Neurodevelopmental Disorders Flashcards

1
Q

Neurodevelopmental disorders

A

A group of disorders that affect the development of the nervous system leading to abnormal brain function which may affect emotion, learning, ability, self-control, and memory

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2
Q

ASD

A

are a group of developmental disabilities that cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

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3
Q

Three core deficits of ASD

A
  1. Impaired social interaction
  2. Impaired language and communication
  3. Repetitive and stereotypical behaviors and severely restricted interests
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4
Q

ASD treatment options

A

-focuses on reducing symptoms
-behavioral interventions: undertaken early in life, intensive delivery format, gold-standard treatment for behavioral symptoms associated with ASDs
-Medications: Risperidone: adult antipsychotic treatment of irritability and aripiprazole

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5
Q

Mind blind hypothesis

A

Inability of mentalizing in ASDs is associated with impaired neural circuits underlying social cognition

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6
Q

Anatomy of ASD

A
  • social: fronto-temporal and frontoparietal regions, amygdala
    -communication: basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, motor area
    Repetitive behavior: basal ganglia, thalamus
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7
Q

Early brain overgrowth in ASD during early childhood

A

The brain of ASD patients is larger in volume than the brain of typically developing children, suggesting an atypical trajectory of maturation

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8
Q

Dendritic Spine pathology in ASF

A

In ASD, exaggerated spine formation or incomplete pruning may occur in childhood leading to increased spine numbers

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9
Q

What is some evidence of defects in synaptic pruning in ASD brains

A

Increased dendritic spine density in pyramidal neurons of the temporal lobe

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10
Q

Twin studies in ASD

A

Establish the importance if genetics in autism

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11
Q

Fragile X syndrome

A

Leading monogenjc cause of intellectual disability and autism

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12
Q

Cause of fragile X syndrome

A

Mutations in the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene that is located in the X chromosome

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13
Q

Abnormality in FMR1 Gene

A

-A trinucleotide repeat expansion (>200 CGG) within the 5’ untranslated region if the FMR1 gene causes hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing

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14
Q

FMRP protein

A

-RNA binding protein that shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm of neuronal cells
-involved in the transport of mRNAs and their translation to synapses
-FMRP can also be involved in the nuclear RNA interference pathway that is associated with non-coding RNAs to suppress gene expression

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15
Q

Altered synaptic pruning without FMRP

A

FMRP regulates the synthesis of structural proteins or signaling proteins that are important for stabilizing and maturing developing synapses

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16
Q

Hyper-excitability in FXS

A

-FXS hyperexcitability is apparent in elevated neuronal firing frequency
-FMRP can indirectly regulate neurotransmitter release by controlling the action potential peak and duration, which in turn determine the amplitude and duration or presynaptic calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels
-Dendritic excitability is governed mainly by ion channels, a number of which are dysregulated in the absence of FMRP

17
Q

More than just neurons

A

-Altered NSC proliferation, fate specification , and maintenance
-Stunted dendritic morphogenesis and altered axon targeting -> reduced synaptogenesis and altered circuit integration
-altered astrocyte-neuron interactions
-impaired white matter development and myelination