engleski

Insights from in vitro fetal MRI of cerebral development

We have analyzed structural in vitro MRI of transient cellular cerebral zones which are sites of neurogenetic events (proliferation, migration, cell aggregation, growth of axonal pathways and synaptogenesis). During early fetal life, from 9-13 post-conceptual weeks, thick, densely packed cellular ventricular/subventricular zone and ganglionic eminence indicate intensive proliferation of the neuroepithelial stem cells. During the mid and late fetal phase, other cellular zones also became discernable: 1) intermediate as migratory and axonal growth zone ; 2) subplate as synaptic, extracellular matrix rich ‘ waiting’ compartment and 3) cell dense cortical plate with postmigratory neurons. The preterm phase is characterized by growth of cortical, thalamic, and striatal pathways, formation of white matter segments and stratification within the subplate. Thalamocortical fibers cause lamination in the cortical plate forming a substrate of sensory input. The signs of immaturity of the preterm cerebrum are high amount of extracellular space at sites of axonal growth and delineable subplate. Intensity of axonal growth, together with a high, gradient dependent requirement for axonal guidance, is one of the substrates for selective vulnerability of specific segments of cerebral white matter in preterm.

human fetal brain; preterm infant; cerebral pathways; structural magnetic resonance; subplate zone. neurogenetic events

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