About this Research Topic
Early-life nutrition impacts neural development and adult complex behaviors required for fitness, such as foraging, sleep, memory, and learning. Humans exposed to hunger in utero have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, affective disorders, addiction, and decreased cognitive function. The origin of these behavioral disorders is associated with effects in early brain development and epigenetic changes that affect the function of the adult nervous system.
The use of animal models has contributed to understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which animals react to different nutritional environments during development. It has been shown that molecular pathways that control growth and metabolism respond to nutrient availability protecting brain growth from early-life nutrient restriction. Central to this response is the systemic response to variation in nutritional content and the glia-neuron metabolic interaction. However, morphological and behavioral effects persist in the adult brain of animals, including humans, that develop under nutrient restriction.
What are the neurodevelopmental and epigenetic causes of these effects? What are the developmental mechanisms involved?
What is the role of the metabolic interactions between neuron-glia in the developing brain under different nutrient availability conditions?
What are the mechanisms controlling adaptive responses to dietary conditions in animals? What is the role of genetic variation in the animal response to early-life nutrition environments?
This Research Topic aims to put together studies whose goal is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which early-life nutrition affects circuit formation, neuronal function, behavior, and its relation with mental and neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, it will welcome natural populations studies, including human populations, that shed light on the role of genetic susceptibility to early life nutrition and its consequences and the adaptive process in response to early-life nutrition.
We welcome original research articles and mini or review articles in animal models and humans but are not limited to the following topics related to early-life nutrition:
• Adult and developmental behaviors
• Circuit formation in response to early-life nutrition
• Neuron glia metabolic interaction during development
• Epigenetic programming in response to early-life nutrition
• Developmental mechanisms of adaptation to early-life nutrition
• Neurogenesis under different nutritional environments
• Synaptic function consequences and adaptations to nutritional stress during development
• Genetic by early-life nutrition environment interaction
• Behavioral, mental, and neurodegenerative disorders in humans exposed to early-life nutritional stress
The use of animal models has contributed to understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which animals react to different nutritional environments during development. It has been shown that molecular pathways that control growth and metabolism respond to nutrient availability protecting brain growth from early-life nutrient restriction. Central to this response is the systemic response to variation in nutritional content and the glia-neuron metabolic interaction. However, morphological and behavioral effects persist in the adult brain of animals, including humans, that develop under nutrient restriction.
What are the neurodevelopmental and epigenetic causes of these effects? What are the developmental mechanisms involved?
What is the role of the metabolic interactions between neuron-glia in the developing brain under different nutrient availability conditions?
What are the mechanisms controlling adaptive responses to dietary conditions in animals? What is the role of genetic variation in the animal response to early-life nutrition environments?
This Research Topic aims to put together studies whose goal is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which early-life nutrition affects circuit formation, neuronal function, behavior, and its relation with mental and neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, it will welcome natural populations studies, including human populations, that shed light on the role of genetic susceptibility to early life nutrition and its consequences and the adaptive process in response to early-life nutrition.
We welcome original research articles and mini or review articles in animal models and humans but are not limited to the following topics related to early-life nutrition:
• Adult and developmental behaviors
• Circuit formation in response to early-life nutrition
• Neuron glia metabolic interaction during development
• Epigenetic programming in response to early-life nutrition
• Developmental mechanisms of adaptation to early-life nutrition
• Neurogenesis under different nutritional environments
• Synaptic function consequences and adaptations to nutritional stress during development
• Genetic by early-life nutrition environment interaction
• Behavioral, mental, and neurodegenerative disorders in humans exposed to early-life nutritional stress
Keywords: Nutrition, Brain Development, Adult Behaviors
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.
