Development and Neurobiology Columns
Our understanding of the biological and environmental factors that influence brain development has grown dramatically over recent years. Advances in genetics have begun to clarify the molecular basis of not only single gene disorders, such as fragile X syndrome, but also more complex phenotypes such as dyslexia and schizophrenia. New neuroimaging techniques show us the shapes and sizes of brain nuclei, the concentrations of neurotransmitters, and the changes in neuronal activity within the brain while it is actually completing tasks. I have worked more recently with Dr. Marilee Ogren to expand on the original columns and we now present all of the columns below. These are complex topics that we have tried to make available to the general public as well as scientists interested in areas they may not have explored before. Happy reading, and let us know if you would like to see more of these columns at this site.
Columns by Topic
Cerebral Cortex
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 1: Forming the Cortical Structure
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 2: Lissencephaly
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 3: The Reeler Mutation
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 4: Transcription Factors
-
Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 5: Transcription Factors and Brain Development
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 6: Growth Factors: I
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 7: Growth Factors: II
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 8: Apoptosis: Neuronal Hari-Kari
-
Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 9: Cortical Development and Experience: I
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 10: Cortical Development and Experience: II
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 11: Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 12: Stress and Brain Development: I
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 13: Stress and Brain Development: II
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 14: Stress Impairs Prefrontal Cortical Function
- Development of the Cerebral Cortex, part 15: Sexual Differentiation of the Central Nervous System
Childhood Disorders
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 1: Genetics and Intelligence
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 2: Genetics and Intelligence
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 3: Genetics and Intelligence
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 4: Linkage Analysis
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 5: Nonparametric Methods of Genetics Analysis
-
Genetics of Childhood Disorders 6: FISH, FISH, and More FISH
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 7: Cloning Genes of Interest
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 8: Making Sense Out of Nonsense
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 9: Triplet Repeat Disorders
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 10: Huntington Disease
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 11: Fragile X Syndrome
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 12: Genomic Imprinting, part 1
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 13: Genomic Imprinting, part 2
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 14: News Flash: A Gene for Rett Syndrome
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 15: Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Genetics of Childhood Disorders 16: Angelman Syndrome
ADHD
- ADHD, part 1: The Executive Functions and ADHD
-
ADHD, part 2: Norepinephrine has a Critical Influence on Prefrontal Cortical Function
-
ADHD, part 3: Is ADHD a Noradrenergic Disorder?
-
ADHD, part 4: Is ADHD Genetically Heterogenous?
-
ADHD, part 5: A Behavioral Genetic Perspective
-
ADHD, part 6: Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene
-
ADHD, part 7: The Serotonin System
- ADHD, part 8: Hyperdopaminergic Mice as an Animal Model of ADHD
Autoimmunity
- Autoimmunity, part 1
-
Autoimmunity, part 2: Molecular Mimicry
-
Autoimmunity, part 3: Myasthenia gravis and Rasmussen's encephalitis
-
Autoimmunity, part 4: Is Sydenham Chorea an Autoimmune Disorder?
-
Autoimmunity, part 5: Streptococcal Infection and Autoimmunity, an Epidemiological Perspective
-
Autoimmunity, part 6: Poststreptococcal Autoimmunity
-
Autoimmunity, part 7: D8/17 Reactivity as an Immunological Marker of susceptibility to Neuropsychiatric disorders
- Autoimmunity, part 8: Animal models of Noninflammatory Autoimmune Disorders of the Brain
Stem Cell
Autism
-
Autism, part 1: Diagnosis and Assessment in Autistic Spectrum Disorders
-
Autism, part 2: Neural Foundations
-
Autism, part 3: Psychopharmacology of Autism
-
Autism, part 4: Serotonin in Autism
-
Autism, part 5: Genetics of Autism
- Autism, part 6: Duplication and Inherited Susceptibility of Chromosome 15q11-q13 Genes in Autism
Learning
-
Learning and Memory, part 1: Fragile X Syndrome Update
-
Learning and Memory, part 2: Multiple Memory Systems
-
Learning and Memory, part 3: Fear Conditioning
-
Learning and Memory, part 4: Human Cognitive Disorders and the ras/ERK/CREB Pathway
-
Learning and Memory, part 5: Human Cognitive Disorders and the ras/ERK/CREB Pathway
-
Learning and Memory, part 6: Induction of Long-Term Potentiation
- Learning and Memory, part 7: Maintenance of Long-Term Potentiation
-
Learning and Memory, part 1: Brain Regions Involved in Two Types of Learning and Memory
- Learning and Memory, part 2: Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity
Other
-
Velocardiofacial Syndrome
-
Williams Syndrome, part 1: Williams Syndrome and Brain-Behavior Relationships
- Williams Syndrome, part 2: Genes and Cognition in Williams Syndrome
- A Gene for Expressive Language
-
Prenatal Drug Exposure: Prenatal Drug Exposure
-
Epigenetics, part 1: Maternal Behavior Permanently Affects Adult Behavior in Offspring
-
Epigenetics, part 2: Molecular Mechanisms
-
Fragile X Syndrome, part 1: Keys to the Molecular Genetics of Synaptic Plasticity
- Fragile X Syndrome, part 2: Reversing the Effects of Fragile X Syndrome
-
Heterogeneity and Homogeneity across the Autism Spectrum
-
Conceptualizing Autism: The Role for Emergence