Interference with proliferative activity in the CNS and its relation to facial abnormalities.

In considering craniofacial abnormalities, possible caused by factors interfering with cell proliferation, it is important to keep in mind the central nervous system. The CNS produces specific cell types throughout gestation and interference with cell proliferation may cause permanent cell loss. In this study it is shown that brief insults may damage some brain structures and spare others. Which structures sustain damage depends on which cells are proliferating at the time of insult. The varied lesions produced by interference at different stages of development were found to be accompanied by different syndromes of behavioral abnormalities.