the importance of ARA, in addition to DHA to support the optimal brain development and growth and functional roles in the brain.

scholarly journals The effect of bilingualism on brain development from early childhood to young adulthood

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Pliatsikas ◽  
Lotte Meteyard ◽  
João Veríssimo ◽  
Vincent Deluca ◽  
Kyle Shattuck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Brain

Bilingualism affects the structure of the brain in adults. This is indicated by experience-dependent gray and white matter changes in brain structures implicated in language learning, processing, or control. However, limited evidence exists on how bilingualism may influence brain development. We examined the developmental trajectories of both grey and white matter structures in a cross-sectional study of a large sample (N=711 for grey matter, N=637 for white matter) of bilingual and monolingual participants, aged 3-21 years. Metrics of grey matter (thickness, volume, surface area) and white matter (fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity) were examined across 41 cortical and subcortical brain structures and 20 tracts, respectively. We used generalised additive modelling to analyse whether, how, and where the developmental trajectories of bilinguals and monolinguals might differ. Bilingual and monolingual participants manifested distinct developmental trajectories in both gray and white matter structures. As compared to monolinguals, bilinguals showed: a) more gray matter (less developmental loss) starting during late childhood and adolescence, mainly in frontal and parietal regions (particularly in inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, superior frontal cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, and the precuneus); and b) higher white matter integrity (greater developmental increase) starting during mid-late adolescence, specifically in striatal-inferior frontal fibers. The data suggest that there may be a developmental basis to the well-documented structural differences in the brain between bilingual and monolingual adults.

Bone-brain crosstalk and potential associated diseases

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Rousseaud ◽  
Stephanie Moriceau ◽  
Mariana Ramos-Brossier ◽  
Franck Oury
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Brain Development ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Intimate Relationship ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Skeletal Homeostasis ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

AbstractReciprocal relationships between organs are essential to maintain whole body homeostasis. An exciting interplay between two apparently unrelated organs, the bone and the brain, has emerged recently. Indeed, it is now well established that the brain is a powerful regulator of skeletal homeostasis via a complex network of numerous players and pathways. In turn, bone via a bone-derived molecule, osteocalcin, appears as an important factor influencing the central nervous system by regulating brain development and several cognitive functions. In this paper we will discuss this complex and intimate relationship, as well as several pathologic conditions that may reinforce their potential interdependence.

The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the pathophysiology of adolescent suicidal behavior

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Sher
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Adolescent Suicide ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Compulsive Disorder

Abstract Adolescent suicide research has mostly focused on demographic risk factors. Such studies focus on who is at risk, but do not explain why certain adolescents are at risk for suicide. Studies of the neurobiology of adolescent suicide could clarify why some youths are more suicidal than others and help to find biological markers of suicidal behavior in teenagers. Over the past decade the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior has attracted significant attention of scientists. BDNF is involved in the pathophysiology of many psychiatric disorders associated with suicidal behavior including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. BDNF dysregulation could be associated with increased suicidality independently of psychiatric diagnoses. BDNF plays an important role in the regulation and growth of neurons during childhood and adolescence. Prominent among the brain regions undergoing developmental change during adolescence are stressor-sensitive areas. The serotonin dysfunction found in adolescent and adult suicidal behavior could be related to the low level of BDNF, which impedes the normal development of serotonin neurons during brain development. BDNF dysfunction could play a more significant role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior in adolescents than in adults. Treatment-induced enhancement in the BDNF function could reduce suicidal behavior secondary to the improvement in psychiatric pathology or independently of improvement in psychiatric disorders. It is interesting to hypothesize that BDNF could be a biological marker of suicidal behavior in adolescents or in certain adolescent populations.

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