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Developmental alterations of the prefrontal cerebral cortex in sudden unexplained perinatal and infant deaths
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Anna Maria Lavezzi
Published/Copyright:
February 6, 2009
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental patterns of the human prefrontal cortex involved in breathing control in a wide cohort of fetal and infant death victims, aged from the 22nd gestational week to 10 months of life, and to evaluate whether morpho-functional disorders are present in this specific cortical area in victims of sudden unexplained death. A further aim was to determine whether prenatal absorption of nicotine could also affect the maturational processes of the prefrontal cortex. A pronounced radial organization of the cerebral wall was evident from the 26th gestational week. By 36 gestational weeks this columnar structure disappeared, coinciding with the formation of a laminar cyto-architecture. The mature cortex, observable from the 4th month of life, was organized horizontally into six laminae. In 33% of the sudden death victims the prefrontal cortex showed morphological alterations with anomalous laminar patterns and delayed neuronal maturation. A significant correlation with prenatal cigarette exposure was found.
Received: 2008-1-25
Revised: 2008-9-8
Accepted: 2008-10-7
Published Online: 2009-02-06
Published Online: 2009-02-06
Published in Print: 2009-05-01
©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
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Keywords for this article
Fetal breathing;
maternal smoking;
prefrontal cortex;
SIDS;
unexplained perinatal death
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