Brain development & disorders Flashcards
What 3 layers does the embryo form after fertilisation?
Tri-laminar disc
- Ectoderm
- Mesoderm
- Endoderm
What happens to ectoderm shortly after formation?
- Ectoderm thickens to form the neural plate
- Neural plate undergoes differential mitosis to cause the formation of a mid-line groove (NEURAL GROOVE)
- The groove deepens and eventually detaches from the overlying ectoderm to form the NEURAL TUBE
- lateral to the neural plate lie presumptive neural crest cells which run dorsolaterally along the neural groove
What do neural crest cells develop to form?
where do they lie?
- presumptive neural crest cells which run dorsolaterally along the neural groove
- they develop to from a number of cell types including:
1. sensory dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord and cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X
2. schawn cells
3. pigment cells
4. adrenal medulla
5. In the neck they form much of the bony skull, meninges and dermis
When does the neural tube close?
4th week
What occurs if the neural tube does not close?
- in spinal cord region
- in cephalic region
What can cause this?
- in spinal cord region causes spina bifida
- in cephalic region causes anencephalus (child often has a brain stem to control reflexes like breathing but does not have forebrain or cerebellum -usually still born or live hours/few days)
-Can be caused by fatty induction or environmental teratogens acting on neuroepithelial cells
(a teratogen is anything that may affect the development of a growing featus)
What is spina bifida?
- Failure of dorsal parts of vertebra to fuse
- 4th week
- usually covered by a patch of skin
What is meningiocele?
When the meninges of the spinal cord bulge between vertebrae without any nerve involvement
- Rare
- Symptoms include an abnormal tuft of hair, a birthmark, or protruding spinal cord tissue.
What is myelomeningeocele?
When the spinal cord protrudes through and causes an opening - therefore cells die
(type of spina bifida)
-Rare
-Symptoms include an abnormal tuft of hair, a birthmark, or protruding spinal cord tissue.
What is anencephalus?
When the cephalus tube does not close properly (4th week)
- this means the child does not have forebrain or cerebellum, often they are stillborn or only live a few hours
- four times more likely in females than males
What is cerebral spinal fluid and where can it be found in the body? What is its function?
- Clear liquid containing protein, urea, glucose and salts
- Can be found in ventricles and subarachnoid spaces
- For protection
How many ventricles are there? Name them
- There are 4 ventricles
- lateral (paired)
- III
- IV
What connects ventricles and subarachnoid space?
Cisterns
Where is csf produced? How much?
CSF is produced as a filtrate at the choroid plexus
- and absorbed via arachnid granulations (vilii of the arachnoid through the dura)
- around 120mls in entire csf
What is hydrocephalus?
- Abnormal accumulation of csf in the brain
- Can be communicating (non-obstructive) or non-communicating (obstructive)
- Often due to blocked cerebral aqueduct (connects III ventricle to IV)
- Can cause skull sutures to widen (up to 4 times normal size)
What is the prosencephalon and what develops from it?
- Fore brain
- telencephalon = develops into cerebral hermispheres
- diencephalon = thalamus and hypothalamus
What is the mesencephalon and what develops from it?
- Mid brain
- Colliculi
What is the rhombenphalon and what develops from it?
- Hind brain
- myelencephalon = medulla
- metencephalon = cerebellum and pons
What neural development occurs at 10w?
10 weeks - cerebral expansion and commissures
What neural development occurs at 3m?
3 months - basic structures are established
What neural development occurs at 5m?
5 months - CNS myelination begins (this continues until adolescence)