Regulation of cortical neuron development by early neurotransmission
The mature cerebral cortex is organized in modular functional units which process neuronal inputs through stereotyped connexions between projection and local-circuit neurons. The generation of this complex network results from concerted developmental processes orchestrated by series of genetic and epigenetic factors. The structural organization of cortical connectivity is established early during brain development. Among other epigenetic factors, the chemical neurotransmitter maturing during the embryonic brain development could modulate the positioning and the survival of cortical neurons, as well as the development and stabilisation of the arborization of their processes and synaptic connections. The monoaminergic systems (e.g. serotoninergic or dopaminergic) are among the first to differentiate in the brainstem and to grow projections diffusely in the brain, including the cerebral cortex. Several neurological and psychiatric disorders are associated with alterated serotonin or dopamine neurotransmission. Several of these disorders are known to have developmental origins. A neurobiological approach to understanding the ethiology of these pathological processes relies on the structural and functional study of animal models with specific neurotransmitter defects during development. Studies of the human monoaminergic system support the hypothesis that similar mechanims occur in pathological conditions.
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