Summary: A new study reveals how morphological changes in the brain help to shape its neural networks.
Source: Newcastle University.
How morphological changes help shape the human connectome.
Exactly when and where individual neurons develop is as important to our understanding of brain diseases as the underlying genetics, experts have shown.
New research from Newcastle University, UK, and published today in the academic journal Trends in Cognitive Science, shows for the first time how morphological changes in the brain help shape its neural networks – the human connectome.
Carrying out a review of brain research carried out over the past 15 years, the study shows that in addition to genetic and environmental drivers, the exact time of development of each neuron and its position in the brain are key to ensuring the right connections are made.
Ultimately determining how the brain is wired as an adult, changes in cognition and behaviour for developmental diseases such as schizophrenia, autism, and ADHD are linked to changes in the network organisation in the brain.
Study author Marcus Kaiser, Professor of Neuroinformatics at Newcastle University, explains:
“A great deal of work has been done on genetic factors of developmental brain disorders but the importance of the spatial layout and of the exact time when regions and connections originate during brain development has largely been forgotten.
“In fact, our work shows that time and space during brain maturation are critical and if we can better understand these physical changes then it could lead to new treatments and better diagnosis of a variety of conditions.”