Brain Development Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine

This is the first book about both normal development of the nervous system and how early exposure to alcohol and nicotine interferes with this development. The developing nervous system is highly dynamic and vulnerable to genetic and epigenetic factors that can be additive or synergistic.Disruption of normal brain development leads to an array of developmental disorders. One of the most common of these is mental retardation, the prime cause of which is prenatal exposure to alcohol. As chapters in this book show, alcohol has direct effects on the developing neural system and itaffects genetic regulation. Another common neurotoxin is nicotine, and it is discussed in this book for three reasons: (1) the number of adolescents who smoke cigarettes is rising in some populations; (2) prenatal exposure to nicotine affects neurotransmitter systems that are critical for normalbrain development and cognition; and (3) prenatal exposure to nicotine is often accompanied by prenatal exposure to alcohol.LThe mature brain is the culmination of an orderly sequence of the basic ontogenetic processes--cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and death. Neural stem cellsand progenitors proliferate in discrete sites; then, young neurons migrate long distances to their residences where they form neural networks. During this sequence many immature cells die, presumably eliminating unsuitable or non-competitive cells. Each process is regulated by genetic andenvironmental factors. When this regulation goes awry, a dysmorphic and dysfunctional brain results. Though this can be tragic in clinical settings, in experimental contexts it provides keen insight into normal brain development.LThe book is divided into three parts. The first describes neuralontogeny in the normal brain. The second and third deal with the consequences of early exposure to alcohol and nicotine. Though there are similarities in the effects of these two toxins, there are also intriguing differences. The commonalities reflect the plasticity and resilience of thedeveloping brain while the differences point to the targeted effects of the two toxins. Exploring these effects brings a richer appreciation of brain development. The book will be of interest to neuroscientists, developmental biologists, teratologists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, neurologists,neuropsychologists, and to their students and trainees.

"Miller has gathered an impressive array of scientists who provide the reader with an up-to-date perspective on the most detailed aspects of mammalian brain development, and an opportunity to place in a translational context the molecular and cellular nature of neurodevelopmental disruption by two major neurotoxins, ethanol and nicotine. Chapters are accompanied by formidable primary data figures and summary diagrams, simplifying the connections that can be made between chapters. Miller's own research career reflects the sound marriage of basic and translational neuroscience, and this volume epitomizes this philosophy. Those clinicians and basic neuroscientists who are interested in gaining a modern understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that underlie altered neural development due to nicotine or ethanol exposure will find this a very worthwhile reference text." -Pat Levitt Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development Professor of Pharmacology Vanderbilt University