Search results for "neurodevelopment"
showing 10 items of 140 documents
Assessment of Adult Mouse Brain Neuroanatomical Phenotypes Using Quantitative and Precision Histology
2022
Modelling human neurodevelopmental disorders is important in biomedical research since the brain cannot be easily accessed in humans. In this chapter, we describe a series of standardized procedures for the reliable analysis of neuroanatomical phenotypes (NAPs) of the adult mouse brain using quantitative 2D histological practices. Our goal is to provide the reader an experimental pipeline, ranging from experimental work through to data analysis, which can be performed in any academic research setting with or without access to a histology platform. Depending on the type of sections studied, parasagittal or coronal, the assessment of brain neuroanatomy is performed at stereotaxic sections, at…
Prenatal exposure to cannabinoids evokes long-lasting functional alterations by targeting CB 1 receptors on developing cortical neurons
2015
The CB1 cannabinoid receptor, the main target of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most prominent psychoactive compound of marijuana, plays a crucial regulatory role in brain development as evidenced by the neurodevelopmental consequences of its manipulation in animal models. Likewise, recreational cannabis use during pregnancy affects brain structure and function of the progeny. However, the precise neurobiological substrates underlying the consequences of prenatal THC exposure remain unknown. As CB1 signaling is known to modulate long-range corticofugal connectivity, we analyzed the impact of THC exposure on cortical projection neuron development. THC administration to pregnant mice in…
Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools
2022
Sensory processing disorders (SPDs) can be described as difficulty detecting, modulating, interpreting, and/or responding to sensory experiences. Because SPDs occur in many individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in other populations with neurodevelopmental disorders, it is important to distinguish between typical and atypical functioning in sensory processes and to identify early phenotypic markers for developing SPDs. This review considers different methods for diagnosing SPDs to outline a multidisciplinary approach useful for developing valid diagnostic measures. In particular, the advantages and limitations of the most commonly used tools in assessment of SPDs, such as caregiver r…
Exercise as therapy for neurodevelopmental and cognitive dysfunction in people with a Fontan circulation: A narrative review
2023
People with a Fontan circulation are at risk of neurodevelopmental delay and disability, and cognitive dysfunction, that has significant implications for academic and occupational attainment, psychosocial functioning, and overall quality of life. Interventions for improving these outcomes are lacking. This review article discusses current intervention practices and explores the evidence supporting exercise as a potential intervention for improving cognitive functioning in people living with a Fontan circulation. Proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning these associations are discussed in the context of Fontan physiology and avenues for future research are recommended.
Prematurity and overlap between reading and arithmetic: The cognitive mechanisms behind the association
2019
It is well-known that very preterm children perform at lower levels than full-term children in reading and arithmetic at school. Whether the lower performance levels of preterm children in these two separate domains have the same or different origins, however, is not clear. The present study examined the extent to which prematurity is associated with the overlap (i.e., common variance) of reading and arithmetic among Finnish school beginners. We also examined the extent to which the association of prematurity with the overlap between reading and arithmetic is due to different prereading skills, basic number skills, and general cognitive abilities. The participants (age 6-7) consisted of 193…
Progenitor death drives retinal dysplasia and neuronal degeneration in a mouse model of Atrip-Seckel syndrome
2020
ABSTRACT Seckel syndrome is a type of microcephalic primordial dwarfism (MPD) that is characterized by growth retardation and neurodevelopmental defects, including reports of retinopathy. Mutations in key mediators of the replication stress response, the mutually dependent partners ATR and ATRIP, are among the known causes of Seckel syndrome. However, it remains unclear how their deficiency disrupts the development and function of the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular consequences of ATRIP deficiency in different cell populations of the developing murine neural retina. We discovered that conditional inactivation of Atrip in photoreceptor neurons …
Embracing the Complexity of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
2021
Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of neuropsychiatric diseases that affect the developing brain due to a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors [...]
Effects of l-Carnitine in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Review of Clinical Studies
2019
Carnitine is an amino acid derivative, which plays several important roles in human physiology, in the central nervous system, and for mitochondrial metabolism, in particular. Altered carnitine metabolic routes have been associated with a subgroup of patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and could add to the pathophysiology associated with these disorders. We review the current evidence about the clinical effects of carnitine administration in ASD in both non-syndromic forms and ASD associated with genetic disorders. Two randomized clinical trials and one open-label prospective trial suggest that carnitine administration could be useful for treating symptoms in non-syndromic ASD. Th…
Who says this is a modern disorder? The early history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
2015
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex, heterogeneous and multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Although the first clinical description of a constellation of symptoms highly resembling to what currently could be diagnosed as ADHD is generally attributed to George F Still in 1902, there are scattered but significant published historical medical, scientific and non-scientific reports, much prior to Still's lectures, of what is currently conceptualized as ADHD. The present report aimed at exploring the early history of ADHD, prior to the 20(th) century in the medical literature and in…
67 The effect of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the offspring
2016
Introduction Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequent neurodevelopmental disorder. Inadequate placentation as a result of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy has been proposed to be a central mechanism of fetal neurodevelopmental comprise. Recently it has been shown that pre-eclampsia increases the risk of ADHD [Mann and McDermott, 2011] . Objectives We examined the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and ADHD and behavioural difficulties among 7-year old children. We also examined whether circulating factors in serum from women with a HDP alter early patterns of fetal neural growth. Methods The study cohort consisted of 13,192 children (weighted = 1…