Intraventricular hemorrhage affects production of cortical interneurons

Project Narrative In the United States, about 12,000 premature infants develop bleeding in and around the ventricle (cavity) of the brain each year, which results in neuropsychiatric complications in the survivors including mental retardation, attention deficit, hyperactivity, major depressive episodes, and epilepsy. These disorders are attributed to abnormal development and function of interneurons in the brain. Brain bleeds in premature infants might suppress the generation and maturation of interneurons. In this proposal, we will determine whether the brain hemorrhage affects the formation of interneurons and test strategies to restore the development of interneurons and organization of brain layers in our preterm rabbit model of brain hemorrhage.