Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis
Sexual differentiation of the developing brain organizes the neural architecture differently between males and females, and the main influence on this process is exposure to gonadal steroids during sensitive periods of prenatal and early postnatal development. Many molecular and cellular processes a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2014-12-01
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| Series: | Neurobiology of Disease |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996114001454 |
| _version_ | 1818574358238461952 |
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| author | Katherine E. Kight Margaret M. McCarthy |
| author_facet | Katherine E. Kight Margaret M. McCarthy |
| author_sort | Katherine E. Kight |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sexual differentiation of the developing brain organizes the neural architecture differently between males and females, and the main influence on this process is exposure to gonadal steroids during sensitive periods of prenatal and early postnatal development. Many molecular and cellular processes are influenced by steroid hormones in the developing brain, including gene expression, cell birth and death, neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis, and synaptic activity. Perturbations in these processes can alter neuronal excitability and circuit activity, leading to increased seizure susceptibility and the promotion of pathological processes that constitute epileptogenesis. In this review, we will provide a general overview of sex differences in the early developing brain that may be relevant for altered seizure susceptibility in early life, focusing on limbic areas of the brain. Sex differences that have the potential to alter the progress of epileptogenesis are evident at molecular and cellular levels in the developing brain, and include differences in neuronal excitability, response to environmental insult, and epigenetic control of gene expression. Knowing how these processes differ between the sexes can help us understand fundamental mechanisms underlying gender differences in seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:25:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33a8c5e95e674f8cb2f3a053a4ad6057 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-953X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:25:32Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neurobiology of Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-33a8c5e95e674f8cb2f3a053a4ad60572022-12-21T22:42:10ZengElsevierNeurobiology of Disease1095-953X2014-12-0172136143Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesisKatherine E. Kight0Margaret M. McCarthy1Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Corresponding author at: University of Maryland School of Medicine, BRB 5-014, 655 West Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Fax: +1 410 706 8341.Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USASexual differentiation of the developing brain organizes the neural architecture differently between males and females, and the main influence on this process is exposure to gonadal steroids during sensitive periods of prenatal and early postnatal development. Many molecular and cellular processes are influenced by steroid hormones in the developing brain, including gene expression, cell birth and death, neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis, and synaptic activity. Perturbations in these processes can alter neuronal excitability and circuit activity, leading to increased seizure susceptibility and the promotion of pathological processes that constitute epileptogenesis. In this review, we will provide a general overview of sex differences in the early developing brain that may be relevant for altered seizure susceptibility in early life, focusing on limbic areas of the brain. Sex differences that have the potential to alter the progress of epileptogenesis are evident at molecular and cellular levels in the developing brain, and include differences in neuronal excitability, response to environmental insult, and epigenetic control of gene expression. Knowing how these processes differ between the sexes can help us understand fundamental mechanisms underlying gender differences in seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996114001454Sexual differentiationBrain developmentSteroid hormonesDepolarizing GABASeizures |
| spellingShingle | Katherine E. Kight Margaret M. McCarthy Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis Neurobiology of Disease Sexual differentiation Brain development Steroid hormones Depolarizing GABA Seizures |
| title | Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| title_full | Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| title_fullStr | Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| title_short | Using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| title_sort | using sex differences in the developing brain to identify nodes of influence for seizure susceptibility and epileptogenesis |
| topic | Sexual differentiation Brain development Steroid hormones Depolarizing GABA Seizures |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996114001454 |
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