Time table of normal foetal brain development

Int. J. Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine Vol. 21 (2009) No. 1/2, pp. 4–16
Time Table of Normal Foetal Brain Development
Otwin Linderkamp, Ludwig Janus, Rupert Linder, and Dagmar Beate Skoruppa
Abstract: The foetal brain develops within few weeks from a thin cell layer to a gigantic
and complex network with billions of neurons and trillions of connections. This process
is influenced by environmental factors (e.g. maternal stress) from the beginning. Under-
standing of the developmental processes is the basis of prenatal medicine and psychology.
Five steps can be related to fairly defined time periods: (1) From 7 to 22 weeks of gestation
20 billion neurons are produced and migrate to their final locations in the brain. (2) From
20 to 35 weeks the transient subplate structure lays the foundation of the cortex. (3) The
organization of the neural network (nerve fibre and synapse formation) starts at 24 weeks
gestation and continues throughout life. (4) Individual adjustment of the neural network
by elimination of more than 50% of the neurons and circuits also starts at 24 weeks, and
shapes the brain in three waves. (5) Myelination of axons begins during the last weeks of
gestation and continues for decades.
Keywords: cortex, gestational age, neuron, prenatal, subplate, synapse
Introduction
During the last twenty years, foetal brain development has become an essen-
tial topic of neuroscience as a result of modern non-invasive and computational
techniques and animal models. The results allow quantitative description of the
structure and development of individual nerve cells and entire networks within
specific brain areas, and to relate the structures to the functions at both the sin-
gle neuron and network levels (Berzhanskaya and Ascoli 2008). Recent results
support the hypotheses of publications on prenatal psychology emphasizing the
importance of environment and experience for the normal psychological devel-
opment of the foetus (Fedor-Freybergh and Vogel 1988; Janus 2001, 2007; Janus
and Linder 2006; Ridgeway and House 2006).
Several reviews on foetal brain development appeared during the last years
(De Graaf-Peters and Hadders-Algra 2006; Eliot 2000; Gilbert 2001; Hüther and
Krens 2006; Lagercrantz et al. 2002; Linderkamp 2005; Ridley 2003; Rutter 2006;
Turkewitz 2007). Our present review is designed to summarize the present knowl-
edge of foetal brain development with emphasis on the time-table of the events
shaping the brain. Our paper provides the basis of understanding experience-
dependent brain development and effects of maternal anxiety and stress on the
brain and long-term outcome. Subsequent papers of our group will focus on these
topics (Linderkamp et al. 2010a, b).

Time Table of Normal Foetal Brain Development 5
Early Human Brain Development
The brain development begins at approximately three weeks after conception
(5 weeks of gestation) with the formation of the neural plate at the back of the
embryo. A few days later the plate folds to form the neural tube around a canal.
In the brain the canal later widens to the ventricles, in the spinal cord it forms the
central canal. At the time of neural tube closure the neural wall consists of one
or two layers of epithelial cells (neuroepithelium) which are the precursors of an
enormous variety of neurons and the macroglia.
The development of the cerebral cortex occurs in precisely-timed stages
(Table 1, Fig. 1). Each developmental process is also a vulnerable period which
is sensitive to environmental insults rendering the brain susceptible to structural
malformations and functional impairments.
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 6 12 24 4 8 16 32
Neurulation
Neural proliferation
Neuronal migration
Subplate neurons
Axon growth
Synapse formation
Glia proliferation
Myelination
Neuronal death
Fibre retraction
Synapse elimination
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 6 12 24 4 8 16 32
months years
Postnatal Age
weeks
Gestational Age
Fig. 1. Time table of developmental events of the human brain during foetal and postnatal
life. Black shaded areas indicate peak activities, open lined areas indicate low or medium
activity.
Neurogenesis: “Raw Material” for the Brain
Billions of nerve cells (neurons) are produced during the development of the cen-
tral nervous system. Neurogenesis mainly occurs at the inner edge of the neural
tube wall, the later ventricles (brain) and central canal (spinal cord), respectively
(Fig. 2). In preterm infants the reproduction zone is still visible on ultrasound
scans (“subependymal germinal matrix”). Cell division begins once the neural

6 Otwin Linderkamp et al.
Table 1. Major events in foetal cortical development.
Peak occurrence* Major developmental events Abnormal development
5-9 wk Primary neurulation (neural tube
formation)
Prosencephalon formation
(precursor of haemispheres)
Anencephaly
Encephalocele**
Meningomyelocele
Spina bifida**
12-18 wk
(6 wk to life long)
Neuronal proliferation (neurogenesis) Encephalocele, microbrain**
Schizophrenia**
12-20 wk
(8-30 wk)
Neuronal migration
Formation of cortical cell layers
Heterotopias (wrong place);
reduced or no gyration:
reduced attention and cognition,
depressive signs**
22-34 wk
(15-38 wk)
Subplate neurons (guidance of axons
between thalamus, cortex and
subcortical structures;
final migration of neurons)
Impaired development of thalamus
and cortex and connecting circuits:
disorders of frontal, temporal and parietal
centers**
24 wk to 15 mo
(10 wk to life-long)
Outgrowth of axons
Outgrowth of dendrites
Synaptogenesis
White matter reduction
Cortical dysplasias:
Down, fragile-X syndrome sensory,
behavioural, cognitive disorders**
24-38 wk
(20-44 wk)
24 wk to life-long
Selective death of neurons
Elimination of synapses
Excessive loss of neurons and connecting
circuits: cognitive, sensory, behavioural,
psychiatric disorders**
15 wk to 18 mo
(6 wk to life-long)
Glial cells proliferate und differentiate
(structural support, neuronal migration,
myelin, “clean up”)
Impaired neuronal migration
Loss of dendrites and synapses in frontal
cortex, hippocampus, amygdale
35 wk to 24 mo
(15 wk to adulthood)
Myelination Dysfunction of axons: psychiatric,
cognitive disorders**
Abbreviatons: IQ, intelligence quotient; p.n., mo, months postnatal; wk, weeks gestation
*Gestational (postmenstrual) age; in parentheses, occurrence prolonged at slower pace.
**Increased risk due to maternal stress has been shown in human foetuses or animal models (from Linderkamp et al. 2010b).
tube has closed at 4 to 5 weeks after conception (6 to 7 weeks of gestation). The
majority of neurons are formed at 12 to 18 weeks of gestation. Approximately
100 000 neurons are produced during each second to provide a number of at least
200 billion (2 × 1011) neurons in the human brain and 40 billion in the neocortex
alone. Approximately 50% of the neurons are eliminated during the later mat-
uration process, resulting in a final number of 100 billion neurons at 40 weeks
(full-term).
Proliferation of neurons during the first 22 weeks of gestation is mainly deter-
mined by genetic factors (Bourgois 2002). However, severe maternal stress during
the first trimester (i.e. neurulation and early neurogenesis) has been linked to an
increased risk of encephalocele (Hansen et al. 2000) and schizophrenia (Khashan
et al. 2008), suggesting that the expression of genes in early foetal life is influ-
enced by external factors. Stress-induced reduction of neurons in late foetal life
is probably the result of increased damage of neurons (Fabricius et al. 2008).

Fig. 2. Section through the cortex at approximately 24 weeks of gestation. Note that the
germinal zone adjoins to the ventricle at the inner edge of the cortex. Newly formed neu-
rons migrate along the radial glia through the subplate and previously formed neuronal
layers to the upper layer of the cortical plate.
If the brain is sufficiently used and trained, new neurons are generated through-
out life. Neural stem cells and pluripotent radial glia cells are able to differentiate
into neurons in the adult brain (Mo et al. 2007). In mice, neurogenesis increased
the efficiency of learning, but did not affect long-term memory (Zhang et al.
2008). The formation of new synapses and the prevention of neuronal damage
are far more important mechanisms for life-long learning than the formation of
new neurons (Uylings et al. 2005).
Migration of Neurons: Finding the Right Place
After several divisions neuroblasts lose their ability to divide and they begin to
move away from the inner multiplication zone to the outer edges of the growing
neural tube wall. Once a neuron has reached its final destination within the correct
cortical layer, it will stay there for life. The first neurons start migration with the
beginning of multiplication, the majority of cells move to their layer between 12
and 20 weeks of gestation (Gressens 2005).
Both passive pushing by subsequently migrating neurons and active movement
of neurons are mechanisms of migration. In the cortex, neurons move radially
outwards to the surface along specialized radial glial fibres (Fig. 2), which span
the entire thickness of the hemisphere from the ventricular surface to the external
pial surface (Rakic 2003). This “ladder” facilitates the journey through the earlier
arriving cell layers. At the brain surface, the neurons leave the ladder and move

Table 2. Maturation of nerve cells in the cortex.
Step Events
Neurogenesis Subventricular stem cells divide symmetrically. The last division results in
larger neurons before they migrate.
Radial glia Generated from same stem cells a neurons.
Form long processes through the entire cortex (fig. 2).
Migration Neurons climb on radial glia to cortical surface.
Contact to subplate
neurons
Migration through subplate neurons (fig. 2) and contact to thalamo-cortical
and cortico-cortical fibres may accelerate their maturation.
Formation of six
cortical layers
Neurons migrate through previously formed layers to the surface. Thus, the
early-migrating cells form the superficial layer, the latest the deepest until six
cortical layers have been established. Neurons assemble in columns above
the stem cells and are therefore clonally related.
Astrocyte formation Astrocytes are generated from radial glia.
Life-long neurogenesis New neurons are generated from remaining subventricular stem cells and
locally from radial glia.
laterally to give way to the subsequently arriving neurons and to form a layer at
the surface of the cortex. Then the next group of migrating cells passes through
this layer and forms a new layer at the surface. This process continues until six
layers have been formed. Thus, the earlier generated neurons form the deepest
cortical layer, and the latest cells settle in the most superficial layer (inside-out
order). The radial migration of neurons originating from the same reproduction
site results in columns of clonally related cells. This may be important for their
specialized functions in their final cortical destination.
Insufficient movement or migrations to wrong places result in heterotopias
which may be associated with serious malformations as lissencephaly (reduced
gyration, “flat brain”), epilepsy and mental retardation (Gressens 2005; Nicolic
and Reynolds 2008). Although normal migration of neurons to the right location
is probably determined by genes (Rutter 2006), abnormal migration is mostly the
result of environmental factors. Maternal stress during the gestational age of max-
imal neuronal migration has been shown to predispose the offspring to a variety of
impairments including reduced attention span, cognitive problems and depressive
symptoms (van den Bergh et al. 2008).
Organisation of the Neural Network
The first two steps, multiplication and migration of primitive nerve cells, are mostly
completed at 22 weeks of gestation. At the beginning of migration neurons are
not yet specialized, but they lose their pluripotency once they have reached their
final position in a specialized region of the central nervous system.
Organization of an individual neuron refers to the establishment of connec-
tions with other cells and the specialization to distinct functions within the neural
network. Organization of the total central nervous system refers to the formation
of the entire neuronal network and its capacity to operate as an integrated whole.

Table 3. Major steps of neural organisation of the cortex (modified from Volpe 2008).
Goal:
Establishment of a functioning neural network
Major period:
20 weeks of gestation to years after birth
Steps:
• Formation of subplate neurons with initial fibre and synapse formation.
• Formation of the cortical plate with six layers of aligned neurons.
• Outgrowth of nerve fibres (axons, dendrites) and their ramifications.
• Synptogenesis.
• Selective elimination of neurons (apoptosis), nerve fibres and synapses.
• Proliferation and differentiation of neuroglia.
The process of organization starts at approximately 22 weeks of gestation and
includes actions of subplate neurons, outgrowth of neural fibres, synaptogenesis
and myelination.
Subplate Neurons: Pioneers Paving the Wire Tracks
Subplate neurons play a major role in the development of the gigantic network
connecting billions of neurons and are probably responsible for the evolution of
the neocortex. The subplate zone is situated between the intermediate zone (pre-
cursor of white matter) and the cortical plate with the six layers of neurons (Fig. 2).
In magnetic resonance images, the subplate is visible as a continuous band in the
entire cortex at 20–27 weeks of gestation, starts to disappear in the parietal lobe
at 28 weeks, but remains prominent in the frontal lobe up to 35 weeks (Perkins et
al. 2008). At 38 weeks, 90% of the subplate neurons have disappeared.
The subplate neurons excrete neurotransmitters that attract axons ascending
from the thalamus and dendrites descending from cortical neurons for transient
connections with the subplate neurons. When the subplate neurons die, the tha-
lamic and cortical neurons become directly connected (thalamo-cortical tracts).
Moreover, subplate neurons help cortical neurons to establish connections with
other cortical neurons in both hemispheres and to guide the final migration of
cortical neurons within the six layers. They help to balance excitation and inhi-
bition in cortical layers, which is important for the “plasticity” of brain functions
(Kanold and Shatz 2006). The transient connections among various brain cen-
tres via subplate neurons are the basis for early foetal (and preterm’s) behaviour
(Kostovics and Jovanov-Milosevic 2006).
Maternal stress during the peak actions of subplate neurons from 22 to 34
weeks gestation has been linked to developmental delays, lower IQ, behavioural
problems and schizophrenia in offsprings (Bergman et al. 2007). It is likely that
the stress exposure of preterm infants during intensive care can alter subplate
neurons, thereby contributing to the high risk of preterm infants to long-term
cognitive and behavioural problems.

Wiring the Neural Network: Axons, Dendrites and Synapses
The set-up of a functioning neural network connecting all parts of the central
nervous system and other target organs requires trillions of connections among
neurons via axons, dendrites and synapses. The migrating cells have no function-
ing axons and dendrites. Having migrated to the appropriate position, axons and
dendrites begin to grow out of the young neurons.
Usually one axon only arises from each cell (Fig. 3). Axons are the long nerve
fibres connecting distant parts within the central nervous system and with pe-
ripheral organs (e.g. muscles and glands). Their final length can be more than
a meter in adults, but also just a few µm, if they connect adjacent neurons. Ax-
ons develop many branches at the tip and each final branch can form a synapse
with a final branch of a dendrite or sometimes another axon or a nerve cell body.
Dendrites emerge from many points along the cell body and appear very much
like branches on a tree. Axons and dendrites find their target cells principally
by growing in the direction of the targets. This growth is guided by molecules
bound to cells (for short-range chemoattraction) or diffused in the environment
(long-range chemoattraction, e.g. nerve growth factor). Target cells also present
and secrete chemorepellents that inhibit the growth of connecting nerve fibres
to these cells. The search of outgrowing fibres for target neurons can be highly
specific or more or less arbitrary. Specific connections are formed between neu-
rons that express specific marker molecules, thereby giving the connecting cells
no choice (cell specificity). Other neurons are attracted to send fibres to neurons
in a defined region (topographic specificity).
Synapses are formed by proteins acting as molecular switches between two
nerve fibres. Chemoattractants determine when and where synapses are formed
and their specificity and stability. Moreover, formation, specificity and stability of a
synapse depend on the quality and quantity of impulses travelling through the con-
necting fibres. Synaptic activity provides critical information about the usefulness
of synaptic connections, thereby influencing synapse stability and maintenance
(Waites et al. 2005). Synaptic activity promotes the formation of new synapses
and strengthens existing synapses in the neighbourhood. Thus, synapse formation
and stabilization are dynamic processes, requiring bi-directional communication
between connected partners. Subtle alterations in synaptic connections are the
means by which learning wires the pathways to memory (Ge et al. 2007).
Although the first synapses are produced already at 8 weeks of gestation,
synapse formation is slow until 24 weeks of gestation resulting in a total num-
ber of synapses that is not much higher than the total number of neurons. From
24 weeks gestation to 12 months of postnatal age, a myriad of connections is
formed among billions of neurons. At full-term each cortical neuron is linked
with approximately 2500 other neurons, at 12 months of postnatal age with 15 000
(Petanjek et al. 2008). Synaptogenesis begins in a relatively short time period in all
cortical regions, but the maximum synaptic density is reached at different times
after full-term, ranging from 3 months in the auditory and visual cortex to 15
months in the prefrontal cortex (Bourgeois 2002).
After the first year of postnatal life the total synapse number slowly increases
and reaches the maximum at five years when the child’s brain weighs almost as
much as in adults. Then the number of synapses plateaus until about 10 years and

Fig. 3. Neurons with one axon and several dendrites arising from the neuronal cell body.
The left neuron represents the development in the sensory cortex at approximately 24–
28 weeks, the right neuron at 32–40 weeks. Note the marked differences in ramifications
between the two neurons.
begins to decrease by approximately 40% with the onset of puberty. Thus, dur-
ing the first 5–10 years of life, the child achieves the highest number of synapses,
thereby enabling the child to acquire enormous behavioural, social, environmen-
tal, linguistic and cultural information. After the age of five years, synaptogenesis
continues as a local event (Bourgeois 2002) in dependence on the activity of
neighbouring synapses. Formation of new synapses and changes of specificity and
stability of synapses are fundamental to life-long learning, memory and cognition
in the mature brain (Waites et al. 2005).
Outgrowth of fibres and formation of synapses are largely influenced by envi-
ronmental factors, including sensory experience. Both decreased sensory input of
the foetus and maternal stress may cause a marked reduction of axons, dendrites
and synapses in the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and other brain centres
(Linderkamp et al. 2010b).
Glial Cells and Myelination
Glial cells (also called neuroglia) are non-neuronal cells that outnumber neu-
rons by about 10 to 1, but constitute only half of the brain volume, since they are
smaller than neurons. Glial cells surround neurons and hold them in place, play
an important role in neuronal and axonal guidance, supply nutrients and oxygen
to neurons, produce and remove chemical transmitters, insulate axons by myelin,

destroy pathogens, dead neurons and other debris, and contribute to formation
of new neurons. Glial cells are crucial in the development of the nervous system
and in processes such as synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. Various types of
glial cells are defined by origin, appearance and functions (Table 4).
Macroglial cells comprise radial glia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and de-
velop from the same stem cells in the ventricular zone of the neural tube as the
neurons. Radial glia cells are the progenitors of astrocytes, some oligodendro-
cytes and neurons. In the developing brain, radial glia functions as a “ladder”
upon which neurons migrate to the surface of the cortex. Microglia are special-
ized immune cells capable of phagocytosis. They are derived from haemopoietic
precursors as other immune cells.
Oligodendrocytes produce myelin that forms insulating sheaths around axons.
Schwann cells provide myelination to axons in the peripheral nervous system.
Myelin is a white fatty material wrapped around most neural axons. It prevents
the leakage of ions and thus of electrical current from the axon, thereby increasing
the speed of nerve conduction by ten to one hundred times. Moreover, myelin pre-
vents erratic activation of adjacent axons. Without myelin, electric activity would
be aimlessly distributed throughout the brain, and information would become
chaotic. Myelination also inhibits plasticity, since a myelinated axon has less abil-
ity to branch out and connect with other neurons. Myelin is involved in cognitive
functions and learning (Fields 2008).
Myelination starts in the spinal cord (at about 12 weeks gestation), then in
brain stem (14 weeks) and thalamic axons (20 weeks), and finally in the cortex
(35 weeks) and continues for decades in the human brain (Miller et al. 2003).
Axons connecting the frontal-limbic system (responsible for complex cognitive
functions) start to myelinate after birth. Late myelination explains that the brains
of infants and young children are slow compared with adult brains. Myelination
is modifiable by experience and severe maternal or postnatal stress may inhibit
myelination, thereby contributing to psychiatric disorders, including schizophre-
nia and depression, and cognitive impairment (Fields 2008).
Shaping the Brain by Elimination of Excess Neurons and Circuits
At least twice as many neurons as necessary are produced during the time period
of active neuronal multiplication, and most of the excess neurons are eliminated
during maturation of the neuronal network (“programmed cell death” or apop-
tosis). Three peak periods of neuronal death can be distinguished (Fig. 1): 1) at
the beginning of neurogenesis; 2) from 24 to 38 weeks gestation; and 3) between
the onset of puberty and adulthood (Lossi and Merighi 2003).
The second and third periods are linked to selective elimination of axons, den-
drites and synapses. Production of neurons and growth of axons and dendrites in
the direction of target cells are not very selective and result in overproduction of
connections. The initial wiring is diffuse, with a lot of overlap making commu-
nication inaccurate and disorganized. Elimination of fibres, synapses and entire
neurons allows quantitative adjustments of connections between neurons and to
compensate for errors of cell migration (mislocation) and projection of axons and
dendrites (misprojection). Elimination of neurons, fibres and synapses parallels

Table 4. Glial cells.
Cell type
Structure
Functions
Radial glia
Long radial processes spanning the
thickness of the cortical wall
Progenitors of neurons and astrocytes
Guidance of neurons and nerve fibers
Regulation of synaptic plasticity
Astrocytes
Support cells with short, thick processes
for neurons (“protoplasmic” astrocytes)
or long, thin processes for nerve fibers
(“fibrous” astrocytes)
Structural support of nerve fibers and cell bodies
Secretion and elimination of neurotransmitters
Chemical homeostasis
Oxygen and nutrient supply for neurons
Blood-brain barrier
Regulation of local blood flow
Oligodendrocytes
Schwann cells
Small cells with few processes
Myelin production; functions of myelin:
• increases the speed of nerve conduction by ten to
one hundred times;
• prevents loss of activation by ion diffusion and erratic
activation of adjacent axons
• Inhibition of the formation of new fibres for new
connection (reduction of plasticity);
• involved in learning and cognition.
Microglia
Resemble blood monocytes
Immune cells (phagocytosis of pathogens, cell debris)
the formation of new connections to match the number of outgrowing fibres to
the capacity of target cells (Lossi and Merighi 2003; Saxena and Caroni 2007).
The fittest neurons survive in competition for limited resources in the brain
as electrical impulses, neurotransmitters (e.g. nerve growth factor) and nutrients
within the neural network. Active cells with many connections to target cells re-
ceive more of these life-savers than less active neurons. Thus, overproduction
and subsequent elimination of excess neurons and connections are not a waste
of resources, but necessary to allow optimal locations and interconnections of
neurons.
Synapses are newly formed and eliminated throughout life. This allows contin-
uous reorganization of the neural network in accordance with the requirements
of the environment and is thus the basis of life-long neural development and
plasticity (Goda and Davis 2003). Between the onset of puberty and adult age ap-
proximately 40% of synapses and nerve fibres (Bourgeois 2002) and a substantial
portion of neurons are eliminated, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, the brain
region involved in major cognitive abilities. In accordance with the “use it or lose
it” principle, cells with apparently redundant connections for unused (not use-
less!) skills are discarded to enhance abilities that have been extensively utilized
(Lopez et al. 2008).
Adjustment of neurons and connections to the demands of the individual en-
vironment usually makes sense, but can result in severe impairments of sensory,
behavioural and cognitive functions, if the foetus or young infant is deprived
from normal sensory input or exposed to severe stress (Fabricius 2008). The hip-
pocampus (stores memory!) is particularly sensitive to the apoptotic actions of

corticosteroids transmitted to the foetus as a result of maternal stress (Fenoglio
et al. 2006).
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Time table of normal foetal brain development

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Time table of normal foetal brain development