Full Issue

Abstract

The combined issue (Numbers 1–2–3–4) of Volume 16 of the International Journal of Neurology (1982) was dedicated to developmental neurobiology. It served as both a scientific compendium and a reflection of the research presented at the XII World Congress of Neurology, introduced by Shibanosuke Katsuki’s Opening Address and an editorial by Víctor Soriano. The volume highlighted cellular, molecular, and behavioral mechanisms involved in nervous system development and their implications for neurological disorders.

The issue began with Aichner, Gerstenbrand, and Poewe’s comparative study on primitive motor patterns and stereotyped movements, contrasting early childhood development with motor behavior in the apallic (persistent vegetative) syndrome. Fedoroff, Houle, and Kalnins explored the role of intermediate filaments in neural cell differentiation, elucidating cytoskeletal contributions to neuronal maturation.

Schrier and Van Putten discussed the application of molecular cloning techniques to developmental neurobiology, marking one of the earliest integrations of molecular genetics into neural developmental research. Arima and Tanaka analyzed developmental anomalies and variability in organ expressivity, addressing genetic and epigenetic influences on neural malformation patterns.

A methodological innovation was presented by Marianne Brönner-Frasser, who used microinjection techniques to trace neural crest migration and differentiation, providing new insights into cell lineage mapping. Baumann, Jacque, and colleagues described neurological mutations affecting myelination in the central nervous system, connecting developmental genetics with demyelinating pathology.

Verne S. Caviness contributed an influential study on the early events of neocortical assembly, combining experimental models and human neuropathology to elucidate cortical layering processes. Finally, Ioana Langrajan examined the influence of hormones on brain development, discussing neuroendocrine regulation during ontogenesis.

This issue represented a turning point in the journal’s evolution toward molecular and experimental neuroscience, illustrating how developmental biology, genetics, and neurochemistry converge to explain the formation and plasticity of the nervous system.