About this Research Topic
Early-life exposure to environmental insults and intrinsic metabolic pathways shape neurological circuits that will serve as the foundation for lifelong brain development and function. Critical to proper brain development is nutrient and oxygen availability and proper utilization for various neural processes, such as axonogenesis, dendritogenesis, membrane protein synthesis and establishment of resting membrane potentials, and electrical communication. Factors that disrupt these processes, such as hypoxia, metabolic toxins, and genetic mutations, may disturb the proper formation of neurological circuits and lead to disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Recently, there has been a focus on the maternal-fetal interface as a conceptual framework with which to discuss neurological development, with advanced techniques such as metabolomics profiling yielding key insights.
The objective of this Research Topic is to address unanswered questions in the overlapping fields of cellular metabolism and neurodevelopment. Such questions include, "How do certain environmental toxins, such as alcohol, cigarette smoke, marijuana, pesticides, antibiotics, and pharmaceutical agents affect fetal and neonatal metabolic pathways to influence brain development?", "What is the role of maternal nutrition and gut microbiome in fetal brain metabolism and development?", "How do intrinsic hormonal/endocrinological factors in fetal/neonatal circulation shape central nervous system circuits in health and disease?", "How does oxygen deprivation, such as one that occurs in cases of uteroplacental insufficiency or birth trauma, lead to changes in neurological metabolism that may result in cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disability?". Answers to these questions could lead to an enriched understanding of neurological disorders that begin in early life, with the potential for early intervention and avoidance of long-term sequelae.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions in the form of:
- Original research (basic, translational, and/or clinical) manuscripts
- Literature review articles addressing normal or pathological brain metabolism occurring during early neurological development
Examples of themes covered could be research investigating a potential metabolic basis for the development of autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neuropsychiatric conditions. Other themes can include the roles of nutrition, oxygen, toxins, metabolomics, or the maternal gut microbiome on early neurological development.
The objective of this Research Topic is to address unanswered questions in the overlapping fields of cellular metabolism and neurodevelopment. Such questions include, "How do certain environmental toxins, such as alcohol, cigarette smoke, marijuana, pesticides, antibiotics, and pharmaceutical agents affect fetal and neonatal metabolic pathways to influence brain development?", "What is the role of maternal nutrition and gut microbiome in fetal brain metabolism and development?", "How do intrinsic hormonal/endocrinological factors in fetal/neonatal circulation shape central nervous system circuits in health and disease?", "How does oxygen deprivation, such as one that occurs in cases of uteroplacental insufficiency or birth trauma, lead to changes in neurological metabolism that may result in cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disability?". Answers to these questions could lead to an enriched understanding of neurological disorders that begin in early life, with the potential for early intervention and avoidance of long-term sequelae.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions in the form of:
- Original research (basic, translational, and/or clinical) manuscripts
- Literature review articles addressing normal or pathological brain metabolism occurring during early neurological development
Examples of themes covered could be research investigating a potential metabolic basis for the development of autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neuropsychiatric conditions. Other themes can include the roles of nutrition, oxygen, toxins, metabolomics, or the maternal gut microbiome on early neurological development.
Keywords: Neurodevelopment, Mitochondria, Cellular Respiration, Metabolomics, Fetal Brain Maturation, Early Life Exposure, Thyroid Hormone, Maternal-fetal Interface
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
