NEURAL TUBE DISORDERS

Course overview

NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS ARE THE MOST COMMON SEVERE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM ANOMALIES, ONLY SECOND TO CARDIOVASCULAR ABNORMALITIES RESULTING IN CONGENITAL MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS ECTODERMAL IN ORIGIN. THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD FORMED BY FOLDING OF DORSAL PART NEURAL PLATES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF UNDERLYING NOTOCHORD AND PRECHORDAL MESODERM AND CLOSURE ANTERIOR (CRANIAL) AND POSTERIOR (CAUDAL) NEUROPORES BY A PROCESS CALLED NEURULATION THAT BEGINS AS EARLY AS 3 AND 4 WEEKS OF CONCEPTION. FAILURE TO COMPLETE NEURULATION RESULTS IN NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS (NTDS). THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF NTDS.