engleski

What the early brain lesions can tell us about brain-behavior relationship

Despite an increased interest in studying the impact of early brain lesions on later development there are still many opened questions about brain-behavior relationship. Difficulties in finding clear-cut connections between lesion characteristics and outcome, point to the complexity of this relationship. However, there is plenty of evidence that lesions acquired up to the age of 10 have a better outcome from those sustained later. Better prospects for recovery can be ascribed to brain plasticity phenomena. But sometimes negative consequences persist permanently which raises a question of brain plasticity limitations. A possible explanation of this fact will be given with detailed description of 5 cases of early brain injury. All subjects had left or right hemisphere lesion of ischemic origin, namely infarct of middle cerebral artery (MCA) sustained during prenatal or perinatal period. Tree subjects had suffered left and two right hemisphere MCA infarct. In all cases ultrasound scan, cerebral-blood-flow-velocity measurement (Pulsating Color Doppler Ultrasound) and CT (or MRI) were performed as a part of neuropediatrical follow-up. Language and cognitive development were assessed at least twice by means of Croatian version of MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories and Munich Developmental Functional Diagnostics. The results showed no straight connection between lesion parameters and later cognitive and language development. Although all children had massive brain lesions, some of them had lower and others higher cognitive and language functioning. It seems that available information or facts often used in studies of brain lesions are to simplified. It is of great importance to take into account a complex interaction between brain development events, lesion characteristics and environmental factors influence.

early brain lesions; behavior; language development; cognitive development

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