Cognitive Development and Intelligence, Mental Health and Mental Disorders – Do They Have an Antenatal Origin?

Ljudski je mozak nevjerojatan i fascinantan organ u svakom pogledu. Prirodi je trebalo nekoliko milijardi godina da evolucijom konstruira i usavrši tako sofisticiranu arhitekturu s beskonačnim spektrom savršeno koordiniranih funkcija i nevjerojatnom mogućnosti promjene i prilagodbe. Danas nam razvoj tehnologije omogućuje da potraga za razumijevanjem ljudskih kognitivnih sposobnosti i prilagodbe na složeni okoliš obuhvati i ono ključno razdoblje u kojem se odvija razvoj najsloženije strukture u ljudskom tijelu – prenatalno razdoblje. Uvidom u fetalne procese razvoja mozga i živčanog sustava pomalo se potvrđuje teorija kako većina moždanih funkcija koje proučavamo već godinama svoj začetak imaju upravo u prenatalnom razdoblju. Isto tako, međuigra između genoma, epigenoma i okoline oblikuje fenotip ljudskog zdravlja ili bolesti, čak i prije rođenja. Čini se da je došlo pravo vrijeme za promociju nove specijalnosti prenatalne i perinatalne psihijatrije.The human brain is an incredible and fascinating organ in every respect. It took nature several billion years of evolution to construct and perfect such a sophisticated neural architecture with an infinite spectrum of perfectly coordinated functions and amazing capability for change and adaptation. Today, the advancement of technology has enabled us to strive to understand human cognitive capabilities and adaptation to an elaborate environment, which includes that crucial period in which the most complex structure in the human body develops – the prenatal period. Insights into the processes of fetal brain and central nervous system development are gradually confirming the theory that most brain functions we have been studying for years have their origin in the prenatal period. Similarly, the interplay between the genome, epigenome, and environment shapes a phenotype of human health or illness even before birth. It seems that the time has come for a recognized specialty in Prenatal and Perinatal Psychiatry