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Neurotransmitters and vulnerability of the developing brain
1Department of Neurology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Brain & Development
|September 1, 1995
Summary
The developing brain has critical periods of vulnerability due to ongoing organizational changes. Understanding these windows helps explain neuropathology in infants and fetuses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- The immature human brain undergoes significant organizational changes during development.
- These changes create specific temporal windows of vulnerability to injury.
- Examples include germinal matrix hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain neuropathology in the developing brain based on organizational principles.
- To highlight the selective vulnerability of the immature brain to certain insults.
- To discuss the role of developmental changes in synaptic plasticity and receptor function.
Main Methods:
- Review of developmental neurobiology principles.
- Analysis of synaptic development and glutamate receptor changes.
- Correlation of developmental changes with neuropathological outcomes.
Main Results:
- Immature brains exhibit unique vulnerabilities, such as germinal matrix hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia.
- Synaptic development involves overproduction followed by pruning, with altered glutamate receptor (NMDA) characteristics.
- Immature NMDA receptors are more easily activated and stay open longer, increasing vulnerability to excitotoxicity.
Conclusions:
- Developmental organizational principles explain selective neuropathological vulnerabilities in the immature brain.
- Changes in synaptic structure and function, particularly NMDA receptor properties, contribute to injury susceptibility.
- Understanding these principles is crucial for diagnosing and potentially preventing brain injury in neonates and fetuses.