Synaptic development of the cerebral cortex: implications for learning, memory, and mental illness

Rakić, Paško; Bourgeois, Jean-Pierre; Goldman‐Rakic, Patricia S.

doi:10.1016/s0079-6123(08)60543-9

Cited by 495 publications

(304 citation statements)

References 68 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

282

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…We speculate that it may be driven at least partially by the process of synaptic pruning (43) together with trophic glial and vascular changes and͞or cell shrinkage (44). Thus, region-specific differences in GM maturation may result from the underlying heterochronous synaptic pruning in the cortex, as has been shown in the primate and human cerebral cortical development (18,(45)(46)(47)(48). Interestingly, in the frontal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex matures last, coinciding with its later myelination, demonstrating that pruning myelination may often occur in parallel.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood

Gogtay

Giedd

Lusk

et al. 2004

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

4,823

258

3,811

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report the dynamic anatomical sequence of human cortical gray matter development between the age of 4 -21 years using quantitative four-dimensional maps and time-lapse sequences. Thirteen healthy children for whom anatomic brain MRI scans were obtained every 2 years, for 8 -10 years, were studied. By using models of the cortical surface and sulcal landmarks and a statistical model for gray matter density, human cortical development could be visualized across the age range in a spatiotemporally detailed time-lapse sequence. The resulting time-lapse ''movies'' reveal that (i) higher-order association cortices mature only after lower-order somatosensory and visual cortices, the functions of which they integrate, are developed, and (ii) phylogenetically older brain areas mature earlier than newer ones. Direct comparison with normal cortical development may help understanding of some neurodevelopmental disorders such as childhood-onset schizophrenia or autism.H uman brain development is structurally and functionally a nonlinear process (1-3), and understanding normal brain maturation is essential for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders (4, 5). The heteromodal nature of cognitive brain development is evident from studies of neurocognitive performance (6, 7), functional imaging (functional MRI or positronemission tomography) (8-10), and electroencephalogram coherence studies (1, 2, 10). Prior imaging studies show regional nonlinear changes in gray matter (GM) density during childhood and adolescence with prepubertal increase followed by postpubertal loss (11)(12)(13)(14). The GM density on MRI is an indirect measure of a complex architecture of glia, vasculature, and neurons with dendritic and synaptic processes. Studies of GM maturation show a loss in cortical GM density over time (15,16), which temporally correlates with postmortem findings of increased synaptic pruning during adolescence and early adulthood (17-19). Here we present a study of cortical GM development in children and adolescents by using a brain-mapping technique and a prospectively studied sample of 13 healthy children (4-21 years old), who were scanned with MRI every 2 years for 8-10 years. Because the scans were obtained repeatedly on the same subjects over time, statistical extrapolation of points in between scans enabled construction of an animated time-lapse sequence (''movie'') of pediatric brain development. We hypothesized that GM development in childhood through early adulthood would be nonlinear as described before and would progress in a localized, region-specific manner coinciding with the functional maturation. We also predicted that the regions associated with more primary functions (e.g., primary motor cortex) would develop earlier compared with the regions that are involved with more complex and integrative tasks (e.g., temporal lobe).The result is a dynamic map of GM maturation in the pre-and postpubertal period. Our results, while highlighting the remarkable heterogeneity, show that the cortical GM development appears to f...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood

Gogtay

Giedd

Lusk

et al. 2004

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

4,823

258

3,811

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During early postnatal life, apoptosis (Simonati, Rosso, & Rizzuto, 1997;Williams & Rakic, 1988) and pruning of both redundant neuronal processes and non-functional dendritic synapses (Herschkowitz, 1988;Huttenlocher, 1979;Huttenlocher, De Courten, Garey, & van der Loos, 1982;Purves & Lichtman, 1980) are probably the most significant determinants of regional volumes. By eliminating redundant neuronal processes, dendritic branches, and supernumerary synaptic spines, pruning supports learning and development of psychomotor skills (Bock & Braun, 1998;Bock & Braun, 1999;Nixdorf-Bergweiler, Wallhausser-Franke, & DeVoogd, 1995;Rakic, Bourgeois, & Goldman-Rakic, 1994;Rausch & Scheich, 1982;Rollenhagen & Bischof, 1994;Wallhausser & Scheich, 1987). Moreover, human postmortem studies of the cerebral cortex have demonstrated a 40-50% decrease in synaptic density in frontal and parietal cortices between infancy and late adolescence (Huttenlocher, 1979;Huttenlocher, 1984;Huttenlocher & de Courten, 1987).…”

Section: Possible Ultrastructural Determinantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlates of intellectual ability with morphology of the hippocampus and amygdala in healthy adults

Amat

Bansal

Whiteman

et al. 2008

Brain and Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several prior imaging studies of healthy adults have correlated volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala with measures of general intelligence (IQ), with variable results. In this study, we assessed correlations between volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala and full-scale IQ scores (FSIQ) using a method of image analysis that permits detailed regional mapping of this correlation throughout the surface contour of these brain structures. We delineated the hippocampus and amygdala in high-resolution magnetic resonance images of the brain from 34 healthy individuals. We then correlated FSIQ with overall volumes and with the surface morphologies of each of these structures. Hippocampus volumes correlated significantly and inversely with FSIQ independently of gender, age, socioeconomic status, and whole brain volume. Left and right hippocampus volumes correlated respectively with verbal and performance IQ subscales. Higher IQs were significantly associated with large inward deformations of the surface of the anterior hippocampus bilaterally. These findings suggest that a smaller anterior hippocampus contributes to an increased efficiency of neural processing that subserves overall intelligence.

show abstract

“…Brain development continues into adolescence, being characterized by continued maturation of neural systems, which encompasses neuroproliferation, apoptosis, and a severe loss of synaptic connections (Altman and Bayer, 1990;Bayer et al, 1982;Bayer, 1983;Huttenlocher, 1990;McWilliams and Lynch, 1983;Rakic et al, 1994). More specifically, the maturation of central cholinergic systems involved in learning, memory, and psychostimulant responses is consolidated during the periadolescent period Nadler et al, 1974;Zahalka et al, 1993), and an important aspect of this period is that neuronal stimulation induces synaptic rearrangement (Scheetz and Constantine-Paton, 1994), which indicates that adolescent brain is vulnerable to central nervous system stimulants.…”

Section: Neurobiology Of Nicotine Vs Ethanol Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Exposure to Nicotine and Ethanol in Adolescent Mice Differentially Affects Anxiety Levels during Exposure, Short-Term, and Long-Term Withdrawal

Abreu‐Villaça

Nunes

Queiroz-Gomes

et al. 2007

Neuropsychopharmacol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages are frequently associated during adolescence. This association could be explained by the cumulative behavioral effects of nicotine and ethanol, particularly those related to anxiety levels. However, despite epidemiological findings, there have been few animal studies of the basic neurobiology of the combined exposure in the adolescent brain. In the present work we assessed, through the use of the elevated plus maze, the short-and long-term anxiety effects of nicotine (NIC) and/or ethanol (ETOH) exposure during adolescence (from the 30th to the 45th postnatal day) in four groups of male and female C57BL/6 mice: (1) Concomitant NIC (nicotine free-base solution (50 mg/ml) in 2% saccharin to drink) and ETOH (ethanol solution (25%, 2 g/kg) i.p. injected every other day) exposure; (2) NIC exposure; (3) ETOH exposure; (4) Vehicle. C57BL/6 mice were selected, in spite of the fact that they present slower ethanol metabolism, because they readily consume nicotine in the concentration used in the present study. During exposure (45th postnatal day: PN45), our results indicated that ethanol was anxiolytic in adolescent mice and that nicotine reverted this effect. Short-term drug withdrawal (PN50) elicited sex-dependent effects: exposure to nicotine and/or ethanol was anxiogenic only for females. Although neither nicotine nor ethanol effects persisted up to 1 month postexposure (PN75), the coadministration elicited an anxiogenic response. In spite of the fact that generalizations based on the results from a single strain of mice are prone to shortcomings, our results suggest that the deficient response to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol in adolescents co-exposed to nicotine may drive higher ethanol consumption. Additionally, increased anxiety during long-term smoking and drinking withdrawal may facilitate relapse to drug use.

show abstract

Synaptic development of the cerebral cortex: implications for learning, memory, and mental illness

Cited by 495 publications

References 68 publications

Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood

Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood

Correlates of intellectual ability with morphology of the hippocampus and amygdala in healthy adults

Combined Exposure to Nicotine and Ethanol in Adolescent Mice Differentially Affects Anxiety Levels during Exposure, Short-Term, and Long-Term Withdrawal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About