WNSC Conferences

This lecture will describe the ‘preterm phenotype’, examples of how poor EF may present in practice, and discuss nutritional and other interventions that have the potential to ameliorate some of the complications associated with disturbances of EF.

Myelination, the wrapping of neuronal axons with a lipid-rich sheath, is critical for information processing and normal brain functioning. Starting within the caudal brain stem before birth, myelination progresses rostrally after birth to the forebrain, with the most rapid period of human brain myelination occurring within the first 2 years of postnatal life. This pattern of myelination corresponds to emerging cognitive functions with sensory and motor functions being amongst the first to mature. While previous studies indicate early life nutrition as a relevant influencing factor for myelination, little is known about the contribution of breast milk nutrients to myelin development in human infants.  

Today’s lecture will describe an overview of brain development and physiological processes, such as structural and functional connectivity. We will then discuss the importance of nutrition and focus on some of the nutrients that have been shown to play a role during critical and sensitive periods of brain development. Finally, we will summarize the evidence that links structural neurodevelopment to functional outcomes like cognition and learning.