New data about embryonic and fetal neurodevelopment and behavior obtained by 3D and 4D sonography

The development of the human central nervous system (CNS) begins in the early embryonic period and proceeds through a sequence of very complicated processes long after delivery. Although the neurodevelopmental processes are genetically determined, their complexity and intensity implicates the vulnerability of the CNS to number of environmental factors. There is substantial evidence to show that many neurological problems, from minor cerebral dysfunction to the cerebral palsy, originate form the prenatal, rather than perinatal or postnatal periods of life. A variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases is nowadays considered to originate, at least partly, from the prenatal incidents. In most of these conditions, there is no reliable parameter for detection or prediction of cerebral lesions and there is an urgent need to develop strategies that would enable the early detection of cerebral lesions or indications that such lesions might occur. The new, advanced, imaging techniques such as 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional sonography, opened a new perspective for the investigation of structural and functional development of fetal CNS. The application of these techniques might improve our understanding of the prenatal neurodevelopmental events and possibly facilitate the development of diagnostic strategies for early detection or prevention of brain dysfunctions and damage.