Nutrition and neuronal plasticity
Influence of early childhood nutrition on the neuronal plasticity of newborns
The human brain grows rapidly and continues to differentiate towards the end of pregnancy and during the first three years of life. It develops from a relatively undifferentiated and pluripotent organ to a highly specified and organized one. The outcome of this developmental maturation is highly dependent on a number of environmental influences, including nutrition, which strongly influences the final plasticity of the adult brain.
A growing body of research shows that different nutrients shape the brain and also have a lasting impact on brain function later in life. In our research, we investigate the role that different nutrients in breast milk play during brain development. We focus on the myelination process and the later effects of this process on behaviour and cognition.