Despite the relationship between
these brain structure alterations and fine particle exposure, the average residential levels of fine particles in the study were well below the current acceptable limit set by the EU — only 0.5 percent of the pregnant women in the study were exposed to levels considered unsafe.
Not exact matches
Too little food and / or nutrient deficiency can lead to depletion of energy stores,
alteration of
brain structure, and cardiac dysfunction.
Additionally, the
brain structure abnormalities identified in this study reflect those found in children with depression or at high risk for developing the disorder, suggesting that these
alterations may be why children of mothers with perinatal depression are more vulnerable to depression later in life.
«Most previous studies have focused on using one technique at a time, even though we have evidence that there are
alterations in the
brain in autism in terms of
structure, white - matter connectivity, and
brain chemical concentrations.
More recently,
brain scans have directly linked these conditions with changes in levels of neurotransmitters — chemicals that convey messages across neurons — or
alterations in the number or
structure of neurons in different
brain areas.
The latter discovered significant
alterations in synaptic
structure and activity in excitatory neuronal networks of the hippocampus, a region of the
brain that plays a major role in cognitive processes.
New research by Washington University School of Medicine researchers, including Terrie E. Inder, MD, shows that exposure to stressors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with
alterations in the
brain structure and function of very preterm infants.
The scans of those with
brain injuries showed significant
alterations in the
structure of the
brain.
Specifically, exposure to prenatal and / or postnatal stress is associated with increased basal and stress - induced responsiveness of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, increased central corticotropin - releasing hormone and norepinephrine drive, decreased γ - aminobutyric acid / benzodiazepine functioning, multiple
alterations in the serotonergic system, and reduction in hippocampal volume, a
brain structure vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of stress - induced elevations in circulating glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol) and amino acids (e.g., glutamate).