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Nerve Growth and Neurotransmission

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Infant Brain Development

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Abstract

Redundant neurons and their branches and synapses are formed, which will disappear by programmed cell death. Nerve growth factors (NGF) are important to promote the survival and development of necessary neurons. Optimal pathways are formed by selective mechanisms or so-called neuronal Darwinism.

Nervous communication between cells was first believed to be mainly electrical, but then was found to be due to neurochemical transmission, although electrical transmission occurs via gap junctions. There are two types of receptors: ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Acetylcholine may be of particular importance for consciousness and noradrenaline for wakefulness and arousal. Dopamine is crucial for the working memory and also involved in the reward system of the brain. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter but excitatory in early life and probably important for neuronal wiring. The excitatory glutamate and aspartate occur in about half of the synapses in the forebrain. Neuropeptides function mainly as neuromodulators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden

    Hugo Lagercrantz

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  1. Hugo Lagercrantz
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Lagercrantz, H. (2016). Nerve Growth and Neurotransmission. In: Infant Brain Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44845-9_3

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