When the gatekeeper falls: developmental vulnerability of the thalamic reticular nucleus in neonatal and pediatric hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Journal

Frontiers in systems neuroscience

Volume

20

DOI

10.3389/fnsys.2026.1753562

Keywords

GABAA receptor; cardiac arrest; chloride homeostasis; connexin-36; developmental neurophysiology; hypoxia–ischemia; pediatrics; thalamic reticular nucleus

Abstract

The thalamic reticular nucleus orchestrates thalamocortical oscillations and sensory gating. Its early development features a unique confluence of depolarizing GABA signaling, immature chloride regulation, and transient electrical coupling via connexin-36 gap junctions. These developmental specializations, essential for synchronizing cortical maturation, also render thalamocortical networks vulnerable to hypoxic-ischemic insults such as perinatal asphyxia or pediatric cardiac arrest. Following cellular ATP depletion, rapid chloride imbalance eliminates fast synaptic inhibition, permitting abnormal network activity to propagate via gap-junction coupling that persists when chemical inhibition collapses. The resulting electrical hypersynchrony, exacerbated by depolarizing GABAergic currents and impaired chloride extrusion, promotes excitotoxicity and thalamocortical dysrhythmia. This review synthesizes recent evidence to establish a framework that accounts for the selective vulnerability of the immature brain. Understanding these mechanisms may inform strategies to preserve developmental integrity and promote circuit resilience after pediatric asphyxial events.

Department

Pediatrics

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