title: Brain sites of movement disorder: genetic and environmental agents in neurodevelopmental perturbations.
abstract: In assessing and assimilating the neurodevelopmental basis of the so-called movement disorders it is probably useful to establish certain concepts that will modulate both the variation and selection of affliction, mechanisms-processes and diversity of disease states. Both genetic, developmental and degenerative aberrations are to be encompassed within such an approach, as well as all deviations from the necessary components of behaviour that are generally understood to incorporate "normal" functioning. In the present treatise, both conditions of hyperactivity/hypoactivity, akinesia and bradykinesia together with a constellation of other symptoms and syndromes are considered in conjunction with the neuropharmacological and brain morphological alterations that may or may not accompany them, e.g. following neonatal denervation. As a case in point, the neuroanatomical and neurochemical points of interaction in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are examined with reference to both the perinatal metallic and organic environment and genetic backgrounds. The role of apoptosis, as opposed to necrosis, in cell death during brain development necessitates careful considerations of the current explosion of evidence for brain nerve growth factors, neurotrophins and cytokines, and the processes regulating their appearance, release and fate. Some of these processes may possess putative inherited characteristics, like alpha-synuclein, others may to greater or lesser extents be endogenous or semi-endogenous (in food), like the tetrahydroisoquinolines, others exogenous until inhaled or injested through environmental accident, like heavy metals, e.g. mercury. Another central concept of neurodevelopment is cellular plasticity, thereby underlining the essential involvement of glutamate systems and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor configurations. Finally, an essential assimilation of brain development in disease must delineate the relative merits of inherited as opposed to environmental risks not only for the commonly-regarded movement disorders, like Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and epilepsy, but also for afflictions bearing strong elements of psychosocial tragedy, like ADHD, autism and Savantism.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Psiquiatria, Hospital 12 de Octobre, Ctra. Andalucia Km. 5,400, 28041 Madrid, Spain. Trevor.Archer@psy.gu.se
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Palomo
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beninger
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kostrzewa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007501:Iron; D008628:Mercury