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Postnatal neurodevelopmental disorders: meeting at the synapse?

Huda Y Zoghbi1

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Division of Neuroscience, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. hzoghbi@bcm.tmc.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 1, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Some neurodevelopmental disorders, like autism and Rett syndrome, emerge after birth. These conditions may stem from disruptions in postnatal synaptic plasticity, impacting development after a period of normal growth.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders are often presumed to originate prenatally.
  • However, some disorders manifest postnatally after typical development.
  • Autism and Rett syndrome exemplify these later-onset conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore phenotypic and pathogenic similarities between autism and Rett syndrome.
  • To propose a unifying hypothesis for the etiology of these disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of clinical features (phenotype) of autism and Rett syndrome.
  • Examination of underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms (pathogenesis).

Main Results:

  • Identified shared characteristics in the clinical presentation of autism and Rett syndrome.
  • Highlighted commonalities in the pathogenic pathways investigated.

Conclusions:

  • Autism and Rett syndrome share significant phenotypic and pathogenic parallels.
  • Disruption of postnatal, experience-dependent synaptic plasticity is proposed as a common underlying cause.

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