Developmental Course Research Articles

Long-Term Effects of the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways Model: Evidence from a Randomized Trial

Following up on an individual-level randomized controlled trial of a Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) model, this study assessed longer-term impacts on students’ math completion, academic progress, and academic attainment. The version of the DCMP that was assessed in this study diversified the developmental and college-level math course content that students take, separating it into distinct pathways that better aligned with their career interests. It also streamlined developmental math sequences into a one-semester developmental course for all students, regardless of placement level, and implemented evidence-based curricula and pedagogy to engage students in active problem solving that was pertinent to real-life situations. The study, which followed 1,411 students from four Texas community colleges and ten campuses, found that program group students were more likely than control group students to successfully complete their first college-level math courses. The study did not find impacts after five years on the number of overall college credits that students accrued or on the likelihood that students attained a credential or transferred to a four-year college.

Chinese adolescents’ socioeconomic status and English achievement: the mediating role of parental emotional support

Family socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the key indicators of academic achievement, including language achievement. Further investigation of SES’s mechanisms of influence and potential mediators is essential due to the concern regarding the disparities caused by SES in language achievement. This study examines the relation between SES and Chinese adolescents’ English achievement, emphasizing the role of parenting as a conduit for socioeconomic impacts on children and adolescents. The mechanism through which SES influences English achievement was examined in a sample of 1634 junior secondary school students in an urban city in mainland China. A unified model with solid fit indices, comprising both SES and parenting components, was identified through structural equation modeling. As expected, socio-economic disparities appeared to be largely associated with students’ English achievement, and this connection was partially mediated by parental emotional support. Parental emotional support, however, had varied mediating effects that affected the developmental course and shaped achievement outcomes across different SES groups. This study offers valuable insights into the joint contribution of distal SES factors and proximal interactions to achievement outcomes. Intervention efforts and future research implications are discussed.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and children’s mental health trajectories: Rhea Cohort, Greece

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence suggests that phthalate exposure affects neurodevelopment, including emotional and behavioral outcomes. Our aim was to investigate if prenatal phthalate exposure affects the developmental course of internalizing and externalizing symptoms from early childhood to adolescence. Methods Concentrations of seven phthalate metabolites were measured in first-trimester maternal spot urine samples, and DEHP, and high and low molecular weight phthalate concentrations were calculated (HMW and LMW, respectively). Mothers reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 4 years and the Child Behavior Checklist at 6, 11 and 15 years. Group-Based Trajectory Modeling was used to classify 546 participants of the Rhea Cohort (Crete, Greece) into 4 distinct groups (Stable low, Stable high, Low-Increasing, and High-Decreasing symptoms). We evaluated the association of prenatal phthalate exposure with the odds of an adverse (Stable high, Low-Increasing, and High-Decreasing) internalizing and externalizing symptom trajectory in 150 children using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression (reference group: stable low). Results Only for girls, exposure to DEHP and HMW phthalates was associated with higher odds of being grouped in an adverse internalizing symptoms trajectory (OR [95%CI]: 1.52 [1.03, 2.25] and 1.57 [1.03, 2.39], respectively). Regarding externalizing symptoms, interactions with gender emerged for DEHP (p = 0.024) and HMW (p = 0.028) phthalates, and increased odds of being grouped into an adverse trajectory were observed in girls, whereas boys showed the opposite trend, albeit none reached statistical significance. Conclusions The findings suggest programming effects of prenatal phthalate exposure on the developmental course of emotional symptoms in girls. Further research is needed to clarify the association between in utero phthalate exposure and behavioral symptoms. Key messages • Phthalate exposure is linked to adverse trajectories of emotional symptoms, emerging from preschool age and up to adolescence. • Phthalate effect on internalizing and externalizing symptoms varies by gender.

Persistent organic pollutants and developmental trajectories of ADHD symptoms: The Rhea cohort study

Abstract Background Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been linked to elevated symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a few studies, but findings remain inconclusive. We aimed to explore how prenatal exposure to POPs affects the developmental course of ADHD symptoms from early childhood to adolescence in the Rhea cohort in Crete, Greece. Methods We determined concentrations of HCB, DDE, and PCBs in first-trimester maternal serum. Child ADHD symptoms were reported by mothers using the ADHD Test at 4 years and the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale at 6, 11 and 15 years. Group-Based Trajectory Modeling was used to classify 551 participants into 4 distinct groups: Stable low (60.1%), Stable high (9.6%), Low-increasing (14.6%), and High-decreasing (15.7%) symptoms. Adjusted multinomial regression models were applied to assess the risk of being grouped into an adverse developmental trajectory as compared to the reference group (stable low), in relation to prenatal POP exposure in 465 children. The analyses were performed in sex-specific manner. Results Prenatal HCB exposure was associated with elevated risk of being grouped in the stable high ADHD symptoms trajectory only in girls (RRR [95%CI]: 2.0 [1.04, 3.82]). Overall, exposure to DDE and sum of PCBs was linked to decreased risk of membership in an adverse ADHD symptoms trajectory. More specifically, in utero exposure to DDE and sum of PCBs was associated with lower risk of being grouped in the low-increasing trajectory for boys (RRR [95%CI]: 0.7 [0.54, 0.95] and 0.5 [0.32, 0.88], respectively) and in the high-decreasing symptoms group for girls (RRR [95%CI]: 0.6 [0.44, 0.84] and 0.5 [0.30, 0.93], respectively). Conclusions The findings suggest that prenatal exposure to HCB is linked to increased risk of stable high ADHD symptoms from preschool age and up to adolescence. The association was pronounced only in girls, a group for which less is understood in relation to ADHD. Key messages • Prenatal exposure to HCB increases the risk of persistently high ADHD symptoms from preschool age to adolescence. • The impact of prenatal HCB exposure on ADHD symptoms is evident in girls.

Early embryonic development of the German cockroach Blattella germanica

BackgroundEarly embryogenesis is characterized by dramatic cell proliferation and movement. In most insects, early embryogenesis includes a phase called the uniform blastoderm, during which cells evenly cover the entirety of the egg. However, the embryo of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, like those of many insects within the super order Polyneoptera, does not have a uniform blastoderm; instead, its first cells condense rapidly at the site of a future germband. We investigated early development in this species in order to understand how early gene expression is or is not conserved in these insect embryos with distinct early cell behaviors.ResultsWe present a detailed time series of nuclear division and distribution from fertilization through germband formation and report patterns of expression for the early patterning genes hunchback, caudal, and twist in order to understand early polarization and mesoderm formation. We show a detailed time course of the spatial expression of two genes involved in the segmentation cascade, hedgehog and even-skipped, and demonstrate two distinct dynamics of the segmentation process.ConclusionsDespite dramatic differences in cell distribution between the blastoderms of many Polyneopteran insects and those of more well-studied developmental models, expression patterns of early patterning genes are mostly similar. Genes associated with axis determination in other insects are activated relatively late and are probably not maternally deposited. The two phases of segmentation—simultaneous and sequential—might indicate a broadly conserved mode of morphological differentiation. The developmental time course we present here should be of value for further investigation into the causes of this distinct blastoderm type.

Understanding the influence of children’s mental health, cognitive development, and environmental factors on learning outcomes in Chile

Mental health, cognitive development, and social background are related to educational success. While growing evidence is available in cultural settings other than Western countries, more knowledge is needed, especially regarding interactions among these dimensions. Rather than studying isolated factors, we propose an integrated approach to consider the diverse interrelated dimensions influencing children’s learning. Life course theory supports this approach underlying the role of early events in subsequent life paths and the multidisciplinary nature of these events. The sample consisted of 610 children (49.1% male) attending first grade. The children completed reading, mathematics, and visuospatial working memory (VWM) assessments. Parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-P) and reported their demographic information. A multilevel path model was estimated, including direct relationships between (i) children’s socioemotional behavior (SEB) and learning, (ii) VWM and learning, and (iii) SEB and VWM. The effects of sex and maternal education were also controlled. School and student level variances were modeled. At the school level, VWM, reading, and mathematics have variance, whereas SEB does not. At the student level, VWM, SEB, and maternal education have significant and differential effects on learning. Hyperactivity and peer problems were negatively related to reading and mathematics, while emotional problems were not, and conduct problems exhibited mixed results. These results reinforce developmental life course approaches, that is, from the beginning of schooling, promoting positive mental health can improve children’s learning outcomes.

Processing of Emotional Words in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in understanding emotional language, but little research has discussed the developmental course of the processing of emotional words in the clinical population. Previous studies have revealed distinct processing for emotion-label (e.g., happiness) and emotion-laden (e.g., birthday) words in typically developing (TD) children and adolescents. Extending these findings, the study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the processing of these two types of emotional words in children and adolescents with ASD. The stimuli included two-character Chinese words with factors of word type (emotion-label versus emotion-laden) and valence (positive versus negative). The participants were 11 to 14-year-old children and adolescents with ASD (N = 23) and age-matched TD peers (N = 23). They categorized emotion valence for words while their brain responses were recorded. Both the TD and the ASD groups exhibited emotional processing for all emotional words across the N400 and late positivity component (LPC). The emotional processing was modulated by word type but varied with group and valence. A trend for group differences was observed in processing positive words at 500-600ms. In particular, the emotion effects of positive emotion-label words were positively correlated with social dysfunction across all participants. These findings suggested that children and adolescents with ASD have a selective impairment in understanding emotional concepts from language. The ERP measurements may reflect atypical emotional word processing for individuals with higher autistic severity in positive valence contexts.

Development of auditory cognition in 5- to 10-year-old children: Focus on speech-in-babble-noise perception.

Speech-in-noise perception is consistently reported to be impaired in learning disorders, which stresses the importance of documenting its developmental course in young children. In this cross-sectional study, ninety children (41 females, 5.5-11.6 years old) and nineteen normal-hearing adults (15 females, 20-30 years old) were tested with a newly developed closed-set speech perception in babble-noise test, combining two levels of phonological difficulty and two noise levels. Results showed that speech-in-babble-noise perception takes a definite maturation step around 7 years of age (d = 1.17, grade effect) and is not mature at 10 years of age when compared to young adults (d = 0.94, group effect). Developmental trajectories of both accuracy and response times were evaluated, with influences of psycholinguistic factors, to foster the development of adequate screening tests.

Trajectories of emotional disclosure with parents during the college transition among Asian first-year students.

The college transition is a time of great emotional lability, and sharing emotional experiences with parents can be beneficial for first-year students. Guided by the social sharing of emotions framework and the cultural theory on self-construal, this study investigated the developmental course of freshmen's emotional disclosure with parents during the first semester and the mediating role of independence-orientation in two Asian contexts-Beijing (China) and Singapore. Using experience sampling method (online diary), 205 Chinese freshmen (Mage = 19.43) and 291 Singapore freshmen (Mage = 19.44) reported on four facets of emotional disclosure with parents (frequency, intimacy, negativity, and positivity) across four timepoints and their independence-interdependence orientation (Time 1). Latent growth curve modeling comparing the two Asian samples revealed that frequency increased for Chinese students and decreased for Singapore students. Intimacy indicated upward trajectories for both Asian samples, whereas negativity and positivity showed downward trajectories but were less pronounced for Chinese students. Mediated latent growth curve modeling revealed that the cultures predicted independence-orientation, which in turn negatively predicted increase in frequency for the Singapore sample and positively predicted decrease for the Chinese sample. Independence-orientation negatively predicted increase in intimacy, positively predicted decline in negativity, and negatively predicted decline in positivity. In sum, we found complex and differentiated trajectories for the four facets of emotional disclosure in two Asian samples and the mediating role of independence-orientation in explaining cultural differences in the trajectories, which have implications for understanding emotional disclosure to parents during the developmental phase of the college transition in Asian contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Clinical characteristics of a treatment seeking sample of adults with misophonia: Onset, course, triggers, context, and comorbidity

Misophonia is characterized by intense emotional reactions to specific repetitive sounds. The clinical characteristics and developmental course of misophonia remain underexplored, particularly in treatment-seeking adults. In this study, we characterized the onset, symptom progression, trigger noises, and psychiatric comorbidities associated with misophonia. Additionally, we investigated the relationships between these clinical attributes and the severity of self- and clinician-rated misophonia symptoms. The sample included 60 adults with misophonia enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Most participants (79%) reported symptom onset in childhood and early adolescence, with symptoms often worsening over time. All participants reported being bothered by human produced sounds. However, responses to trigger noises vary based on the context surrounding the sound. Those who reported equivalent distress across misophonic triggers –regardless of the individual producing the sound—endorsed significantly higher self-reported misophonia symptoms. Approximately half of the sample met diagnostic criteria for another psychiatric condition, with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and generalized anxiety disorder being the most prevalent. These findings underscore the complexity of misophonia and highlight the importance of considering the individual clinical histories and contextual factors influencing reactions to misophonic sounds.

Altered Patterns of Maternal Behavior Transitions in Rats Exposed to Limited Bedding and Nesting Material Paradigm.

Maternal care plays a fundamental role in early life, and the alteration of its patterns can negatively affect the developmental course of the offspring in a myriad of domains in both rats and humans. The limited bedding and nesting (LBN) protocol is an extensively used paradigm in rodents to address the impact of altered maternal behavior patterns on infants' neurodevelopment. Here, we explore the altered patterns of maternal care in rats in LBN conditions by describing sequences of transition between maternal behavior components using network analysis. Using this technique, we capture how often maternal behavior transitions take place during the LBN period and which behaviors play central roles in those transitions over time. Female rats and their pups were placed in standard and LBN housing conditions from Postpartum Days 2 to 9, during which maternal behavior was observed during the light and dark phases. We used inferential statistical analysis to compare the maternal behavior profiles of control and LBN dams, and network analysis was used to capture the altered sequence of maternal behavior transitions during the period of LBN. Compared to control dams, LBN dams significantly increased their high crouch nursing posture during light/dark phases (p=0.018), and the number of behavioral transitions increased only during the dark phase (p=0.0004). Network analysis revealed specific altered patterns of behavioral transitions in LBN dams, characterized by the predominance of switches between active nursing postures during the first five days of the LBN protocol. Nursing behavior was the most disrupted component of maternal behavior under the LBN protocol, mainly during the dark phase. Network analysis can complement and extend traditional methods to gain a more thorough understanding of maternal care strategies and behavioral patterns in LBN conditions and potential consequences for the offspring.

Hydraulic, morphological, and anatomical changes over the development of cotton bolls and pedicels leading to boll opening under well-watered and water deficit conditions

The growth, development, and opening of cotton bolls largely determine the yield and quality of cotton plants. However, the hydraulic, morphological and anatomical changes of cotton bolls over this course are unclear. This study investigated the hydraulic properties, xylem structure and function of the cotton boll and the pedicel, and the boll transpiration over the developmental course of bolls under well-watered and water deficit conditions based on hydraulic measurements, dye tracing, boll water uptake, and microscopy. Results revealed that xylem structure and function of the boll and the pedicel were well maintained and bolls had a high transpiration rate during boll dehydration period under both conditions. Water deficit significantly reduced boll number, had no significant effect on the final dry matter content of bolls, and had limited effects on boll transpiration and hydraulic properties of the boll and the pedicel. This study indicates that vascular transport between the parent plant and the boll and boll transpiration were well coupled to ensure dry matter accumulation in the boll and promote boll dehydration.

Immune and inflammatory insights in atherosclerosis: development of a risk prediction model through single-cell and bulk transcriptomic analyses.

Investigation into the immune heterogeneity linked with atherosclerosis remains understudied. This knowledge gap hinders the creation of a robust theoretical framework essential for devising personalized immunotherapies aimed at combating this disease. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was employed to delineate the immune cell-type landscape within atherosclerotic plaques, followed by assessments of cell-cell interactions and phenotype characteristics using scRNA-seq datasets. Subsequently, pseudotime trajectory analysis was utilized to elucidate the heterogeneity in cell fate and differentiation among macrophages. Through integrated approaches, including single-cell sequencing, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), and machine learning techniques, we identified hallmark genes. A risk score model and a corresponding nomogram were developed and validated using these genes, confirmed through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Additionally, enrichment and immune characteristic analyses were conducted based on the risk score model. The model's applicability was further corroborated by in vitro and in vivo validation of specific genes implicated in atherosclerosis. This comprehensive scRNA-seq analysis has shed new light on the intricate immune landscape and the role of macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques. The presence of diverse immune cell populations, with a particularly enriched macrophage population, was highlighted by the results. Macrophage heterogeneity was intricately characterized, revealing four distinct subtypes with varying functional attributes that underscore their complex roles in atherosclerotic pathology. Intercellular communication analysis revealed robust macrophage interactions with multiple cell types and detailed pathways differing between proximal adjacent and atherosclerotic core groups. Furthermore, pseudotime trajectories charted the developmental course of macrophage subpopulations, offering insights into their differentiation fates within the plaque microenvironment. The use of machine learning identified potential diagnostic markers, culminating in the identification of RNASE1 and CD14. The risk score model based on these biomarkers exhibited high accuracy in diagnosing atherosclerosis. Immune characteristic analysis validated the risk score model's efficacy in defining patient profiles, distinguishing high-risk individuals with pronounced immune cell activities. Finally, experimental validation affirmed RNASE1's involvement in atherosclerotic progression, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target. Our findings have advanced our understanding of atherosclerosis immunopathology and paved the way for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Where do neurodevelopmental conditions fit in transdiagnostic psychiatric frameworks? Incorporating a new neurodevelopmental spectrum.

Features of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, and communication and motor disorders usually emerge early in life and are associated with atypical neurodevelopment. These "neurodevelopmental conditions" are grouped together in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 to reflect their shared characteristics. Yet, reliance on categorical diagnoses poses significant challenges in both research and clinical settings (e.g., high co-occurrence, arbitrary diagnostic boundaries, high within-disorder heterogeneity). Taking a transdiagnostic dimensional approach provides a useful alternative for addressing these limitations, accounting for shared underpinnings across neurodevelopmental conditions, and characterizing their common co-occurrence and developmental continuity with other psychiatric conditions. Neurodevelopmental features have not been adequately considered in transdiagnostic psychiatric frameworks, although this would have fundamental implications for research and clinical practices. Growing evidence from studies on the structure of neurodevelopmental and other psychiatric conditions indicates that features of neurodevelopmental conditions cluster together, delineating a "neurodevelopmental spectrum" ranging from normative to impairing profiles. Studies on shared genetic underpinnings, overlapping cognitive and neural profiles, and similar developmental course and efficacy of support/treatment strategies indicate the validity of this neurodevelopmental spectrum. Further, characterizing this spectrum alongside other psychiatric dimensions has clinical utility, as it provides a fuller view of an individual's needs and strengths, and greater prognostic utility than diagnostic categories. Based on this compelling body of evidence, we argue that incorporating a new neurodevelopmental spectrum into transdiagnostic frameworks has considerable potential for transforming our understanding, classification, assessment, and clinical practices around neurodevelopmental and other psychiatric conditions.

Conversations from Arendelle: Children’s understanding of musical affect in a narrative, multimedia context

Children’s verbatim memory for song lyrics has been broadly investigated in the psychological literature, but little is known about the developmental course of children’s ability to construct meaning from familiar multimedia songs containing both concrete and metaphorical language. The present study examined age-related change in children’s understanding of the hit song “Let It Go” using a brief comprehension measure and a semi-structured interview conducted over Zoom. Participants included 51 children from 3- to 10-year-olds whose parents reported that they were familiar with and enjoyed Frozen. Participants’ comprehension of the song was assessed using a visual comprehension measure. They then co-viewed the music video, with the researcher pausing at several time points in the song to ask how the child thought Elsa was feeling and how the child knew. A grounded analysis of participants’ responses yielded five categories that comprehensively captured the range of cues (song lyrics, non-lyrical musical elements, observable action on screen, character appearance, and non-observable narrative elements). A median split of the sample revealed that older children referenced more converging cues to explain their thinking on Elsa’s emotion during the song and that older children referenced musical cues (both lyrical and non-lyrical) significantly more than younger children.

Interactive Notebooks Improve Students' Understanding of Developmental Neurobiology, Attitudes Toward Research, and Experimental Design Competency in a Lecture-Based Neuroscience Course.

Recent efforts to engage postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in the rigors of discovery-driven inquiry have centered on the integration of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) within the biology curricula. While this method of laboratory education is demonstrated to improve students' content knowledge, motivations, affect, and persistence in STEM, CUREs may present as cost- and/or resource-prohibitive. Likewise, not all lecture courses have a concomitant laboratory requirement. With these caveats in mind, we developed the NeuroNotebook intervention, which provided students enrolled in a standalone Developmental Neurobiology course with an immersive, semester-long "dry-lab" experience incorporating many of the same elements as a CURE (e.g., collaboration, use of experimental design skills, troubleshooting, and science communication). Quantitative and qualitative assessment of this intervention revealed positive pre-/post-semester gains in students' content knowledge, attitudes toward the research process, and development of science process skills. Collectively, these data suggest that interventions such as the NeuroNotebook can be an effective alternative to a "wet-lab" experience.

The developmental course of adolescent paranoia: a longitudinal analysis of the interacting role of mistrust and general psychopathology.

Paranoia is the erroneous idea that people are targeting you for harm, and the cognitive model suggests that symptoms increase with emotional and relational distress. A factor potentially associated with paranoia is mistrust, a milder form of suspiciousness. This study investigated the longitudinal course of non-clinical paranoia in a sample of 739 students (age range 10-12 at baseline assessment, 12-14 at second assessment) using data from the Social Mistrust Scale (SMS) and the paranoia subscale of the Specific Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ). Prevalence of mistrustful and high paranoia children was 14.6 and 15% respectively. Independently, baseline internalizing symptoms (b = 0.241, p < 0.001) and mistrust (b = 0.240, p < 0.001) longitudinally predict paranoia after controlling for confounders. The interaction of mistrust and internalizing symptoms at T1 increases the possibility of the onset of paranoia at T2. Therefore, the effect of mistrust on paranoia is more marked when internalizing symptoms are higher. Our results confirm the role of mistrust as a factor involved in the developmental trajectory of paranoia in adolescence, enhanced by the presence of internalizing symptoms. The implications of these results are both theoretical and clinical, as they add developmental information to the cognitive model of paranoia and suggests the assessment and clinical management of mistrust and internalizing symptoms in youth may be useful with the aim of reducing the risk of psychotic experiences.

Trajectories of childhood bullying behaviors and conduct problems: Associations with cognitive functioning in a nationally representative cohort study.

Bullying behaviors and conduct problems are two forms of antisocial behavior that frequently co-occur in childhood. However, it remains unclear whether their developmental trajectories are distinct and the extent to which different aspects of cognitive functioning account for their development. We aimed to disentangle the developmental trajectories of bullying behaviors and conduct problems, test their interrelations across childhood, and assess associations with children's early cognitive functioning (executive functions, intelligent quotient [IQ], and theory of mind). Participants included 2,232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. We performed dual group-based trajectory modeling on combined parent and teacher reports of children's bullying behaviors and conduct problems at 5, 7, 10, and 12 years. We assessed associations with age 5 cognitive functioning using regression analyses. We identified five developmental trajectories for bullying behaviors and four for conduct problems. The developmental course of both behaviors was interrelated most strongly among those with high levels. A subgroup of children was likely to transition from conduct problems to bullying behaviors as they got older. Lower IQ was associated with both antisocial behavior trajectories, whereas lower theory of mind was only associated with conduct problems trajectories. The developmental course of bullying behaviors and conduct problems is distinct but linked across childhood. Interventions targeting bullying behaviors or conduct problems could benefit from more integration and should take into account children's cognitive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Use of Virtual Reality Learning Media in the Animal Developmental Structure Course - Lecturer and Student Responses

Use of Virtual Reality Learning Media in the Animal Developmental Structure Course - Lecturer and Student Responses

Early postnatal development of the primary visual areas 17 and 18 of the cat cerebral cortex: An SMI-32 study.

Using anti-neurofilament H non-phosphorylated antibodies (SMI-32) as markers for the neuronal maturation level and Y channel responsible for motion processing, we investigated early postnatal development of the primary visual areas 17 and 18 in cats aged 0, 10, 14, and 34 days and in adults. Two analyzed parameters of SMI-32-immunolabeling were used: the total proportion of SMI-32-labeling and the density of labeled neurons. (i) The developmental time course of the total proportion of SMI-32-labeling shows the general increase in the accumulation of heavy-chain neurofilaments. This parameter showed a different time course for cortical layer development; the maximal increment in the total labeling in layer V occurred between the second and fifth postnatal weeks and in layers II-III and VI after the fifth postnatal week. In addition, the delay in accumulation of SMI-32-labeling was shown in layer V of the area 17 periphery representation during the first two postnatal weeks. (ii) The density of SMI-32-labeled neurons decreased in all layers of area 18, but was increased, decreased, or had a transient peak in layers II-III, V, and VI of area 17, respectively. The transient peak is in good correspondence with some transient neurochemical features previously revealed for different classes of cortical and thalamic neurons and reflects the time course of the early development of the thalamocortical circuitry. Some similarities between the time courses for the development of SMI-32-labeling in areas 17/18 and in A- and C-laminae of the LGNd allow us to propose heterochronous postnatal development of two Y sub-channels.