title: The changing number of cells in the human fetal forebrain and its subdivisions: a stereological analysis.
abstract: The total number of cells--including both neurons and glial cells - was estimated in the neocortical part of the human fetal telencephalon in 22 normal brains within four major developmental zones: the cortical plate/marginal zone, the subplate, the intermediate zone and the ventricular/subventricular zone. The fetal ages ranged from 13 to 41 weeks of gestation. The cellular growth in the human fetal forebrain appears to be two-phased: one rapid, exponential phase from 13 to 20 weeks of gestation and a second and slower phase, which increases linearly, from approximately 22 weeks of gestation to term. From 13 to 20 weeks of gestation the total number of cells increases by a factor of 4.3 from 3 x 10(9) cells to 13 x 10(9) cells at 20 weeks of gestation. From mid-gestation to term, the total cell number increases by a factor of 2.9 to 38 x 10(9) cells in the newborn infant. Studying cellular growth in the normal human fetal brain is important since it may serve as a useful parameter for the assessment of cortical growth in non-invasive and histological studies, and thus improve the analysis of fetal brain disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bartholin Institute, Kommunehospitalet and Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Grethe Badsberg
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Samuelsen
authors.forename: Karen Bonde
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bogdanovic
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graem
authors.forename: Jørgen Falck
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pakkenberg
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008938:Mitosis; D009457:Neuroglia; D009474:Neurons; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors