Corpus callosum dysgenesis causes novel patterns of structural and functional brain connectivity.

Developmental malformations (dysgenesis) of the corpus callosum lead to neurological conditions with a broad range of clinical presentations. Investigating the altered brain connectivity patterns is crucial to understanding both adaptive and maladaptive neuroplasticity in corpus callosum dysgenesis patients. Here, we acquired structural diffusion-weighted and resting-state functional MRI data from a cohort of 11 corpus callosum dysgenesis patients (five with agenesis and six with hypoplasia) and compared their structural and functional connectivity patterns to healthy subjects selected from the Human Connectome Project.

Case Report: SARS-CoV-2 Mother-to-Child Transmission and Fetal Death Associated With Severe Placental Thromboembolism.

SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is not usually associated with significant adverse effects. However, in this study, we report a fetal death associated with mild COVID-19 in a 34-week-pregnant woman. The virus was detected in the placenta and in an unprecedented way in several fetal tissues.

Neurological outcomes of congenital Zika syndrome in toddlers and preschoolers: a case series.

Background: Congenital Zika syndrome causes a spectrum of neurological symptoms with varying effects on function that require different therapeutic strategies. To date, this spectrum of effects and its clinical implications have not been completely described. We describe the neurological examination findings in toddlers and preschoolers, including predominant symptom complexes and comorbidities.

The spectrum of neuropathological changes associated with congenital Zika virus infection.

A major concern associated with ZIKV infection is the increased incidence of microcephaly with frequent calcifications in infants born from infected mothers. To date, postmortem analysis of the central nervous system (CNS) in congenital infection is limited to individual reports or small series. We report a comprehensive neuropathological study in ten newborn babies infected with ZIKV during pregnancy, including the spinal cords and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and also muscle, pituitaries, eye, systemic organs, and placentas.

Immune activation in amniotic fluid from Zika virus-associated microcephaly.

Recent advances in the understanding of neuropathogenesis associated with Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has led to descriptions of neonatal microcephaly cases. However, none of these reports have evaluated the humoral response during ZIKV infection. We report here polyfunctional immune activation associated with increased interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), monocyte chemoattractive protein 1 (MCP-1), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels in the amniotic fluid of ZIKV-positive pregnant women with neonatal microcephaly.

Congenital Zika Virus Infection: Beyond Neonatal Microcephaly.

Importance: Recent studies have reported an increase in the number of fetuses and neonates with microcephaly whose mothers were infected with the Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy. To our knowledge, most reports to date have focused on select aspects of the maternal or fetal infection and fetal effects.

Objective: To describe the prenatal evolution and perinatal outcomes of 11 neonates who had developmental abnormalities and neurological damage associated with ZIKV infection in Brazil.