英國的一項新研究顯示,，嬰兒的出生重量與日后大腦活動模式有關。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)有助于分析與此相關的一些精神病學課題,。
英國南安普敦大學等機構的研究人員在美國在線學術刊物《公共科學圖書館—綜合》（PLoS ONE）上報告說,，他們對140名8歲到9歲的英國兒童進行了大腦活動測試，同時測量他們雙耳鼓膜的溫度變化,，這可以反映出左右兩個大腦半球的供血狀況以及相應的大腦活動模式,。結果顯示，那些出生時體重較輕的兒童,，其大腦右半球往往比左半球更為活躍,。
研究人員亞歷山大·瓊斯說，這是首次發(fā)現(xiàn)嬰兒出生重量,，也就是出生前的發(fā)育狀況與多年后的大腦活動模式之間存在關聯(lián),。
他解釋說，嬰兒在出生前的發(fā)育取決于母親懷孕時的生理和心理狀況,。如果母親營養(yǎng)不足或是面臨壓力,，往往會導致嬰兒出生時體重偏輕，這可能導致嬰兒大腦的左右半球難以同步發(fā)育,，最終導致大腦右半球比左半球更為活躍,。
曾有研究顯示，大腦右半球比左半球更為活躍的模式,，可能與抑郁癥等精神疾病有關,。因此，本次研究將有助于探索這些精神疾病與胎兒期發(fā)育狀況之間的關系,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PLoS ONE 6(2): e17071. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017071
Evidence for Developmental Programming of Cerebral Laterality in Humans
Alexander Jones1*, Clive Osmond2, Keith M. Godfrey2,3, David I. W. Phillips2
Adverse fetal environments are associated with depression, reduced cognitive ability and increased stress responsiveness in later life, but underlying mechanisms are unknown. Environmental pressures on the fetus, resulting from variations in placental function and maternal nutrition, health and stress might alter neurodevelopment, promoting the development of some brain regions over others. As asymmetry of cerebral activity, with greater right hemisphere activity, has been associated with psychopathology, we hypothesized that regional specialization during fetal life might be reflected persistently in the relative activity of the cerebral hemispheres. We tested this hypothesis in 140 healthy 8–9 year-old children, using tympanic membrane temperature to assess relative blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres at rest and following psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test for Children). Their birth weight and placental weight had already been measured when their mothers took part in a previous study of pregnancy outcomes. We found that children who had a smaller weight at birth had evidence of greater blood flow to the right hemisphere than to the left hemisphere (r = ?.09, P = .29 at rest; r = ?.18, P = .04 following stress). This finding was strengthened if the children had a relatively low birth weight for their placental weight (r = ?.17, P = .05 at rest; r = ?.31, P = .0005 following stress). Our findings suggest that lateralization of cerebral activity is influenced persistently by early developmental experiences, with possible consequences for long-term neurocognitive function.
