Relationship between environment and child brain development, one of great challenges in neuroscience

Studying the brains of children and adolescents provides key information for understanding the patterns of normal brain development and function. B·Debate and the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), which belongs to ISGlobal, are jointly organizing debate sessions to share knowledge on the impact environmental conditions have on brain development. The event, entitled Environment and Child Brain Development. The Challenges in the Global Context, will take place on 16 and 17 October 2014 at CosmoCaixa Barcelona.

The debates will feature neuroscientists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists and neuroepidemiologists discussing issues regarding the future challenges facing neurodevelopment. They will debate, for example, the role and effectiveness of results obtained from the various neuroimaging techniques used in population studies. Neuroimaging techniques give us live images of the central nervous system and the brain, but they haven’t been used in large population studies so far. There isn’t a consensus among neuroscientists and neuroepidemiologists as to the effectiveness of neuroimaging technology in these studies on a global level, which is why debate on this topic is essential.

The scientists will also discuss other issues, seeking consensus on the optimal age range to begin and end brain function and structure studies in children and adolescents, and public health policies and preventative treatments to be developed in the short and middle term.

Follow the debate on Twitter with the hashtag #BDebate and @BDebate.

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