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Mulc D, Smilović D, Krsnik Ž, Junaković-Munjas A, Kopić J, Kostović I, Šimić G, Vukšić M. Fetal development of the human amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25580. [PMID: 38289194 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The intricate development of the human amygdala involves a complex interplay of diverse processes, varying in speed and duration. In humans, transient cytoarchitectural structures deliquesce, leading to the formation of functionally distinct nuclei as a result of multiple interdependent developmental events. This study compares the amygdala's cytoarchitectural development in conjunction with specific antibody reactivity for neuronal, glial, neuropil, and radial glial fibers, synaptic, extracellular matrix, and myelin components in 39 fetal human brains. We recognized that the early fetal period, as a continuation of the embryonic period, is still dominated by relatively uniform histogenetic processes. The typical appearance of ovoid cell clusters in the lateral nucleus during midfetal period is most likely associated with the cell migration and axonal growth processes in the developing human brain. Notably, synaptic markers are firstly detected in the corticomedial group of nuclei, while immunoreactivity for the panaxonal neurofilament marker SMI 312 is found dorsally. The late fetal period is characterized by a protracted migration process evidenced by the presence of doublecortin and SOX-2 immunoreactivity ventrally, in the prospective paralaminar nucleus, reinforced by vimentin immunoreactivity in the last remaining radial glial fibers. Nearing the term period, SMI 99 immunoreactivity indicates that perinatal myelination becomes prominent primarily along major axonal pathways, laying the foundation for more pronounced functional maturation. This study comprehensively elucidates the rate and sequence of maturational events in the amygdala, highlighting the key role of prenatal development in its behavioral, autonomic, and endocrine regulation, with subsequent implications for both normal functioning and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Mulc
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dinko Smilović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alisa Junaković-Munjas
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Goran Šimić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mario Vukšić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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2
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Taymourtash A, Schwartz E, Nenning KH, Sobotka D, Licandro R, Glatter S, Diogo MC, Golland P, Grant E, Prayer D, Kasprian G, Langs G. Fetal development of functional thalamocortical and cortico-cortical connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5613-5624. [PMID: 36520481 PMCID: PMC10152101 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring and understanding functional fetal brain development in utero is critical for the study of the developmental foundations of our cognitive abilities, possible early detection of disorders, and their prevention. Thalamocortical connections are an intricate component of shaping the cortical layout, but so far, only ex-vivo studies provide evidence of how axons enter the sub-plate and cortex during this highly dynamic phase. Evidence for normal in-utero development of the functional thalamocortical connectome in humans is missing. Here, we modeled fetal functional thalamocortical connectome development using in-utero functional magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses observed from 19th to 40th weeks of gestation (GW). We observed a peak increase of thalamocortical functional connectivity strength between 29th and 31st GW, right before axons establish synapses in the cortex. The cortico-cortical connectivity increases in a similar time window, and exhibits significant functional laterality in temporal-superior, -medial, and -inferior areas. Homologous regions exhibit overall similar mirrored connectivity profiles, but this similarity decreases during gestation giving way to a more diverse cortical interconnectedness. Our results complement the understanding of structural development of the human connectome and may serve as the basis for the investigation of disease and deviations from a normal developmental trajectory of connectivity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Taymourtash
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Schwartz
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Nenning
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, 140, Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, United States
| | - Daniel Sobotka
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roxane Licandro
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Computational Neuroimaging, A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Bldg. 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
| | - Sarah Glatter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mariana Cardoso Diogo
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Radiology Department, Hospital CUF Tejo, Av. 24 de Julho 171A, 1350-352 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Polina Golland
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300, Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
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3
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Wilson S, Pietsch M, Cordero-Grande L, Christiaens D, Uus A, Karolis VR, Kyriakopoulou V, Colford K, Price AN, Hutter J, Rutherford MA, Hughes EJ, Counsell SJ, Tournier JD, Hajnal JV, Edwards AD, O’Muircheartaigh J, Arichi T. Spatiotemporal tissue maturation of thalamocortical pathways in the human fetal brain. eLife 2023; 12:e83727. [PMID: 37010273 PMCID: PMC10125021 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of connectivity between the thalamus and maturing cortex is a fundamental process in the second half of human gestation, establishing the neural circuits that are the basis for several important brain functions. In this study, we acquired high-resolution in utero diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 140 fetuses as part of the Developing Human Connectome Project, to examine the emergence of thalamocortical white matter over the second to third trimester. We delineate developing thalamocortical pathways and parcellate the fetal thalamus according to its cortical connectivity using diffusion tractography. We then quantify microstructural tissue components along the tracts in fetal compartments that are critical substrates for white matter maturation, such as the subplate and intermediate zone. We identify patterns of change in the diffusion metrics that reflect critical neurobiological transitions occurring in the second to third trimester, such as the disassembly of radial glial scaffolding and the lamination of the cortical plate. These maturational trajectories of MR signal in transient fetal compartments provide a normative reference to complement histological knowledge, facilitating future studies to establish how developmental disruptions in these regions contribute to pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân Wilson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maximilian Pietsch
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucilio Cordero-Grande
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN)MadridSpain
| | - Daan Christiaens
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT/PSI), Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Alena Uus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, St. Thomas' HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Vyacheslav R Karolis
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Kathleen Colford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Anthony N Price
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Emer J Hughes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Serena J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jacques-Donald Tournier
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - A David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Children’s Neurosciences, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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4
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Junaković A, Kopić J, Duque A, Rakic P, Krsnik Ž, Kostović I. Laminar dynamics of deep projection neurons and mode of subplate formation are hallmarks of histogenetic subdivisions of the human cingulate cortex before onset of arealization. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:613-633. [PMID: 36592215 PMCID: PMC9944618 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02606-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The cingulate gyrus, as a prominent part of the human limbic lobe, is involved in the integration and regulation of complex emotional, executive, motivational, and cognitive functions, attributed to several functional regions along the anteroposterior axis. In contrast to increasing knowledge of cingulate function in the adult brain, our knowledge of cingulate development is based primarily on classical neuroembryological studies. We aimed to reveal the laminar and cellular development of the various cingulate regions during the critical period from 7.5 to 15 postconceptional weeks (PCW) before the formation of Brodmann type arealization, employing diverse molecular markers on serial histological sections of postmortem human fetal brains. The study was performed by analysis of: (1) deep projection neuron (DPN) markers laminar dynamics, (2) all transient laminar compartments, and (3) characteristic subplate (SP) formation-expansion phase. We found that DPN markers labeling an incipient cortical plate (CP) were the first sign of regional differentiation of the dorsal isocortical and ventral mesocortical belt. Remarkably, increased width of the fibrillar marginal zone (MZ) towards the limbus, in parallel with the narrowing of CP containing DPN, as well as the diminishment of subventricular zone (SVZ) were reliable landmarks of early mesocortical differentiation. Finally, the SP formation pattern was shown to be a crucial event in the isocortical cingulate portion, given that the mesocortical belt is characterized by an incomplete CP delamination and absence of SP expansion. In conclusion, laminar DPN markers dynamics, together with the SVZ size and mode of SP formation indicate regional belt-like cingulate cortex differentiation before the corpus callosum expansion and several months before Brodmann type arealization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Junaković
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alvaro Duque
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Pasko Rakic
- School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Željka Krsnik
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
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5
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Kopić J, Junaković A, Salamon I, Rasin MR, Kostović I, Krsnik Ž. Early Regional Patterning in the Human Prefrontal Cortex Revealed by Laminar Dynamics of Deep Projection Neuron Markers. Cells 2023; 12:231. [PMID: 36672166 PMCID: PMC9856843 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early regional patterning and laminar position of cortical projection neurons is determined by activation and deactivation of transcriptional factors (TFs) and RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that regulate spatiotemporal framework of neurogenetic processes (proliferation, migration, aggregation, postmigratory differentiation, molecular identity acquisition, axonal growth, dendritic development, and synaptogenesis) within transient cellular compartments. Deep-layer projection neurons (DPN), subplate (SPN), and Cajal-Retzius neurons (CRN) are early-born cells involved in the establishment of basic laminar and regional cortical architecture; nonetheless, laminar dynamics of their molecular transcriptional markers remain underexplored. Here we aimed to analyze laminar dynamics of DPN markers, i.e., transcription factors TBR1, CTIP2, TLE4, SOX5, and RBP CELF1 on histological serial sections of the human frontal cortex between 7.5-15 postconceptional weeks (PCW) in reference to transient proliferative, migratory, and postmigratory compartments. The subtle signs of regional patterning were seen during the late preplate phase in the pattern of sublaminar organization of TBR1+/Reelin+ CRN and TBR1+ pioneering SPN. During the cortical plate (CP)-formation phase, TBR1+ neurons became radially aligned, forming continuity from a well-developed subventricular zone to CP showing clear lateral to medial regional gradients. The most prominent regional patterning was seen during the subplate formation phase (around 13 PCW) when a unique feature of the orbitobasal frontal cortex displays a "double plate" pattern. In other portions of the frontal cortex (lateral, dorsal, medial) deep portion of CP becomes loose and composed of TBR1+, CTIP2+, TLE4+, and CELF1+ neurons of layer six and later-born SPN, which later become constituents of the expanded SP (around 15 PCW). Overall, TFs and RBPs mark characteristic regional laminar dynamics of DPN, SPN, and CRN subpopulations during remarkably early fetal phases of the highly ordered association cortex development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alisa Junaković
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iva Salamon
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Mladen-Roko Rasin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, 675 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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6
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Petanjek Z, Banovac I, Sedmak D, Hladnik A. Dendritic Spines: Synaptogenesis and Synaptic Pruning for the Developmental Organization of Brain Circuits. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:143-221. [PMID: 37962796 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic overproduction and elimination is a regular developmental event in the mammalian brain. In the cerebral cortex, synaptic overproduction is almost exclusively correlated with glutamatergic synapses located on dendritic spines. Therefore, analysis of changes in spine density on different parts of the dendritic tree in identified classes of principal neurons could provide insight into developmental reorganization of specific microcircuits.The activity-dependent stabilization and selective elimination of the initially overproduced synapses is a major mechanism for generating diversity of neural connections beyond their genetic determination. The largest number of overproduced synapses was found in the monkey and human cerebral cortex. The highest (exceeding adult values by two- to threefold) and most protracted overproduction (up to third decade of life) was described for associative layer IIIC pyramidal neurons in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Therefore, the highest proportion and extraordinarily extended phase of synaptic spine overproduction is a hallmark of neural circuitry in human higher-order associative areas. This indicates that microcircuits processing the most complex human cognitive functions have the highest level of developmental plasticity. This finding is the backbone for understanding the effect of environmental impact on the development of the most complex, human-specific cognitive and emotional capacities, and on the late onset of human-specific neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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7
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Kostović I, Džaja D, Raguž M, Kopić J, Blažević A, Krsnik Ž. Transient compartmentalization and accelerated volume growth coincide with the expected development of cortical afferents in the human neostriatum. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:434-457. [PMID: 35244150 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The neostriatum plays a central role in cortico-subcortical circuitry underlying goal-directed behavior. The adult mammalian neostriatum shows chemical and cytoarchitectonic compartmentalization in line with the connectivity. However, it is poorly understood how and when fetal compartmentalization (AChE-rich islands, nonreactive matrix) switches to adult (AChE-poor striosomes, reactive matrix) and how this relates to the ingrowth of corticostriatal afferents. Here, we analyze neostriatal compartments on postmortem human brains from 9 postconceptional week (PCW) to 18 postnatal months (PM), using Nissl staining, histochemical techniques (AChE, PAS-Alcian), immunohistochemistry, stereology, and comparing data with volume-growth of in vivo and in vitro MRI. We find that compartmentalization (C) follows a two-compartment (2-C) pattern around 10PCW and is transformed into a midgestational labyrinth-like 3-C pattern (patches, AChE-nonreactive perimeters, matrix), peaking between 22 and 28PCW during accelerated volume-growth. Finally, compartmentalization resolves perinatally, by the decrease in transient "AChE-clumping," disappearance of AChE-nonreactive, ECM-rich perimeters, and an increase in matrix reactivity. The initial "mature" pattern appears around 9 PM. Therefore, transient, a 3-C pattern and accelerated neostriatal growth coincide with the expected timing of the nonhomogeneous distribution of corticostriatal afferents. The decrease in growth-related AChE activity and transfiguration of corticostriatal terminals are putative mechanisms underlying fetal compartments reorganization. Our findings serve as normative for studying neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marina Raguž
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Dubrava, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andrea Blažević
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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8
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Jang YH, Kim H, Lee JY, Ahn JH, Chung AW, Lee HJ. Altered development of structural MRI connectome hubs at near-term age in very and moderately preterm infants. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:5507-5523. [PMID: 36408630 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Preterm infants may exhibit altered developmental patterns of the brain structural network by endogenous and exogenous stimuli, which are quantifiable through hub and modular network topologies that develop in the third trimester. Although preterm brain networks can compensate for white matter microstructural abnormalities of core connections, less is known about how the network developmental characteristics of preterm infants differ from those of full-term infants. We identified 13 hubs and 4 modules and revealed subtle differences in edgewise connectivity and local network properties between 134 preterm and 76 full-term infants, identifying specific developmental patterns of the brain structural network in preterm infants. The modules of preterm infants showed an imbalanced composition. The edgewise connectivity in preterm infants showed significantly decreased long- and short-range connections and local network properties in the dorsal superior frontal gyrus. In contrast, the fusiform gyrus and several nonhub regions showed significantly increased wiring of short-range connections and local network properties. Our results suggested that decreased local network in the frontal lobe and excessive development in the occipital lobe may contribute to the understanding of brain developmental deviances in preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hun Jang
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuna Kim
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Young Lee
- Hanyang University Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering Department of Translational Medicine, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Ja-Hye Ahn
- Hanyang University College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
| | - Ai Wern Chung
- Harvard Medical School Fetal Neonatal-Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, , Boston, MA 02115 , USA
- Harvard Medical School Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, , Boston, MA 02115 , USA
| | - Hyun Ju Lee
- Hanyang University College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital, , Seoul 04763 , Republic of Korea
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9
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Tsujimura K, Shiohama T, Takahashi E. microRNA Biology on Brain Development and Neuroimaging Approach. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101366. [PMID: 36291300 PMCID: PMC9599180 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper brain development requires the precise coordination and orchestration of various molecular and cellular processes and dysregulation of these processes can lead to neurological diseases. In the past decades, post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression has been shown to contribute to various aspects of brain development and function in the central nervous system. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding RNAs, are emerging as crucial players in post-transcriptional gene regulation in a variety of tissues, such as the nervous system. In recent years, miRNAs have been implicated in multiple aspects of brain development, including neurogenesis, migration, axon and dendrite formation, and synaptogenesis. Moreover, altered expression and dysregulation of miRNAs have been linked to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging technology to obtain high-quality, detailed structural and functional information from the brains of human and animal models in a non-invasive manner. Because the spatial expression patterns of miRNAs in the brain, unlike those of DNA and RNA, remain largely unknown, a whole-brain imaging approach using MRI may be useful in revealing biological and pathological information about the brain affected by miRNAs. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in the research of miRNA-mediated modulation of neuronal processes that are important for brain development and their involvement in disease pathogenesis. Also, we overview each MRI technique, and its technological considerations, and discuss the applications of MRI techniques in miRNA research. This review aims to link miRNA biological study with MRI analytical technology and deepen our understanding of how miRNAs impact brain development and pathology of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Tsujimura
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Group of Brain Function and Development, Nagoya University Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya 4648602, Japan
- Research Unit for Developmental Disorders, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648602, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (E.T.)
| | - Tadashi Shiohama
- Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba 2608677, Japan
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (E.T.)
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10
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Wu Y, Lu YC, Kapse K, Jacobs M, Andescavage N, Donofrio MT, Lopez C, Quistorff JL, Vezina G, Krishnan A, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. In Utero MRI Identifies Impaired Second Trimester Subplate Growth in Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:2858-2867. [PMID: 34882775 PMCID: PMC9247421 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The subplate is a transient brain structure which plays a key role in the maturation of the cerebral cortex. Altered brain growth and cortical development have been suggested in fetuses with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) in the third trimester. However, at an earlier gestation, the putative role of the subplate in altered brain development in CHD fetuses is poorly understood. This study aims to examine subplate growth (i.e., volume and thickness) and its relationship to cortical sulcal development in CHD fetuses compared with healthy fetuses by using 3D reconstructed fetal magnetic resonance imaging. We studied 260 fetuses, including 100 CHD fetuses (22.3-32 gestational weeks) and 160 healthy fetuses (19.6-31.9 gestational weeks). Compared with healthy fetuses, CHD fetuses had 1) decreased global and regional subplate volumes and 2) decreased subplate thickness in the right hemisphere overall, in frontal and temporal lobes, and insula. Compared with fetuses with two-ventricle CHD, those with single-ventricle CHD had reduced subplate volume and thickness in right occipital and temporal lobes. Finally, impaired subplate growth was associated with disturbances in cortical sulcal development in CHD fetuses. These findings suggested a potential mechanistic pathway and early biomarker for the third-trimester failure of brain development in fetuses with complex CHD. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our findings provide an early biomarker for brain maturational failure in fetuses with congenital heart disease, which may guide the development of future prenatal interventions aimed at reducing neurological compromise of prenatal origin in this high-risk population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Yuan-Chiao Lu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Kushal Kapse
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Marni Jacobs
- School of Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nickie Andescavage
- Division of Neonatology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Mary T Donofrio
- Division of Cardiology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Catherine Lopez
- Developing Brain Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | | | - Gilbert Vezina
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Anita Krishnan
- Division of Cardiology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Adré J du Plessis
- Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Address correspondence to Catherine Limperopoulos, Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
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11
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Falsaperla R, Collotta AD, Spatuzza M, Familiari M, Vitaliti G, Ruggieri M. Evidences of emerging pain consciousness during prenatal development: a narrative review. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:3523-3532. [PMID: 35246816 PMCID: PMC9120116 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-05968-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of consciousness has always been considered a challenge for neonatologists, even more when considering the uterine period. Our review aimed to individuate at what gestational age the fetus, which later became a premature infant, can feel the perception of external stimuli. Therefore, the aim of our review was to study the onset of consciousness during the fetal life. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was performed in Medline-PubMed database. We included all papers found with the following MeSH words: "consciousness or cognition or awareness or comprehension or cognitive or consciousness of pain" in combination with "embryo or fetus or fetal life or newborn." Studies were selected if titles and/or abstracts suggested an association between formation of consciousness (the basics of neurodevelopment) and preterm infant or fetus. Titles and abstracts were first screened by three independent reviewers according to Cochrane Collaboration's recommendations. RESULTS From the literature review, we found only 8 papers describing the onset of consciousness in the transition period from fetus to premature newborn. Therefore, according to these papers, we temporally analyzed the formation of the thalamocortical connections that are the basis of consciousness. CONCLUSIONS We can conclude that from a neuroanatomical point of view, it is rather unlikely that the infant can be seen as a conscious human before 24 weeks of gestational age, thus before all the thalamocortical connections are established. Further literature data have to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Falsaperla
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Accompaniment Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico "Rodolico-San Marco," San Marco Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
- Unit of Clinical PaediatricsAzienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico"Rodolico-San Marco", San Marco Hospital, Catania, Italy.
| | - Ausilia Desiree Collotta
- Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Michela Spatuzza
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation - The National Research Council of Italy (IRIB-CNR), Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Familiari
- Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanna Vitaliti
- Unit of Pediatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pediatrics, University Hospital Sant'Anna, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Martino Ruggieri
- Unit of Rare Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Catania, AOU "Policlinico," PO "G. Rodolico," Via S. Sofia, 87, 95128, Catania, Italy
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12
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Abstract
During evolution, the cerebral cortex advances by increasing in surface and the introduction of new cytoarchitectonic areas among which the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to be the substrate of highest cognitive functions. Although neurons of the PFC are generated before birth, the differentiation of its neurons and development of synaptic connections in humans extend to the 3rd decade of life. During this period, synapses as well as neurotransmitter systems including their receptors and transporters, are initially overproduced followed by selective elimination. Advanced methods applied to human and animal models, enable investigation of the cellular mechanisms and role of specific genes, non-coding regulatory elements and signaling molecules in control of prefrontal neuronal production and phenotypic fate, as well as neuronal migration to establish layering of the PFC. Likewise, various genetic approaches in combination with functional assays and immunohistochemical and imaging methods reveal roles of neurotransmitter systems during maturation of the PFC. Disruption, or even a slight slowing of the rate of neuronal production, migration and synaptogenesis by genetic or environmental factors, can induce gross as well as subtle changes that eventually can lead to cognitive impairment. An understanding of the development and evolution of the PFC provide insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of congenital neuropsychiatric diseases as well as idiopathic developmental disorders that cause intellectual disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Kolk
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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13
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Goel S, Choudhary S, Saxena A, Sonkar M. The myth and half-truths of fetal pain decrypted: A metaverse. INDIAN JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/ijpn.ijpn_5_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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14
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Žunić Išasegi I, Kopić J, Smilović D, Krsnik Ž, Kostović I. Transient Subplate Sublayer Forms Unique Corridor for Differential Ingrowth of Associative Pulvinar and Primary Visual Projection in the Prospective Visual Cortical Areas of the Human Fetal Occipital Lobe. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:110-122. [PMID: 34255828 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoarchitectonical parcellation of the visual cortex into the striate and extrastriate cortex requires complex histogenetic events within a precise spatio-temporal frame to attain the specification of areal domains and associated thalamocortical connections during the fetal brain development. We analyzed a deep subplate cellular monolayer (subplate "corridor" cells) present during a restricted period of 13-15 postconceptional weeks, showing the 3D caudo-ventro-medial position in the human fetal occipital lobe, corresponding to the segregation point of pulvinocortical and geniculocortical fibers at the prospective area 17/18 border. Immunofluorescence stainings revealed subplate "corridor" cells as the specific class of the deepest subplate neurons (NeuN+, Tbr1+, Cplx3+) expressing axon guidance molecules (Sema-3A+, EphA6+), presumably for the attraction of pulvinocortical axons and the repulsion of geniculocortical axons growing at that time (SNAP25+, Syn+, FN+). Furthermore, quantitative analysis of the subplate "corridor" region of interest, considering cell number, immunofluorescence signal intensity per cell and per region, revealed significant differences to other regions across the tangential circumference of the developing cerebral wall. Thus, our study sheds new light on the deepest subplate sublayer, strategically aligned along the growing axon systems in the prospective visual system, suggesting the establishment of the area 17/18 border by differential thalamocortical input during the fetal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Žunić Išasegi
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Center Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dinko Smilović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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15
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Kostović I, Radoš M, Kostović-Srzentić M, Krsnik Ž. Fundamentals of the Development of Connectivity in the Human Fetal Brain in Late Gestation: From 24 Weeks Gestational Age to Term. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:393-414. [PMID: 33823016 PMCID: PMC8054138 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
During the second half of gestation, the human cerebrum undergoes pivotal histogenetic events that underlie functional connectivity. These include the growth, guidance, selection of axonal pathways, and their first engagement in neuronal networks. Here, we characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of cerebral connectivity in extremely preterm (EPT), very preterm (VPT), preterm and term babies, focusing on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological data. In the EPT and VPT babies, thalamocortical axons enter into the cortical plate creating the electrical synapses. Additionally, the subplate zone gradually resolves in the preterm and term brain in conjunction with the growth of associative pathways leading to the activation of large-scale neural networks. We demonstrate that specific classes of axonal pathways within cerebral compartments are selectively vulnerable to temporally nested pathogenic factors. In particular, the radial distribution of axonal lesions, that is, radial vulnerability, is a robust predictor of clinical outcome. Furthermore, the subplate tangential nexus that we can visualize using MRI could be an additional marker as pivotal in the development of cortical connectivity. We suggest to direct future research toward the identification of sensitive markers of earlier lesions, the elucidation of genetic mechanisms underlying pathogenesis, and better long-term follow-up using structural and functional MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- From the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Milan Radoš
- From the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia.,Polyclinic "Neuron", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirna Kostović-Srzentić
- From the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Health Psychology, University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Center of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- From the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
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16
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Zhang J, Xia K, Ahn M, Jha SC, Blanchett R, Crowley JJ, Szatkiewicz JP, Zou F, Zhu H, Styner M, Gilmore JH, Knickmeyer RC. Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Neonatal White Matter Microstructure. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:933-948. [PMID: 33009551 PMCID: PMC7786356 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of genetic influences on early white matter development could significantly advance our understanding of neurological and psychiatric conditions characterized by altered integrity of axonal pathways. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) phenotypes in 471 neonates. We used a hierarchical functional principal regression model (HFPRM) to perform joint analysis of 44 fiber bundles. HFPRM revealed a latent measure of white matter microstructure that explained approximately 50% of variation in our tractography-based measures and accounted for a large proportion of heritable variation in each individual bundle. An intronic SNP in PSMF1 on chromosome 20 exceeded the conventional GWAS threshold of 5 x 10-8 (p = 4.61 x 10-8). Additional loci nearing genome-wide significance were located near genes with known roles in axon growth and guidance, fasciculation, and myelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K Xia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M Ahn
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - S C Jha
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R Blanchett
- Genetics and Genome Sciences Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - J J Crowley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J P Szatkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - F Zou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - H Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - J H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - R C Knickmeyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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17
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The multiple biological roles of the cholinesterases. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 162:41-56. [PMID: 33307019 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
It is tacitly assumed that the biological role of acetylcholinesterase is termination of synaptic transmission at cholinergic synapses. However, together with its structural homolog, butyrylcholinesterase, it is widely distributed both within and outside the nervous system, and, in many cases, the role of both enzymes remains obscure. The transient appearance of the cholinesterases in embryonic tissues is especially enigmatic. The two enzymes' extra-synaptic roles, which are known as 'non-classical' roles, are the topic of this review. Strong evidence has been presented that AChE and BChE play morphogenetic roles in a variety of eukaryotic systems, and they do so either by acting as adhesion proteins, or as trophic factors. As trophic factors, one mode of action is to directly regulate morphogenesis, such as neurite outgrowth, by poorly understood mechanisms. The other mode is by regulating levels of acetylcholine, which acts as the direct trophic factor. Alternate substrates have been sought for the cholinesterases. Quite recently, it was shown that levels of the aggression hormone, ghrelin, which also controls appetite, are regulated by butyrylcholinesterase. The rapid hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase generates high local proton concentrations. The possible biophysical and biological consequences of this effect are discussed. The biological significance of the acetylcholinesterases secreted by parasitic nematodes is reviewed, and, finally, the involvement of acetylcholinesterase in apoptosis is considered.
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18
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Xu Y, Cao M, Liao X, Xia M, Wang X, Jeon T, Ouyang M, Chalak L, Rollins N, Huang H, He Y. Development and Emergence of Individual Variability in the Functional Connectivity Architecture of the Preterm Human Brain. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4208-4222. [PMID: 30534949 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual variability in human brain networks underlies individual differences in cognition and behaviors. However, researchers have not conclusively determined when individual variability patterns of the brain networks emerge and how they develop in the early phase. Here, we employed resting-state functional MRI data and whole-brain functional connectivity analyses in 40 neonates aged around 31-42 postmenstrual weeks to characterize the spatial distribution and development modes of individual variability in the functional network architecture. We observed lower individual variability in primary sensorimotor and visual areas and higher variability in association regions at the third trimester, and these patterns are generally similar to those of adult brains. Different functional systems showed dramatic differences in the development of individual variability, with significant decreases in the sensorimotor network; decreasing trends in the visual, subcortical, and dorsal and ventral attention networks, and limited change in the default mode, frontoparietal and limbic networks. The patterns of individual variability were negatively correlated with the short- to middle-range connection strength/number and this distance constraint was significantly strengthened throughout development. Our findings highlight the development and emergence of individual variability in the functional architecture of the prenatal brain, which may lay network foundations for individual behavioral differences later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehua Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Miao Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Xuhong Liao
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Mingrui Xia
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Xindi Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
| | - Tina Jeon
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Minhui Ouyang
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lina Chalak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nancy Rollins
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Hao Huang
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yong He
- National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 China
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19
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Sato M, Chou SJ. Editorial: The Earliest-Born Cortical Neurons as Multi-Tasking Pioneers: Expanding Roles for Subplate Neurons in Cerebral Cortex Organization and Function. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:43. [PMID: 32982700 PMCID: PMC7479822 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Sato
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Shen-Ju Chou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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20
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Alzu'bi A, Clowry GJ. Multiple Origins of Secretagogin Expressing Cortical GABAergic Neuron Precursors in the Early Human Fetal Telencephalon. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:61. [PMID: 32982702 PMCID: PMC7492523 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Secretagogin (SCGN) which acts as a calcium signaling sensor, has previously been shown to be expressed by a substantial population of cortical GABAergic neurons at mid-gestation in humans but not in mice. The present study traced SCGN expression in cortical GABAergic neurons in human fetal forebrain from earlier stages than previously studied. Multiple potential origins of SCGN-expressing neurons were identified in the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) septum and preoptic area; these cells largely co-expressed SP8 but not the medial ganglionic eminence marker LHX6. They followed various migration routes to reach their target regions in the neocortex, insular and olfactory cortex (OC) and olfactory bulbs. A robust increase in the number of SCGN-expressing GABAergic cortical neurons was observed in the midgestational period; 58% of DLX2+ neurons expressed SCGN in the cortical wall at 19 post-conceptional weeks (PCW), a higher proportion than expressed calretinin, a marker for GABAergic neurons of LGE/CGE origin. Furthermore, although most SCGN+ neurons co-expressed calretinin in the cortical plate (CP) and deeper layers, in the marginal zone (MZ) SCGN+ and calretinin+ cells formed separate populations. In the adult mouse, it has previously been shown that in the rostral migratory stream (RMS), SCGN, annexin V (ANXA5), and matrix metalloprotease 2 (MMP2) are co-expressed forming a functioning complex that exocytoses MMP2 in response to calcium. In the present study, ANXA5 showed widespread expression throughout the cortical wall, although MMP2 expression was very largely limited to the CP. We found co-expression of these proteins in some SCGN+ neurons in the subventricular zones (SVZ) suggesting a limited role for these cells in remodeling the extracellular matrix, perhaps during cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu'bi
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Gavin J Clowry
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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21
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Kostović I. The enigmatic fetal subplate compartment forms an early tangential cortical nexus and provides the framework for construction of cortical connectivity. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 194:101883. [PMID: 32659318 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The most prominent transient compartment of the primate fetal cortex is the deep, cell-sparse, synapse-containing subplate compartment (SPC). The developmental role of the SPC and its extraordinary size in humans remain enigmatic. This paper evaluates evidence on the development and connectivity of the SPC and discusses its role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. A synthesis of data shows that the subplate becomes a prominent compartment by its expansion from the deep cortical plate (CP), appearing well-delineated on MR scans and forming a tangential nexus across the hemisphere, consisting of an extracellular matrix, randomly distributed postmigratory neurons, multiple branches of thalamic and long corticocortical axons. The SPC generates early spontaneous non-synaptic and synaptic activity and mediates cortical response upon thalamic stimulation. The subplate nexus provides large-scale interareal connectivity possibly underlying fMR resting-state activity, before corticocortical pathways are established. In late fetal phase, when synapses appear within the CP, transient the SPC coexists with permanent circuitry. The histogenetic role of the SPC is to provide interactive milieu and capacity for guidance, sorting, "waiting" and target selection of thalamocortical and corticocortical pathways. The new evolutionary role of the SPC and its remnant white matter neurons is linked to the increasing number of associative pathways in the human neocortex. These roles attributed to the SPC are regulated using a spatiotemporal gene expression during critical periods, when pathogenic factors may disturb vulnerable circuitry of the SPC, causing neurodevelopmental cognitive circuitry disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Salata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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22
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Filippa M, Lordier L, De Almeida JS, Monaci MG, Adam-Darque A, Grandjean D, Kuhn P, Hüppi PS. Early vocal contact and music in the NICU: new insights into preventive interventions. Pediatr Res 2020; 87:249-264. [PMID: 31266053 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It is now clearly established that the environment and the sensory stimuli, particularly during the perinatal period, have an impact on infant's development. During the last trimester of gestation, activity-dependent plasticity shapes the fetal brain, and prematurity has been shown to alter the typical developmental trajectories. In this delicate period, preventive interventions aiming at modulating these developmental trajectories through activity-inducing interventions are currently underway to be tested. The purpose of this review paper is to describe the potentialities of early vocal contact and music on the preterm infant's brain development, and their potential beneficial effect on early development. Scientific evidence supports a behavioral orientation of the newborn to organized sounds, such as those of voice and music, and recent neuroimaging studies further confirm full cerebral processing of music as multisensory stimuli. However, the impact of long-term effects of music exposure and early vocal contact on preterm infants' long-term neurodevelopment needs be further investigated. To conclude, it is necessary to establish the neuroscientific bases of the early perception and the long-term effects of music and early vocal contact on the premature newborns' development. Scientific projects are currently on the way to fill this gap in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Filippa
- Department of Women, Infants and Adolescents, Division of Development and Growth, University Children Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. .,University of Valle d'Aosta, Aosta, Italy. .,Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, and Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Lara Lordier
- Department of Women, Infants and Adolescents, Division of Development and Growth, University Children Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joana Sa De Almeida
- Department of Women, Infants and Adolescents, Division of Development and Growth, University Children Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Alexandra Adam-Darque
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neurorehabilitation, University Hospital of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Didier Grandjean
- Neuroscience of Emotion and Affective Dynamics, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, and Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Kuhn
- Service de Médecine et réanimation du nouveau-né, Hôpital de Hautepierre, CHU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Petra S Hüppi
- Department of Women, Infants and Adolescents, Division of Development and Growth, University Children Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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23
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Wallois F, Routier L, Bourel-Ponchel E. Impact of prematurity on neurodevelopment. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 173:341-375. [PMID: 32958184 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00026-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The consequences of prematurity on brain functional development are numerous and diverse, and impact all brain functions at different levels. Prematurity occurs between 22 and 36 weeks of gestation. This period is marked by extreme dynamics in the physiologic maturation, structural, and functional processes. These different processes appear sequentially or simultaneously. They are dependent on genetic and/or environmental factors. Disturbance of these processes or of the fine-tuning between them, when caring for premature children, is likely to induce disturbances in the structural and functional development of the immature neural networks. These will appear as impairments in learning skills progress and are likely to have a lasting impact on the development of children born prematurely. The level of severity depends on the initial alteration, whether structural or functional. In this chapter, after having briefly reviewed the neurodevelopmental, structural, and functional processes, we describe, in a nonexhaustive manner, the impact of prematurity on the different brain, motor, sensory, and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Wallois
- Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, Jules Verne Picardie University, Amiens, France; Department of Pediatric Functional Exploration of the Nervous System, University Hospital, Picardie, Amiens, France.
| | - Laura Routier
- Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, Jules Verne Picardie University, Amiens, France; Department of Pediatric Functional Exploration of the Nervous System, University Hospital, Picardie, Amiens, France
| | - Emilie Bourel-Ponchel
- Research Group on Multimodal Analysis of Brain Function, Jules Verne Picardie University, Amiens, France; Department of Pediatric Functional Exploration of the Nervous System, University Hospital, Picardie, Amiens, France
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24
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Vasung L, Charvet CJ, Shiohama T, Gagoski B, Levman J, Takahashi E. Ex vivo fetal brain MRI: Recent advances, challenges, and future directions. Neuroimage 2019; 195:23-37. [PMID: 30905833 PMCID: PMC6617515 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During early development, the fetal brain undergoes dynamic morphological changes. These changes result from neurogenic events, such as neuronal proliferation, migration, axonal elongation, retraction, and myelination. The duration and intensity of these events vary across species. Comparative assessments of these neurogenic events give us insight into evolutionary changes and the complexity of human brain development. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially ex vivo MRI, permit characterizing and comparing fetal brain development across species. Comparative ex vivo MRI studies support the detection of species-specific differences that occur during early brain development. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of ex vivo MRI studies that characterize early brain development in humans, monkeys, cats, as well as rats/mice. Finally, we discuss the current advantages and limitations of ex vivo fetal brain MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Vasung
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Christine J Charvet
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 526 Campus Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA; Department of Psychology, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
| | - Tadashi Shiohama
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Inohana 1-8-1, Chiba-shi, Chiba, 2608670, Japan
| | - Borjan Gagoski
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jacob Levman
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, B2G 2W5, Canada
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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25
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Alzu’bi A, Homman-Ludiye J, Bourne JA, Clowry GJ. Thalamocortical Afferents Innervate the Cortical Subplate much Earlier in Development in Primate than in Rodent. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:1706-1718. [PMID: 30668846 PMCID: PMC6418397 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The current model, based on rodent data, proposes that thalamocortical afferents (TCA) innervate the subplate towards the end of cortical neurogenesis. This implies that the laminar identity of cortical neurons is specified by intrinsic instructions rather than information of thalamic origin. In order to determine whether this mechanism is conserved in the primates, we examined the growth of thalamocortical (TCA) and corticofugal afferents in early human and monkey fetal development. In the human, TCA, identified by secretagogin, calbindin, and ROBO1 immunoreactivity, were observed in the internal capsule of the ventral telencephalon as early as 7-7.5 PCW, crossing the pallial/subpallial boundary (PSB) by 8 PCW before the calretinin immunoreactive corticofugal fibers do. Furthermore, TCA were observed to be passing through the intermediate zone and innervating the presubplate of the dorsolateral cortex, and already by 10-12 PCW TCAs were occupying much of the cortex. Observations at equivalent stages in the marmoset confirmed that this pattern is conserved across primates. Therefore, our results demonstrate that in primates, TCAs innervate the cortical presubplate at earlier stages than previously demonstrated by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, suggesting that pioneer thalamic afferents may contribute to early cortical circuitry that can participate in defining cortical neuron phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayman Alzu’bi
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Jihane Homman-Ludiye
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - James A Bourne
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gavin J Clowry
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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26
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Braid LR, Wood CA, Ford BN. Human umbilical cord perivascular cells: A novel source of the organophosphate antidote butyrylcholinesterase. Chem Biol Interact 2019; 305:66-78. [PMID: 30926319 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a well-characterized bioscavenger with significant potential as a prophylactic or post-exposure treatment for organophosphate poisoning. Despite substantial efforts, BChE has proven technically challenging to produce in recombinant systems. Recombinant BChE tends to be insufficiently or incorrectly glycosylated, and consequently exhibits a truncated half-life, compromised activity, or is immunogenic. Thus, expired human plasma remains the only reliable source of the benchmark BChE tetramer, but production is costly and time intensive and presents possible blood-borne disease hazards. Here we report a human BChE production platform that produces functionally active, tetrameric BChE enzyme, without the addition of external factors such as polyproline peptides or chemical or gene modification required by other systems. Human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs) are a rich population of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from Wharton's jelly. We show that HUCPVCs naturally and stably secrete BChE during culture in xeno- and serum-free media, and can be gene-modified to increase BChE output. However, BChE secretion from HUCPVCs is limited by innate feedback mechanisms that can be interrupted by addition of miR 186 oligonucleotide mimics or by competitive inhibition of muscarinic cholinergic signalling receptors by addition of atropine. By contrast, adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells neither secrete measurable levels of BChE naturally, nor after gene modification. Further work is required to fully characterize and disable the intrinsic ceiling of HUCPVC-mediated BChE secretion to achieve commercially relevant enzyme output. However, HUCPVCs present a unique opportunity to produce both native and strategically engineered recombinant BChE enzyme in a human platform with the innate capacity to secrete the benchmark human plasma form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena R Braid
- Aurora BioSolutions Inc., PO Box 21053, Crescent Heights PO, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 6N0, Canada.
| | - Catherine A Wood
- Aurora BioSolutions Inc., PO Box 21053, Crescent Heights PO, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 6N0, Canada
| | - Barry N Ford
- DRDC Suffield Research Centre, Casualty Management Section, Box 4000 Station Main, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8K6, Canada
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27
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Vasung L, Abaci Turk E, Ferradal SL, Sutin J, Stout JN, Ahtam B, Lin PY, Grant PE. Exploring early human brain development with structural and physiological neuroimaging. Neuroimage 2019; 187:226-254. [PMID: 30041061 PMCID: PMC6537870 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Early brain development, from the embryonic period to infancy, is characterized by rapid structural and functional changes. These changes can be studied using structural and physiological neuroimaging methods. In order to optimally acquire and accurately interpret this data, concepts from adult neuroimaging cannot be directly transferred. Instead, one must have a basic understanding of fetal and neonatal structural and physiological brain development, and the important modulators of this process. Here, we first review the major developmental milestones of transient cerebral structures and structural connectivity (axonal connectivity) followed by a summary of the contributions from ex vivo and in vivo MRI. Next, we discuss the basic biology of neuronal circuitry development (synaptic connectivity, i.e. ensemble of direct chemical and electrical connections between neurons), physiology of neurovascular coupling, baseline metabolic needs of the fetus and the infant, and functional connectivity (defined as statistical dependence of low-frequency spontaneous fluctuations seen with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)). The complementary roles of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) are discussed. We include a section on modulators of brain development where we focus on the placenta and emerging placental MRI approaches. In each section we discuss key technical limitations of the imaging modalities and some of the limitations arising due to the biology of the system. Although neuroimaging approaches have contributed significantly to our understanding of early brain development, there is much yet to be done and a dire need for technical innovations and scientific discoveries to realize the future potential of early fetal and infant interventions to avert long term disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Vasung
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Esra Abaci Turk
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Silvina L Ferradal
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Jason Sutin
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Jeffrey N Stout
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Banu Ahtam
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Pei-Yi Lin
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - P Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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28
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Chen YH, Saby J, Kuschner E, Gaetz W, Edgar JC, Roberts TPL. Magnetoencephalography and the infant brain. Neuroimage 2019; 189:445-458. [PMID: 30685329 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that provides whole-head measures of neural activity with millisecond temporal resolution. Over the last three decades, MEG has been used for assessing brain activity, most commonly in adults. MEG has been used less often to examine neural function during early development, in large part due to the fact that infant whole-head MEG systems have only recently been developed. In this review, an overview of infant MEG studies is provided, focusing on the period from birth to three years. The advantages of MEG for measuring neural activity in infants are highlighted (See Box 1), including the ability to assess activity in brain (source) space rather than sensor space, thus allowing direct assessment of neural generator activity. Recent advances in MEG hardware and source analysis are also discussed. As the review indicates, efforts in this area demonstrate that MEG is a promising technology for studying the infant brain. As a noninvasive technology, with emerging hardware providing the necessary sensitivity, an expected deliverable is the capability for longitudinal infant MEG studies evaluating the developmental trajectory (maturation) of neural activity. It is expected that departures from neuro-typical trajectories will offer early detection and prognosis insights in infants and toddlers at-risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, thus paving the way for early targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Joni Saby
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Emily Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - William Gaetz
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - J Christopher Edgar
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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29
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Khan S, Vasung L, Marami B, Rollins CK, Afacan O, Ortinau CM, Yang E, Warfield SK, Gholipour A. Fetal brain growth portrayed by a spatiotemporal diffusion tensor MRI atlas computed from in utero images. Neuroimage 2019; 185:593-608. [PMID: 30172006 PMCID: PMC6289660 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered structural fetal brain development has been linked to neuro-developmental disorders. These structural alterations can be potentially detected in utero using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). However, acquisition and reconstruction of in utero fetal brain DTI remains challenging. Until now, motion-robust DTI methods have been employed for reconstruction of in utero fetal DTIs. However, due to the unconstrained fetal motion and permissible in utero acquisition times, these methods yielded limited success and have typically resulted in noisy DTIs. Consequently, atlases and methods that could enable groupwise studies, multi-modality imaging, and computer-aided diagnosis from in utero DTIs have not yet been developed. This paper presents the first DTI atlas of the fetal brain computed from in utero diffusion-weighted images. For this purpose an algorithm for computing an unbiased spatiotemporal DTI atlas, which integrates kernel-regression in age with a diffeomorphic tensor-to-tensor registration of motion-corrected and reconstructed individual fetal brain DTIs, was developed. Our new algorithm was applied to a set of 67 fetal DTI scans acquired from healthy fetuses each scanned at a gestational age between 21 and 39 weeks. The neurodevelopmental trends in the fetal brain, characterized by the atlas, were qualitatively and quantitatively compared with the observations reported in prior ex vivo and in utero studies, and with results from imaging gestational-age equivalent preterm infants. Our major findings revealed early presence of limbic fiber bundles, followed by the appearance and maturation of projection pathways (characterized by an age related increase in FA) during late 2nd and early 3rd trimesters. During the 3rd trimester association fiber bundles become evident. In parallel with the appearance and maturation of fiber bundles, from 21 to 39 gestational weeks gradual disappearance of the radial coherence of the telencephalic wall was qualitatively identified. These results and analyses show that our DTI atlas of the fetal brain is useful for reliable detection of major neuronal fiber bundle pathways and for characterization of the fetal brain reorganization that occurs in utero. The atlas can also serve as a useful resource for detection of normal and abnormal fetal brain development in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadab Khan
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Lana Vasung
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bahram Marami
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caitlin K Rollins
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Onur Afacan
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cynthia M Ortinau
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Edward Yang
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simon K Warfield
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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30
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Kostović I, Sedmak G, Judaš M. Neural histology and neurogenesis of the human fetal and infant brain. Neuroimage 2018; 188:743-773. [PMID: 30594683 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain develops slowly and over a long period of time which lasts for almost three decades. This enables good spatio-temporal resolution of histogenetic and neurogenetic events as well as an appropriate and clinically relevant timing of these events. In order to successfully apply in vivo neuroimaging data, in analyzing both the normal brain development and the neurodevelopmental origin of major neurological and mental disorders, it is important to correlate these neuroimaging data with the existing data on morphogenetic, histogenetic and neurogenetic events. Furthermore, when performing such correlation, the genetic, genomic, and molecular biology data on phenotypic specification of developing brain regions, areas and neurons should also be included. In this review, we focus on early developmental periods (form 8 postconceptional weeks to the second postnatal year) and describe the microstructural organization and neural circuitry elements of the fetal and early postnatal human cerebrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Kostović
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Šalata 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - G Sedmak
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Šalata 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - M Judaš
- University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Šalata 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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31
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Kostović I, Išasegi IŽ, Krsnik Ž. Sublaminar organization of the human subplate: developmental changes in the distribution of neurons, glia, growing axons and extracellular matrix. J Anat 2018; 235:481-506. [PMID: 30549027 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this paper was to collect normative data essential for analyzing the subplate (SP) role in pathogenesis of developmental disorders, characterized by abnormal circuitry, such as hypoxic-ischemic lesions, autism and schizophrenia. The main cytological features of the SP, such as low cell density, early differentiation of neurons and glia, plexiform arrangement of axons and dendrites, presence of synapses and a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) distinguish this compartment from the cell-dense cortical plate (CP; towards pia) and large fiber bundles of external axonal strata of fetal white matter (towards ventricle). For SP delineation from these adjacent layers based on combined cytological criteria, we analyzed the sublaminar distribution of different microstructural elements and the associated maturational gradients throughout development, using immunocytochemical and histological techniques on postmortem brain material (Zagreb Neuroembryological Collection). The analysis revealed that the SP compartment of the lateral neocortex shows changes in laminar organization throughout fetal development: the monolayer in the early fetal period (presubplate) undergoes dramatic bilaminar transformation between 13 and 15 postconceptional weeks (PCW), followed by subtle sublamination in three 'floors' (deep, intermediate, superficial) of midgestation (15-21 PCW). During the stationary phase (22-28 PCW), SP persists as a trilaminar compartment, gradually losing its sublaminar organization towards the end of gestation and remains as a single layer of SP remnant in the newborn brain. Based on these sublaminar transformations, we have documented developmental changes in the distribution, maturational gradients and expression of molecular markers in SP synapses, transitional forms of astroglia, neurons and ECM, which occur concomitantly with the ingrowth of thalamo-cortical, basal forebrain and cortico-cortical axons in a deep to superficial fashion. The deep SP is the zone of ingrowing axons - 'entrance (ingrowth) zone'. The process of axonal ingrowth begins with thalamo-cortical fibers and basal forebrain afferents, indicating an oblique geometry. During the later fetal period, deep SP receives long cortico-cortical axons exhibiting a tangential geometry. Intermediate SP ('proper') is the navigation and 'nexus' sublamina consisting of a plexiform arrangement of cellular elements providing guidance and substrate for axonal growth, and also containing transient connectivity of dendrites and axons in a tangential plane without radial boundaries immersed in an ECM-rich continuum. Superficial SP is the axonal accumulation ('waiting compartment') and target selection zone, indicating a dense distribution of synaptic markers, accumulation of thalamo-cortical axons (around 20 PCW), overlapping with dendrites from layer VI neurons. In the late preterm brain period, superficial SP contains a chondroitin sulfate non-immunoreactive band. The developmental dynamics for the distribution of neuronal, glial and ECM markers comply with sequential ingrowth of afferents in three levels of SP: ECM and synaptic markers shift from deep to superficial SP, with transient forms of glia following this arrangement, and calretinin neurons are concentrated in the SP during the formation phase. These results indicate developmental and morphogenetic roles in the SP cellular (transient glia, neurons and synapses) and ECM framework, enabling the spatial accommodation, navigation and establishment of numerous connections of cortical pathways in the expanded human brain. The original findings of early developmental dynamics of transitional subtypes of astroglia, calretinin neurons, ECM and synaptic markers presented in the SP are interesting in the light of recent concepts concerning its functional and morphogenetic role and an increasing interest in SP as a prospective substrate of abnormalities in cortical circuitry, leading to a cognitive deficit in different neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iris Žunić Išasegi
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Zagreb, Croatia
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Žunić Išasegi I, Radoš M, Krsnik Ž, Radoš M, Benjak V, Kostović I. Interactive histogenesis of axonal strata and proliferative zones in the human fetal cerebral wall. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3919-3943. [PMID: 30094607 PMCID: PMC6267252 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1721-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Development of the cerebral wall is characterized by partially overlapping histogenetic events. However, little is known with regards to when, where, and how growing axonal pathways interact with progenitor cell lineages in the proliferative zones of the human fetal cerebrum. We analyzed the developmental continuity and spatial distribution of the axonal sagittal strata (SS) and their relationship with proliferative zones in a series of human brains (8-40 post-conceptional weeks; PCW) by comparing histological, histochemical, and immunocytochemical data with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Between 8.5 and 11 PCW, thalamocortical fibers from the intermediate zone (IZ) were initially dispersed throughout the subventricular zone (SVZ), while sizeable axonal "invasion" occurred between 12.5 and 15 PCW followed by callosal fibers which "delaminated" the ventricular zone-inner SVZ from the outer SVZ (OSVZ). During midgestation, the SS extensively invaded the OSVZ, separating cell bands, and a new multilaminar axonal-cellular compartment (MACC) was formed. Preterm period reveals increased complexity of the MACC in terms of glial architecture and the thinning of proliferative bands. The addition of associative fibers and the formation of the centrum semiovale separated the SS from the subplate. In vivo MRI of the occipital SS indicates a "triplet" structure of alternating hypointense and hyperintense bands. Our results highlighted the developmental continuity of sagittally oriented "corridors" of projection, commissural and associative fibers, and histogenetic interaction with progenitors, neurons, and glia. Histogenetical changes in the MACC, and consequently, delineation of the SS on MRI, may serve as a relevant indicator of white matter microstructural integrity in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Žunić Išasegi
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centar of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Milan Radoš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centar of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centar of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Radoš
- Department of Radiology, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vesna Benjak
- Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Centar of Research Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
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Galvin VC, Arnsten AFT, Wang M. Evolution in Neuromodulation-The Differential Roles of Acetylcholine in Higher Order Association vs. Primary Visual Cortices. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:67. [PMID: 30210306 PMCID: PMC6121028 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This review contrasts the neuromodulatory influences of acetylcholine (ACh) on the relatively conserved primary visual cortex (V1), compared to the newly evolved dorsolateral prefrontal association cortex (dlPFC). ACh is critical both for proper circuit development and organization, and for optimal functioning of mature systems in both cortical regions. ACh acts through both nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, which show very different expression profiles in V1 vs. dlPFC, and differing effects on neuronal firing. Cholinergic effects mediate attentional influences in V1, enhancing representation of incoming sensory stimuli. In dlPFC ACh plays a permissive role for network communication. ACh receptor expression and ACh actions in higher visual areas have an intermediate profile between V1 and dlPFC. This changing role of ACh modulation across association cortices may help to illuminate the particular susceptibility of PFC in cognitive disorders, and provide therapeutic targets to strengthen cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica C Galvin
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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On the feasibility of accessing acute pain-related facial expressions in the human fetus and its potential implications: a case report. Pain Rep 2018; 3:e673. [PMID: 30534624 PMCID: PMC6181467 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction: Although pain facial assessment is routinely performed in term and preterm newborns by the use of facial expression–based tools such as the Neonatal Facial Coding System, the assessment of pain during the intrauterine life has not been extensively explored. Objective: Describe for the first time, an experimental model to assess and quantify responses due to acute pain in fetuses undergoing anaesthesia for intrauterine surgery recorded by high-resolution 4D ultrasound machines. Methods/results-case report: A 33-year-old pregnant woman had congenital left diaphragmatic hernia of poor prognosis diagnosed, and her fetus was treated by fetoscopic endotracheal occlusion. Later, during the removal of the fetal endotracheal balloon by ultrasound-guided puncture, we have recorded facial expressions of the foetus before and after the anaesthetic puncture by the use of 4D ultrasound recordings, which were presented to 3 blinded coders instructed to use the Neonatal Facial Coding System for acute pain facial coding. The procedure was safe and feasible. Conclusion: This is the first description of a recordable acute pain model in the human fetus by the use of a facial expression–based tool. The possibility to assess pain-related intrauterine behaviours would allow not only for the monitoring of the efficacy of anaesthetic procedures in the fetus but would also open the way to explore the evolution of pain-related facial responses during the fetal neurodevelopment. This method may pave the way for objective assessments of pain in fetuses, should it endure the steps of formal validation studies.
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Vasung L, Raguz M, Kostovic I, Takahashi E. Spatiotemporal Relationship of Brain Pathways during Human Fetal Development Using High-Angular Resolution Diffusion MR Imaging and Histology. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:348. [PMID: 28744187 PMCID: PMC5504538 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to identify major fiber pathways and their spatiotemporal relationships within transient fetal zones in the human fetal brain by comparing postmortem high-angular resolution diffusion MR imaging (HARDI) in combination with deterministic streamline tractography and histology. Diffusion weighted imaging was performed on postmortem human fetal brains [N = 9, age = 18–34 post-conceptual weeks (PCW)] that were grossly normal with no pathologic abnormalities. After HARDI was performed, the fibers were reconstructed using Q-ball algorithm and deterministic streamline tractography. The position of major fiber pathways within transient fetal zones was identified both on diffusion weighted images and on histological sections. Our major findings include: (1) the development of massive projection fibers by 18 PCW, as compared to most association fibers (with the exception of limbic fibers) which have only begun to emerge, (2) the characteristic laminar distribution and sagittal plane geometry of reconstructed fibers throughout development, (3) the protracted prenatal development shown of the corpus collosum and its' associated fibers, as well as the association fibers, and (4) the predomination of radial coherence in the telencephalon (i.e., majority of streamlines in the telencephalic wall were radially oriented) during early prenatal period (24 PCW). In conclusion, correlation between histology and HARDI (in combination with Q-ball reconstruction and deterministic streamline tractography) allowed us to detect sequential development of fiber systems (projection, callosal, and association), their spatial relations with transient fetal zones, and their geometric properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Vasung
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, United States
| | - Marina Raguz
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostovic
- School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, United States
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Functional thalamocortical connectivity development and alterations in preterm infants during the neonatal period. Neuroscience 2017; 356:22-34. [PMID: 28526574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is one of the most commonly affected brain regions in preterm infants, particularly in infants with white matter lesions (WML). The aim of this paper is to explore the development and alterations of the functional thalamocortical connectivity in preterm infants with and without punctate white matter lesions (PWMLs) during the period before term equivalent age (TEA). In this study, twenty-two normal preterm infants (NP), twenty-two preterm infants with PWMLs and thirty-one full-term control infants (FT) were enrolled. Thalamus parcellation was performed based on partial correlation between the thalamus and seven well-recognized infant networks obtained from independent component analysis (ICA), and thalamocortical connectivity was further reconstructed between the defined thalamus clusters and the whole brain. Thalamo-salience (SA) and thalamo-sensorimotor (SM) connectivity were predominantly identified, while other types of thalamocortical connectivity remained largely limited during the neonatal period. Both preterm groups exhibited prominent development in thalamo-SA and thalamo-SM connectivity during this period. Compared with NP infants, PWML infants demonstrated increased connectivity in the parietal area in thalamo-SA connectivity but no significant differences in thalamo-SM connectivity. Our results reveal that compared with NP infants, PWML infants exhibit slightly altered thalamo-SA connectivity, and this alteration is deduced to be functional compensations for inefficient thalamocortical processing due to PWMLs.
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Krsnik Ž, Majić V, Vasung L, Huang H, Kostović I. Growth of Thalamocortical Fibers to the Somatosensory Cortex in the Human Fetal Brain. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:233. [PMID: 28496398 PMCID: PMC5406414 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical (TH-C) fiber growth begins during the embryonic period and is completed by the third trimester of gestation in humans. Here we determined the timing and trajectories of somatosensory TH-C fibers in the developing human brain. We analyzed the periods of TH-C fiber outgrowth, path-finding, "waiting" in the subplate (SP), target selection, and ingrowth in the cortical plate (CP) using histological sections from post-mortem fetal brain [from 7 to 34 postconceptional weeks (PCW)] that were processed with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry and immunohistochemical methods. Images were compared with post mortem diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based fiber tractography (code No NO1-HD-4-3368). The results showed TH-C axon outgrowth occurs as early as 7.5 PCW in the ventrolateral part of the thalamic anlage. Between 8 and 9.5 PCW, TH-C axons form massive bundles that traverse the diencephalic-telencephalic boundary. From 9.5 to 11 PCW, thalamocortical axons pass the periventricular area at the pallial-subpallial boundary and enter intermediate zone in radiating fashion. Between 12 and 14 PCW, the TH-C axons, aligned along the fibers from the basal forebrain, continue to grow for a short distance within the deep intermediate zone and enter the deep CP, parallel with SP expansion. Between 14 and 18 PCW, the TH-C interdigitate with callosal fibers, running shortly in the sagittal stratum and spreading through the deep SP ("waiting" phase). From 19 to 22 PCW, TH-C axons accumulate in the superficial SP below the somatosensory cortical area; this occurs 2 weeks earlier than in the frontal and occipital cortices. Between 23 and 24 PCW, AChE-reactive TH-C axons penetrate the CP concomitantly with its initial lamination. Between 25 and 34 PCW, AChE reactivity of the CP exhibits an uneven pattern suggestive of vertical banding, showing a basic 6-layer pattern. In conclusion, human thalamocortical axons show prolonged growth (4 months), and somatosensory fibers precede the ingrowth of fibers destined for frontal and occipital areas. The major features of growing TH-C somatosensory fiber trajectories are fan-like radiation, short runs in the sagittal strata, and interdigitation with the callosal system. These results support our hypothesis that TH-C axons are early factors in SP and CP morphogenesis and synaptogenesis and may regulate cortical somatosensory system maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Željka Krsnik
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia
| | - Visnja Majić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia
| | - Lana Vasung
- Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's HospitalBoston, MA, USA
| | - Hao Huang
- Laboratory of Neural MRI and Brain Connectivity, School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania PerelmanPhiladelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia
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Paterson C, Wang Y, Hyde TM, Weinberger DR, Kleinman JE, Law AJ. Temporal, Diagnostic, and Tissue-Specific Regulation of NRG3 Isoform Expression in Human Brain Development and Affective Disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2017; 174:256-265. [PMID: 27771971 PMCID: PMC5892449 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16060721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Genes implicated in schizophrenia are enriched in networks differentially regulated during human CNS development. Neuregulin 3 (NRG3), a brain-enriched neurotrophin, undergoes alternative splicing and is implicated in several neurological disorders with developmental origins. Isoform-specific increases in NRG3 are observed in schizophrenia and associated with rs10748842, a NRG3 risk polymorphism, suggesting NRG3 transcriptional dysregulation as a molecular mechanism of risk. The authors quantitatively mapped the temporal trajectories of NRG3 isoforms (classes I-IV) in the neocortex throughout the human lifespan, examined whether tissue-specific regulation of NRG3 occurs in humans, and determined if abnormalities in NRG3 transcriptomics occur in mood disorders and are genetically determined. METHOD NRG3 isoform classes I-IV were quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in human postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from 286 nonpsychiatric control individuals, from gestational week 14 to 85 years old, and individuals diagnosed with either bipolar disorder (N=34) or major depressive disorder (N=69). Tissue-specific mapping was investigated in several human tissues. rs10748842 was genotyped in individuals with mood disorders, and association with NRG3 isoform expression examined. RESULTS NRG3 classes displayed individually specific expression trajectories across human neocortical development and aging; classes I, II, and IV were significantly associated with developmental stage. NRG3 class I was increased in bipolar and major depressive disorder, consistent with observations in schizophrenia. NRG3 class II was increased in bipolar disorder, and class III was increased in major depression. The rs10748842 risk genotype predicted elevated class II and III expression, consistent with previous reports in the brain, with tissue-specific analyses suggesting that classes II and III are brain-specific isoforms of NRG3. CONCLUSIONS Mapping the temporal expression of genes during human brain development provides vital insight into gene function and identifies critical sensitive periods whereby genetic factors may influence risk for psychiatric disease. Here the authors provide comprehensive insight into the transcriptional landscape of the psychiatric risk gene, NRG3, in human neocortical development and expand on previous findings in schizophrenia to identify increased expression of developmentally and genetically regulated isoforms in the brain of patients with mood disorders. Principally, the finding that NRG3 classes II and III are brain-specific isoforms predicted by rs10748842 risk genotype and are increased in mood disorders further implicates a molecular mechanism of psychiatric risk at the NRG3 locus and identifies a potential developmental role for NRG3 in bipolar disorder and major depression. These observations encourage investigation of the neurobiology of NRG3 isoforms and highlight inhibition of NRG3 signaling as a potential target for psychiatric treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Paterson
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Yanhong Wang
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Thomas M. Hyde
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Joel E. Kleinman
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Amanda J. Law
- From the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora; the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience, and the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
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Verriotis M, Chang P, Fitzgerald M, Fabrizi L. The development of the nociceptive brain. Neuroscience 2016; 338:207-219. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Secondary expansion of the transient subplate zone in the developing cerebrum of human and nonhuman primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:9892-7. [PMID: 27503885 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610078113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The subplate (SP) was the last cellular compartment added to the Boulder Committee's list of transient embryonic zones [Bystron I, Blakemore C, Rakic P (2008) Nature Rev Neurosci 9(2):110-122]. It is highly developed in human and nonhuman primates, but its origin, mode, and dynamics of development, resolution, and eventual extinction are not well understood because human postmortem tissue offers only static descriptive data, and mice cannot serve as an adequate experimental model for the distinct regional differences in primates. Here, we take advantage of the large and slowly developing SP in macaque monkey to examine the origin, settling pattern, and subsequent dispersion of the SP neurons in primates. Monkey embryos exposed to the radioactive DNA replication marker tritiated thymidine ([(3)H]dT, or TdR) at early embryonic ages were killed at different intervals postinjection to follow postmitotic cells' positional changes. As expected in primates, most SP neurons generated in the ventricular zone initially migrate radially, together with prospective layer 6 neurons. Surprisingly, mostly during midgestation, SP cells become secondarily displaced and widespread into the expanding SP zone, which becomes particularly wide subjacent to the association cortical areas and underneath the summit of its folia. We found that invasion of monoamine, basal forebrain, thalamocortical, and corticocortical axons is mainly responsible for this region-dependent passive dispersion of the SP cells. Histologic and immunohistochemical comparison with the human SP at corresponding fetal ages indicates that the same developmental events occur in both primate species.
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Mooney-Leber SM, Brummelte S. Neonatal pain and reduced maternal care: Early-life stressors interacting to impact brain and behavioral development. Neuroscience 2016; 342:21-36. [PMID: 27167085 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Advances in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have drastically increased the survival chances of preterm infants. However, preterm infants are still exposed to a wide range of stressors during their stay in the NICU, which include painful procedures and reduced maternal contact. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, in response to these stressors during this critical period of brain development, has been associated with many acute and long-term adverse biobehavioral outcomes. Recent research has shown that Kangaroo care, a non-pharmacological analgesic based on increased skin-to-skin contact between the neonate and the mother, negates the adverse outcomes associated with neonatal pain and reduced maternal care, however the biological mechanism remains widely unknown. This review summarizes findings from both human and rodent literature investigating neonatal pain and reduced maternal care independently, primarily focusing on the role of the HPA axis and biobehavioral outcomes. The physiological and positive outcomes of Kangaroo care will also be discussed in terms of how dampening of the HPA axis response to neonatal pain and increased maternal care may account for positive outcomes associated with Kangaroo care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Mooney-Leber
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
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Vasung L, Lepage C, Radoš M, Pletikos M, Goldman JS, Richiardi J, Raguž M, Fischi-Gómez E, Karama S, Huppi PS, Evans AC, Kostovic I. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Transient Fetal Compartments during Prenatal Human Brain Development. Front Neuroanat 2016; 10:11. [PMID: 26941612 PMCID: PMC4764715 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral wall of the human fetal brain is composed of transient cellular compartments, which show characteristic spatiotemporal relationships with intensity of major neurogenic events (cell proliferation, migration, axonal growth, dendritic differentiation, synaptogenesis, cell death, and myelination). The aim of the present study was to obtain new quantitative data describing volume, surface area, and thickness of transient compartments in the human fetal cerebrum. Forty-four postmortem fetal brains aged 13–40 postconceptional weeks (PCW) were included in this study. High-resolution T1 weighted MR images were acquired on 19 fetal brain hemispheres. MR images were processed using in-house software (MNI-ACE toolbox). Delineation of fetal compartments was performed semi-automatically by co-registration of MRI with histological sections of the same brains, or with the age-matched brains from Zagreb Neuroembryological Collection. Growth trajectories of transient fetal compartments were reconstructed. The composition of telencephalic wall was quantitatively assessed. Between 13 and 25 PCW, when the intensity of neuronal proliferation decreases drastically, the relative volume of proliferative (ventricular and subventricular) compartments showed pronounced decline. In contrast, synapse- and extracellular matrix-rich subplate compartment continued to grow during the first two trimesters, occupying up to 45% of telencephalon and reaching its maximum volume and thickness around 30 PCW. This developmental maximum coincides with a period of intensive growth of long cortico-cortical fibers, which enter and wait in subplate before approaching the cortical plate. Although we did not find significant age related changes in mean thickness of the cortical plate, the volume, gyrification index, and surface area of the cortical plate continued to exponentially grow during the last phases of prenatal development. This cortical expansion coincides developmentally with the transformation of embryonic cortical columns, dendritic differentiation, and ingrowth of axons. These results provide a quantitative description of transient human fetal brain compartments observable with MRI. Moreover, they will improve understanding of structural-functional relationships during brain development, will enable correlation between in vitro/in vivo imaging and fine structural histological studies, and will serve as a reference for study of perinatal brain injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Vasung
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia; Division of Development and Growth, Department of Pediatrics, University of GenevaGeneva, Switzerland
| | - Claude Lepage
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics, McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Milan Radoš
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mihovil Pletikos
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of ZagrebZagreb, Croatia; Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jennifer S Goldman
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics, McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jonas Richiardi
- Laboratory of Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marina Raguž
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Elda Fischi-Gómez
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Pediatrics, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sherif Karama
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics, McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Petra S Huppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Pediatrics, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alan C Evans
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics, McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, McGill University Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ivica Kostovic
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb Zagreb, Croatia
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Mitter C, Jakab A, Brugger PC, Ricken G, Gruber GM, Bettelheim D, Scharrer A, Langs G, Hainfellner JA, Prayer D, Kasprian G. Validation of In utero Tractography of Human Fetal Commissural and Internal Capsule Fibers with Histological Structure Tensor Analysis. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:164. [PMID: 26732460 PMCID: PMC4689804 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography offer the unique possibility to visualize the developing white matter macroanatomy of the human fetal brain in vivo and in utero and are currently under investigation for their potential use in the diagnosis of developmental pathologies of the human central nervous system. However, in order to establish in utero DTI as a clinical imaging tool, an independent comparison between macroscopic imaging and microscopic histology data in the same subject is needed. The present study aimed to cross-validate normal as well as abnormal in utero tractography results of commissural and internal capsule fibers in human fetal brains using postmortem histological structure tensor (ST) analysis. In utero tractography findings from two structurally unremarkable and five abnormal fetal brains were compared to the results of postmortem ST analysis applied to digitalized whole hemisphere sections of the same subjects. An approach to perform ST-based deterministic tractography in histological sections was implemented to overcome limitations in correlating in utero tractography to postmortem histology data. ST analysis and histology-based tractography of fetal brain sections enabled the direct assessment of the anisotropic organization and main fiber orientation of fetal telencephalic layers on a micro- and macroscopic scale, and validated in utero tractography results of corpus callosum and internal capsule fiber tracts. Cross-validation of abnormal in utero tractography results could be achieved in four subjects with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) and in two cases with malformations of internal capsule fibers. In addition, potential limitations of current DTI-based in utero tractography could be demonstrated in several brain regions. Combining the three-dimensional nature of DTI-based in utero tractography with the microscopic resolution provided by histological ST analysis may ultimately facilitate a more complete morphologic characterization of axon guidance disorders at prenatal stages of human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Mitter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of ViennaVienna, Austria; Institute of Neurology, Medical University of ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - András Jakab
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter C Brugger
- Department of Systematic Anatomy, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerda Ricken
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerlinde M Gruber
- Department of Systematic Anatomy, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Dieter Bettelheim
- Division of Obstetrics and Feto-maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Anke Scharrer
- Clinical Institute for Pathology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Langs
- Computational Imaging Research Lab, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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Clowry GJ, Basuodan R, Chan F. What are the Best Animal Models for Testing Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy? Front Neurol 2014; 5:258. [PMID: 25538677 PMCID: PMC4255621 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interventions to treat cerebral palsy should be initiated as soon as possible in order to restore the nervous system to the correct developmental trajectory. One drawback to this approach is that interventions have to undergo exceptionally rigorous assessment for both safety and efficacy prior to use in infants. Part of this process should involve research using animals but how good are our animal models? Part of the problem is that cerebral palsy is an umbrella term that covers a number of conditions. There are also many causal pathways to cerebral palsy, such as periventricular white matter injury in premature babies, perinatal infarcts of the middle cerebral artery, or generalized anoxia at the time of birth, indeed multiple causes, including intra-uterine infection or a genetic predisposition to infarction, may need to interact to produce a clinically significant injury. In this review, we consider which animal models best reproduce certain aspects of the condition, and the extent to which the multifactorial nature of cerebral palsy has been modeled. The degree to which the corticospinal system of various animal models human corticospinal system function and development is also explored. Where attempts have already been made to test early intervention in animal models, the outcomes are evaluated in light of the suitability of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin John Clowry
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Reem Basuodan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Felix Chan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
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Ouyang A, Jeon T, Sunkin SM, Pletikos M, Sedmak G, Sestan N, Lein ES, Huang H. Spatial mapping of structural and connectional imaging data for the developing human brain with diffusion tensor imaging. Methods 2014; 73:27-37. [PMID: 25448302 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During human brain development from fetal stage to adulthood, the white matter (WM) tracts undergo dramatic changes. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a widely used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modality, offers insight into the dynamic changes of WM fibers as these fibers can be noninvasively traced and three-dimensionally (3D) reconstructed with DTI tractography. The DTI and conventional T1 weighted MRI images also provide sufficient cortical anatomical details for mapping the cortical regions of interests (ROIs). In this paper, we described basic concepts and methods of DTI techniques that can be used to trace major WM tracts noninvasively from fetal brain of 14 postconceptional weeks (pcw) to adult brain. We applied these techniques to acquire DTI data and trace, reconstruct and visualize major WM tracts during development. After categorizing major WM fiber bundles into five unique functional tract groups, namely limbic, brain stem, projection, commissural and association tracts, we revealed formation and maturation of these 3D reconstructed WM tracts of the developing human brain. The structural and connectional imaging data offered by DTI provides the anatomical backbone of transcriptional atlas of the developing human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Ouyang
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, United States
| | - Tina Jeon
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, United States
| | - Susan M Sunkin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Mihovil Pletikos
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Goran Sedmak
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States; University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Salata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nenad Sestan
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
| | - Ed S Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Hao Huang
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, United States; Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, United States.
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46
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Lao Y, Wang Y, Shi J, Ceschin R, Nelson MD, Panigrahy A, Leporé N. Thalamic alterations in preterm neonates and their relation to ventral striatum disturbances revealed by a combined shape and pose analysis. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:487-506. [PMID: 25366970 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0921-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Finding the neuroanatomical correlates of prematurity is vital to understanding which structures are affected, and to designing efficient prevention and treatment strategies. Converging results reveal that thalamic abnormalities are important indicators of prematurity. However, little is known about the localization of the abnormalities within the subnuclei of the thalamus, or on the association of altered thalamic development with other deep gray matter disturbances. Here, we aim to investigate the effect of prematurity on the thalamus and the putamen in the neonatal brain, and further investigate the associated abnormalities between these two structures. Using brain structural magnetic resonance imaging, we perform a novel combined shape and pose analysis of the thalamus and putamen between 17 preterm (41.12 ± 5.08 weeks) and 19 term-born (45.51 ± 5.40 weeks) neonates at term equivalent age. We also perform a set of correlation analyses between the thalamus and the putamen, based on the surface and pose results. We locate significant alterations on specific surface regions such as the anterior and ventral anterior (VA) thalamic nuclei, and significant relative pose changes of the left thalamus and the right putamen. In addition, we detect significant association between the thalamus and the putamen for both surface and pose parameters. The regions that are significantly associated include the VA, and the anterior and inferior putamen. We detect statistically significant surface deformations and pose changes on the thalamus and putamen, and for the first time, demonstrate the feasibility of using relative pose parameters as indicators for prematurity in neonates. Our methods show that regional abnormalities of the thalamus are associated with alterations of the putamen, possibly due to disturbed development of shared pre-frontal connectivity. More specifically, the significantly correlated regions in these two structures point to frontal-subcortical pathways including the dorsolateral prefrontal-subcortical circuit, the lateral orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit, the motor circuit, and the oculomotor circuit. These findings reveal new insight into potential subcortical structural covariates for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in the preterm population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lao
- Department of Radiology, University of Southern California and Children's Hospital, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS#81, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Yalin Wang
- School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Jie Shi
- School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Rafael Ceschin
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marvin D Nelson
- Department of Radiology, University of Southern California and Children's Hospital, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS#81, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Ashok Panigrahy
- Department of Radiology, University of Southern California and Children's Hospital, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS#81, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.,Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Natasha Leporé
- Department of Radiology, University of Southern California and Children's Hospital, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS#81, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.
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47
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Kostović I, Sedmak G, Vukšić M, Judaš M. The relevance of human fetal subplate zone for developmental neuropathology of neuronal migration disorders and cortical dysplasia. CNS Neurosci Ther 2014; 21:74-82. [PMID: 25312583 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human fetal cerebral cortex develops through a series of partially overlapping histogenetic events which occur in transient cellular compartments, such as the subplate zone. The subplate serves as waiting compartment for cortical afferent fibers, the major site of early synaptogenesis and neuronal differentiation and the hub of the transient fetal cortical circuitry. Thus, the subplate has an important but hitherto neglected role in the human fetal cortical connectome. The subplate is also an important compartment for radial and tangential migration of future cortical neurons. We review the diversity of subplate neuronal phenotypes and their involvement in cortical circuitry and discuss the complexity of late neuronal migration through the subplate as well as its potential relevance for pathogenesis of migration disorders and cortical dysplasia. While migratory neurons may become misplaced within the subplate, they can easily survive by being involved in early subplate circuitry; this can enhance their subsequent survival even if they have immature or abnormal physiological activity and misrouted connections and thus survive into adulthood. Thus, better understanding of subplate developmental history and various subsets of its neurons may help to elucidate certain types of neuronal disorders, including those accompanied by epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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48
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Abstract
Although commonly viewed as a sensory information relay center, the thalamus has been increasingly recognized as an essential node in various higher-order cognitive circuits, and the underlying thalamocortical interaction mechanism has attracted increasing scientific interest. However, the development of thalamocortical connections and how such development relates to cognitive processes during the earliest stages of life remain largely unknown. Leveraging a large human pediatric sample (N = 143) with longitudinal resting-state fMRI scans and cognitive data collected during the first 2 years of life, we aimed to characterize the age-dependent development of thalamocortical connectivity patterns by examining the functional relationship between the thalamus and nine cortical functional networks and determine the correlation between thalamocortical connectivity and cognitive performance at ages 1 and 2 years. Our results revealed that the thalamus-sensorimotor and thalamus-salience connectivity networks were already present in neonates, whereas the thalamus-medial visual and thalamus-default mode network connectivity emerged later, at 1 year of age. More importantly, brain-behavior analyses based on the Mullen Early Learning Composite Score and visual-spatial working memory performance measured at 1 and 2 years of age highlighted significant correlations with the thalamus-salience network connectivity. These results provide new insights into the understudied early functional brain development process and shed light on the behavioral importance of the emerging thalamocortical connectivity during infancy.
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49
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Kostović I, Kostović-Srzentić M, Benjak V, Jovanov-Milošević N, Radoš M. Developmental dynamics of radial vulnerability in the cerebral compartments in preterm infants and neonates. Front Neurol 2014; 5:139. [PMID: 25120530 PMCID: PMC4114264 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The developmental vulnerability of different classes of axonal pathways in preterm white matter is not known. We propose that laminar compartments of the developing cerebral wall serve as spatial framework for axonal growth and evaluate potential of anatomical landmarks for understanding reorganization of the cerebral wall after perinatal lesions. The 3-T MRI (in vivo) and histological analysis were performed in a series of cases ranging from 22 postconceptional weeks to 3 years. For the follow-up scans, three groups of children (control, normotypic, and preterms with lesions) were examined at the term equivalent age and after the first year of life. MRI and histological abnormalities were analyzed in the following compartments: (a) periventricular, with periventricular fiber system; (b) intermediate, with periventricular crossroads, sagittal strata, and centrum semiovale; (c) superficial, composed of gyral white matter, subplate, and cortical plate. Vulnerability of thalamocortical pathways within the crossroads and sagittal strata seems to be characteristic for early preterms, while vulnerability of long association pathways in the centrum semiovale seems to be predominant feature of late preterms. The structural indicator of the lesion of the long association pathways is the loss of delineation between centrum semiovale and subplate remnant, which is possible substrate of the diffuse periventricular leukomalacia. The enhanced difference in MR signal intensity of centrum semiovale and subplate remnant, observed in damaged children after first year, we interpret as structural plasticity of intact short cortico-cortical fibers, which grow postnatally through U-zones and enter the cortex through the subplate remnant. Our findings indicate that radial distribution of MRI signal abnormalities in the cerebral compartments may be related to lesion of different classes of axonal pathways and have prognostic value for predicting the likely outcome of prenatal and perinatal lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia
| | | | - Vesna Benjak
- Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milošević
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia
| | - Milan Radoš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Zagreb , Croatia
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50
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Schulson M, Liu A, Björkman T, Quinton A, Mann KP, Benzie R, Peek M, Nanan R. Mid-Gestational Enlargement of Fetal Thalami in Women Exposed to Methadone during Pregnancy. Front Surg 2014; 1:28. [PMID: 25593952 PMCID: PMC4286970 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2014.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methadone maintenance therapy is the standard of care in many countries for opioid-dependent women who become pregnant. Despite recent evidence showing significant neurodevelopmental changes in children and adults exposed to both licit and illicit substances in utero, data on the effects of opioids in particular remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of opiate use, in particular methadone, on various fetal cortical and biometric growth parameters in utero using ultrasound measurements done at 18-22 weeks gestation. Head circumference (HC), bi-parietal diameter, lateral ventricle diameter, transcerebellar diameter, thalamic diameter, cisterna magna diameter, and femur length were compared between fetuses born to methadone-maintained mothers and non-substance using controls. A significantly larger thalamic diameter (0.05 cm, p = 0.01) was observed in the opiate-exposed group. Thalamic diameter/HC ratio was also significantly raised (0.03 mm, p = 0.01). We hypothesize here that the increase in thalamic diameter in opiate-exposed fetuses could potentially be explained by regional differences in opioid and serotonin receptor densities, an alteration in monoamine neurotransmitter systems, and an enhancement of the normal growth increase that occurs in the thalamus during mid-gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Schulson
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Anthony Liu
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Tracey Björkman
- Perinatal Research Centre, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland , Herston, QLD , Australia
| | - Ann Quinton
- Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Kristy P Mann
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Sydney , Camperdown, NSW , Australia
| | - Ron Benzie
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Michael Peek
- Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
| | - Ralph Nanan
- Discipline of Paediatrics, Sydney Medical School - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia ; Charles Perkins Centre - Nepean, The University of Sydney , Penrith, NSW , Australia
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