OTD 341

Nolte Ch. 2

Development of the Nervous System

Introduction to Neurodevelopment

 Why learn about the development of the nervous system?

1. _____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

 Neurodevelopment is an amazing phenomenon- billions of neurons are formed

(________________), migrate to final destinations, and then begin making
connections with other neurons
 Development of the nervous system is not complete at birth; myelin, especially,
is being created
Neural Tube Formation (____________ ______________)

1. Chemical signals in 3rd week of embryonic development lead to formation of

____________ ___________, a thickened portion of ectoderm
2. Neural plate folds inward to form the ___________ ___________ in the midline
with ________ ___________ on each side
3. At the beginning of the 4th week, neural folds fuse in midline to form the neural
tube
4. Entire neural tube is closed by end of 4th week in typical development
a. What is the significance of this timeframe?

5. Neural tube gives rise to nearly entire CNS; cavity inside tube gives rise to
ventricular system (in the brain) and central canal (spinal cord).
6. As neural tube closes, it separates from ectoderm (skin) and leaves groups of
cells from crest of neural folds called _________ ___________ ________
a. Neural crest cells give rise to a variety of cell types including much of the
PNS: dorsal root ganglia (sensory neurons), autonomic ganglia, adrena
medulla, some cranial nerves, etc.

Secondary Neurulation

 Once neural tube closes, a secondary cavity forms into cells caudally during ___
and ____ weeks.
 This forms the sacral spinal cord region

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Sulcus Limitans

 Longitudinal groove in wall of neural tube in 4 th week

 This separates neural tube, and eventually brain and spinal cord, into a dorsal
half and a ventral half
o Dorsal to sulcus limitans is the ________ plate and this has ___________
functions
o Ventral to sulcus limitans is the ___________ plate and this has ________
functions

Embryonic Vesicles & Flexures

 Bulges and bends appear in the neural tube near the rostral end
 During 4th week, 3 bulges, or primary vesicles, are present in neural tube
 During 5th week, 5 secondary vesicles are apparent

Primary Vesicle Secondary Vesicle Neural Derivatives Cavity

Prosencephalon Cerebral Lateral ventricles
(forebrain) hemispheres
Thalamus, 3rd ventricle
hypothalamus,
retina, etc.
Mesencephalon Midbrain Cerebral aqueduct

Rhombencephalon Metencephalon Pons, cerebellum

(hindbrain)
Myelencephalon

 Flexures in the neural tube

o Cervical flexure: between future brainstem and spinal cord; straightens
later in development
o Cephalic flexure: between future midbrain and diencephalon; persists in
adulthood and is the reason for “the bend” in the neural axis
o Pontine flexure: between future pons and medulla; does not persist but
affects caudal brainstem
 Sulcus limitans separates alar and basal plates as pontine flexure
flattens neural tube
 Thus, in this part of the future brainstem (pons and medulla), the
sensory neurons are lateral to the medial motor neurons

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Growth of the Telencephalon

 Two swellings arise and fold over so that the telencephalon and diencephalon
fuse
 These swellings are the future __________ ________________
 Folding over of hemispheres is what makes the ___________ hidden in the adult
brain
 Telencephalon curves into a __-shape

Other CNS Developmental Events

1. 3rd-5th months: neurons and glial cells continue to form and migrate
2. ________________ begins shortly beyond this and continues postnatally
3. Myelination occurs mostly postnatally
4. Cerebral cortex initially smooth, but beginning at 24 weeks convolutions begin to
appear and increase in number

Atypical Events during Development

 Atypical prenatal development can occur due to genetics, chromosomal issues,

infections, exposure to medications, chemicals, or other agents, environment,
etc.
o Teratogens: drugs or other agents that cause atypical development
 Environment (e.g., pollution), drugs, alcohol
 Timing
 Genetics of fetus or mother
o Nutrition
o Stress
o Maternal age
o Paternal factors affecting sperm
 About 15% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually during first 12
weeks due to a major anomaly in the formation of the structures of the embryo
 Atypical development of the neural tube:
o _________________: complete failure of neural tube to close;
incompatible with life
o ________ ____________ (1 in 1000 live births; different types range from
mild to severe)
 Spina bifida occulta: atypical formatin of vertebral column only
 Meningocele: herniation of meninges only
 Myelomeningocele: herniation of spinal cord and meninges

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o ___________: failure of rostral end of tube to close resulting in absent
cerebral hemispheres; incompatible with life
o Neural tube atypicalities can be detected by ultrasound or elevated levels
of ______________ in blood
o Neural tube closure dependent on adequate folic acid in mother’s diet
 ________________: partial or complete failure of prosencephalon to separate
into diencephalon and telencephalon; usually fatal
 Later fetal development can be disrupted by atypical neuronal _________ and
_____________
 Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
o Most common cause of intellectual disabilities and the leading preventable
cause of congenital malformations in the United States.