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Brain Dysfunction > Lecture 9 - Neurodevelopmental Disorders > Flashcards

Lecture 9 - Neurodevelopmental Disorders Flashcards

1
Q

What are the different stages of brain development ?

A
  1. Cell birth (neurogenesis)
  2. Cell migration
  3. Cell differentiation
  4. Cell maturation (dendrites & axons growth)
  5. Synaptogenesis
  6. Cell death (apoptosis) & synaptic pruning
  7. Myelogenesis
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2
Q

What are neural stem cells ?

A

Undifferentiated cells that develop into brain & spinal cord

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3
Q

When is neurogenesis largely complete ?

A

Around 4.5 months after conception

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4
Q

In which parts of the brain does neurogenesis continue into adulthood ?

A
  • Olfactory bulb
  • Hippocampus
  • Striatum
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5
Q

From where do stem cells migrate to the developing parts of the brain ?

A

From neural tube/subventricular zone

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6
Q

How do cells ‘know’ where to migrate ?

A

Following road formed by radial cells

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7
Q

How long does migration continue after birth ?

A

Around 8 months

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8
Q

How do layers develop during cell migration ?

A

From the inside out

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9
Q

Into what types do migrated cells differentiate ?

A

Neurons or glia cells

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10
Q

When is cell differentiation essentially complete ?

A

At birth

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11
Q

What are the key processes involved in neural maturation ?

A
  • Dendritic arborization (branching)
  • Growth of dendritic spines
  • Growth of dendrites, axons & synapses
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12
Q

When does neural maturation begin and how long does it continue ?

A
  • Begins prenatally
  • May continue into adulthood
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13
Q

What are the neurobiological processes underlying the critical period of plasticity ?

A
  • Onset : inhibition-excitation balance & deprivation
  • Duration : pruning, rewiring & environmental enrichment
  • Closure : structural brakes, functional brakes epigenetics silence genes rewiring & attentional arousal
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14
Q

What are the key features of neural development in the adolescent brain ?

A
  • Rapid synaptic pruning & growth of connections
  • Especially in PFC
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15
Q

What neural changes occur during adolescence ?

A
  • Differences in GM & WM volume
  • Changes in levels of dopamine & GABA
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16
Q

What are some types of abnormal brain development ?

A
  • Anencephaly
  • Holoprosencephaly
  • Lissencephaly
  • Micropolygria
  • Microencephaly
  • Porencephaly
  • Heterotopia
  • Callosal agenesis
  • Cerebellar agenesis
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17
Q

What’s brain plasticity ?

A

Nervous system’s potential for physical or chemical change that enhances its adaptability to environmental change & its ability to compensate for injury

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18
Q

What are epigenetic changes & can they be inherited ?

A
  • Altered gene methylation & gene expression
  • Can cross to subsequent generations
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19
Q

What internal factors influence brain development ?

A
  • Hormones
  • Injury
  • Nutrients
  • Microbiota
  • Gestational stress
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20
Q

What external factors influence brain development ?

A
  • Environment : exposure to complex vs impoverished environment
  • Experiences : adverse childhood experiences
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21
Q

How does diet and nutrition affect brain development ?

A
  • Gene expression (dry/rainy season)
  • Gut microbiome (& immune function) : brain development, myelination, formation of blood-brain barrier
  • Iron deficiency : anxiety, ADHD…
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22
Q

What are the effects of lead poisoning on brain development ?

A
  • ADHD
  • Autism
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23
Q

How does early visual deprivation affect vision ?

A
  • Long-lasting impairment of vision after optical defects are corrected
  • Amblyopia
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24
Q

How does socioeconomic status (SES) affect brain development ?

A
  • High SES : exposure to more words , more one-on-one conversations, child-directed speech
  • Low SES : associated with lower cortical volumes in frontal, temporal & parietal cortex
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25
How does early auditory experience shape language development ?
- Shape brain's ability to distinguish sounds of native language
26
Why does language often survive early left-hemisphere injury ?
Appropriation of language zone in R hemisphere
27
What often survives early left-hemisphere injury in the brain ?
Language
28
What is a possible consequence of the right hemisphere taking over language functions after early left-hemisphere injury ?
Impaired visuospatial orientation
29
What principle explains the greater recovery from brain lesions during infancy compared to adulthood ?
Kennard principle
30
How does the developmental stage of injury affect recovery from brain injury ?
Recovery depends on developmental stage : - <1 year : large impairement - 1-5 years : reorganization of brain function - >5 years : little or no improvement
31
What factors influence recovery from brain injury ?
- Developmental stage of injury - Location & extend of damage - Age of assessment - Type of behavior affected - Sensory experience - Hormones - Neurotrophic factors
32
To what condition are linked temporal lobe & area TE damage ?
- Temporal lobe : autism - Area TE : ADHD
33
What are the mechanisms involved in brain recovery after injury ?
- Changes in the organization of the remaining intact brain circuits - Generation of new circuitry - Generation of neurons & glia to replace at least some lost neurons
34
What are some examples of neurotrophic factors influencing brain recovery ?
- Tactile stimulation - Complex housing
35
What is the incidence rate of neurodevelopmental disorders ?
17-25 %
36
What areas can neurodevelopmental disorders affect ?
- Motor behavior (cerebral palsy) - General intellectual functioning - Learning - Attention (ADHD) - Social behavior (autism) - Communication
37
How are intellectual disabilities diagnosed ?
- Standardized IQ testing - Neuropsychological evaluation - Assessment of adaptative behaviors
38
Describe the characteristics of mild intellectual disability
- Emerge after during school years - Slower development but able to function with minimal support - Causes : head injury, stroke, infections
39
Describe the characteristics of moderate intellectual disability
- Major delays in development - Able to understand speech & live in a supervised or group home
40
Describe the characteristics of severe intellectual disability
- Limited ability to communicate - Physical limitations - Need of constant care - Causes : prenatal/congenital anomalies
41
What are some examples of intellectual disabilities ?
- Cerebral palsy - Hydrocephalus - Fragile X syndrome - Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder - Down syndrome
42
What are the different types of communication disorders ?
- Language disorder - Speech sound disorder - Childhood-onset speech disorder (sluttering) - Social communication disorder
43
What are some specific neurodevelopmental disorders ?
- Reading disabilities - Mathematical disabilities - Developmental coordination disorder (clumsy child syndrome)
44
What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy ?
- Spasticity (involuntary muscle activity, limbs resist being moved) - Athetosis (slow involuntary movements) - Rigidity - Ataxia (uncoordinated voluntary movements) - Impairments in cognitive, emotional functioning (irritability, epilepsy, speech production
45
What causes cerebral palsy ?
- Blood clots - Brain trauma during fetal development or birth (up to 5 years postnatal) - Infections - Traumatic brain injury - Prematurity - Oxygen depravation at birth
46
What are the underlying neural mechanisms of cerebral palsy ?
Lesions of corticospinal tracts, basal ganglia, brainstem, cerebellum
47
What is infant hydrocephalus & what causes it ?
- Hydrocephalus : condition involving accumulation of CSF in brain's ventricles - Causes : malformation, tumor or infection cause blockage of CSF (cerebral aqueduct, intraventricular foramen or 4th ventricle)
48
What are the symptoms of infant hydrocephalus ?
- Severe motor/mental disabilities - Dementia - Coma/death
49
What are the underlying neural mechanisms of infant hydrocephalus ?
- Damage to the cortex due to expansion - Cortex can be stretched but not damaged
50
How is infant hydrocephalus treated ?
Draining the ventricles
51
What are the symptoms of fragile X-syndrome ?
- Low ears, high forehead - Learning impairement, hyperactivity - Boys > Girls
52
What causes fragile X-syndrome ?
- Genetic abnormality of the FMR1 gene
53
What are the treatments for fragile X-syndrome ?
- Glutamate antagonists or GABA agonists - Gene replacement/reactivation (under investigation)
54
What are the symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder ?
- Physical malformations, facial features - Intellectual impairements, hyperactivity, social problems
55
What causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder ?
- Alcohol use (worst during first 3 months of pregnancy) - Epigenetic changes in sperm of father due to alcohol use
56
What are the underlying neural mechanisms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder ?
- General effects on cell division & maturation - Epigenetic effects - Small brains with abnormal gyri - Misaligned cells in the cortex
57
What are the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders ?
- Impoverished social interaction, narrow play - Insistence on "sameness" & routines - Repeated & stereotypical body movements - Inability to cope with new situations & habituate to ongoing events - Subts facial anomalies - Sometimes exceptional memory or mathematical abilities
58
What causes autism spectrum disorders ?
Several theories : - Highly heritable & epigenetic factors, gene mutations (fragilex) - Toxins, pollution, microbiome - Bacterial/virus infections, vitamin deficiency
59
What are the underlying neural mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder ?
- Alterations in glutamate/GABA balance - Alterations in somatosensory system, impairment in learning system - Differential development of cingulate cortex - Central brain stem/pons development - Maturation of HOSA1 gene : brain stem & cerebellar development
60
What are the symptoms of ADHD ?
- Impulsivity, hyperactivity : excessive talking, running... - Inattention : avoiding tasks, distractability... - Creative, flexible & good at task-switching
61
What causes ADHD ?
Several theories : - Brain damage - Encephalitis (infection) - Genetic - Toxins - Home/school environment
62
What are the underlying neural mechanisms of ADHD ?
- Delayed development of frontal cortex (self-regulation, inhibition) - Dysfunction of motivational circuit (reward delay discounting) - Reduced orbitofrontal GM - Deficiencied of dopamine, noradrenaline & serotonin - Dopamine dysregulation in basal ganglia & frontal cortex
63
What are the treatments for ADHD ?
- Methylphenidate & dexamphetamine - Cognitive enhancer - stability/flexibility

Brain Dysfunction (13 decks)

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