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Prenatal Programming of Human Motor Function

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Book cover Early Life Origins of Health and Disease

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 573))

Abstract

In a world in which athletic skill is often valued more highly than intellectual prowess, we know surprisingly little about the development of the human motor system. Even less is known about how an adverse intrauterine event or environment might program motor learning, memory and function throughout the lifespan. We are only beginning to investigate how events during development of the brain and central nervous system might predispose some individuals to older age onset of some common neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that one or more adverse events occurring in utero may result in long-term changes in neuromotor development. These changes may be evident from infancy, or not become apparent until later in life. This chapter reviews this evidence. We suggest that the research focus must shift towards neurophysiological rather than neurodevelopmental paradigms, if these programmed changes in neuromotor function and the mechanisms responsible are to be fully understood. We also introduce the idea that the impact on the individual of maladaptive neuromotor programming might be reduced by the development of early intervention therapies, which utilise the developing nervous system’s capacity for plastic change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide, SA, 5006, Australia

    Julia B. Pitcher & Jeffrey S. Robinson

  2. NSW Centre for Perinatal Health Services Research Queen Elizabeth II Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    David J. Henderson-Smart

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  1. Julia B. Pitcher
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  2. David J. Henderson-Smart
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  3. Jeffrey S. Robinson
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Correspondence to Julia B. Pitcher .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    E. Marelyn Wintour

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia

    Julie A. Owens

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Pitcher, J.B., Henderson-Smart, D.J., Robinson, J.S. (2006). Prenatal Programming of Human Motor Function. In: Wintour, E.M., Owens, J.A. (eds) Early Life Origins of Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 573. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-32632-4_4

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