Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change
The consequences of alcohol drinking during pregnancy are dramatic and usually referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This condition is one of the main causes of intellectual disability in Western countries. The immature fetal brain exposed to ethanol undergoes massive neuron death....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/10/2992 |
| _version_ | 1811284090272350208 |
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| author | Alberto Granato Benjamin Dering |
| author_facet | Alberto Granato Benjamin Dering |
| author_sort | Alberto Granato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The consequences of alcohol drinking during pregnancy are dramatic and usually referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This condition is one of the main causes of intellectual disability in Western countries. The immature fetal brain exposed to ethanol undergoes massive neuron death. However, the same mechanisms leading to cell death can also be responsible for changes of developmental plasticity. As a consequence of such a maladaptive plasticity, the functional damage to central nervous system structures is amplified and leads to permanent sequelae. Here we review the literature dealing with experimental FASD, focusing on the alterations of the cerebral cortex. We propose that the reciprocal interaction between cell death and maladaptive plasticity represents the main pathogenetic mechanism of the alcohol-induced damage to the developing brain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:23:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1e05ecb0db04a4485feb06372784ce0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:23:24Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1e05ecb0db04a4485feb06372784ce02022-12-22T03:06:52ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1422-00672018-09-011910299210.3390/ijms19102992ijms19102992Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors ChangeAlberto Granato0Benjamin Dering1Department of Psychology, Catholic University, Largo A. Gemelli 1, 20123 Milan, ItalyFaculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UKThe consequences of alcohol drinking during pregnancy are dramatic and usually referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This condition is one of the main causes of intellectual disability in Western countries. The immature fetal brain exposed to ethanol undergoes massive neuron death. However, the same mechanisms leading to cell death can also be responsible for changes of developmental plasticity. As a consequence of such a maladaptive plasticity, the functional damage to central nervous system structures is amplified and leads to permanent sequelae. Here we review the literature dealing with experimental FASD, focusing on the alterations of the cerebral cortex. We propose that the reciprocal interaction between cell death and maladaptive plasticity represents the main pathogenetic mechanism of the alcohol-induced damage to the developing brain.http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/10/2992fetal alcoholGABAethanolcerebral cortexpyramidal neuronsapoptosis |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Granato Benjamin Dering Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change International Journal of Molecular Sciences fetal alcohol GABA ethanol cerebral cortex pyramidal neurons apoptosis |
| title | Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change |
| title_full | Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change |
| title_fullStr | Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change |
| title_short | Alcohol and the Developing Brain: Why Neurons Die and How Survivors Change |
| title_sort | alcohol and the developing brain why neurons die and how survivors change |
| topic | fetal alcohol GABA ethanol cerebral cortex pyramidal neurons apoptosis |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/10/2992 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT albertogranato alcoholandthedevelopingbrainwhyneuronsdieandhowsurvivorschange AT benjamindering alcoholandthedevelopingbrainwhyneuronsdieandhowsurvivorschange |