Neural Development: Beyond the Basics

The field of neural development is concerned with the study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are inherent to the development of the nervous system during embryonic development and throughout life. Neural development follows certain stages such as the birth and differentiation of neurons, their migration to their final positions, the growth of axons from neurons, the generation of synapses, and so on. Such neurodevelopmental processes fall within the categories of activity-dependent and activity-independent mechanisms. Defects in neural development have repercussions in terms of motor, sensory and cognitive impairments, malformations and other neurological disorders. This makes neural development an active area of study. This book includes some of the vital pieces of work being conducted across the world, on various topics related to neural development. The objective of this book is to give a general view of the different processes of neural development, and their significance. It will help the readers in keeping pace with the rapid changes in this field.