Model studies of perinatal insults: a comprehensive approach to behavioural teratology

The perinatal brain provides a vulnerable target for many noxious insults that interfere--according to their intensity, specificity and timing--with morphogenetic (cell proliferation, migration, association and programmed cell death) and functiogenetic (axogenesis, dendrogenesis, synaptogenesis and myelination) processes. The disturbance of brain cells and/or disorganization of their connections give rise to structural, biochemical and functional pathology most frequently detected in the form of behavioural deviations. For the study of behavioural teratogenicity of perinatal malnutrition, protein synthesis alteration and glucocorticoid administration--all being also important clinically--metabolic, cytotoxic and receptor-mediated models have been designed. The longitudinal follow--up of morphological, neurochemical, endocrine, reproductive, and behavioural changes proved to be valuable for the elucidation of pathogenetic mechanisms as well as for the evaluation of pharmacological influences preventing maldevelopment of the brain.