Kurjak A, Carrera Jm, Medic M, Azumendi G, Andonotopo W, Stanojevic M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Sveti Duh Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2005 Jun;17(6):401-16. doi: 10.1080/14767050400029657.
The investigation of fetal intrauterine activities has been enabled by the development of two-dimensional ultrasound. It has been shown that the earliest signs of fetal motor activity can be in the late embryonic period, and that the characteristics of fetal motor patterns change constantly throughout gestation. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the repertoire and frequency fetal movement patterns constantly expand, whereas the second and third trimesters are characterized by the progressive organization of fetal activities into complex and clearly distinct behavioral patterns. The comparison of real time ultrasonic studies of fetal behavior with the morphological studies of fetal brains has revealed that the appearance of new behavioral patterns or the transition of existing patterns directly reflect the complex neurodevelopment processes. It has been suggested that the assessment of fetal behavioral patterns could give us insight into the integrity of fetal central nervous system and enable the early detection of cerebral dysfunctions. The development of a new ultrasonic technique, four dimensional sonography, could represent a significant improvement in the assessment of fetal behavior. According to the preliminary results, this new technique could open a new perspective for the investigations of fetal behavioral patterns and contribute significantly to our better understanding of complex neurodevelopmental events. The most important neurodevelopmental events, the basic technology of 4D ultrasound and its application in the assessment of functional development of fetal central nervous system will be the subject of this review.
二维超声技术的发展使得对胎儿宫内活动的研究成为可能。研究表明，胎儿运动活动的最早迹象可出现在胚胎后期，且胎儿运动模式的特征在整个孕期不断变化。在妊娠早期，胎儿运动模式的种类和频率不断增加，而在妊娠中期和晚期，胎儿活动逐渐组织成复杂且明显不同的行为模式。对胎儿行为的实时超声研究与胎儿大脑形态学研究的比较表明，新行为模式的出现或现有模式的转变直接反映了复杂的神经发育过程。有人提出，评估胎儿行为模式可以让我们深入了解胎儿中枢神经系统的完整性，并有助于早期发现脑功能障碍。一种新的超声技术——四维超声检查法的发展，可能代表着胎儿行为评估方面的重大进步。根据初步结果，这项新技术可能为胎儿行为模式的研究开辟新的视角，并为我们更好地理解复杂的神经发育事件做出重大贡献。最重要的神经发育事件、四维超声的基本技术及其在评估胎儿中枢神经系统功能发育中的应用将是本综述的主题。
