Suckling, Feeding, and Swallowing: Behaviors, Circuits, and Targets for Neurodevelopmental Pathology

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-8-2020

Journal

Annual Review of Neuroscience

Volume

43

DOI

10.1146/annurev-neuro-100419-100636

Keywords

cranial nerves; dysphagia; neurodevelopmental disorders; oropharyngeal development; suckling

Abstract

© 2020 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved. All mammals must suckle and swallow at birth, and subsequently chew and swallow solid foods, for optimal growth and health. These initially innate behaviors depend critically upon coordinated development of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and larynx as well as the cranial nerves that control these structures. Disrupted suckling, feeding, and swallowing from birth onward-perinatal dysphagia-is often associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders that subsequently alter complex behaviors. Apparently, a broad range of neurodevelopmental pathologic mechanisms also target oropharyngeal and cranial nerve differentiation. These aberrant mechanisms, including altered patterning, progenitor specification, and neurite growth, prefigure dysphagia and may then compromise circuits for additional behavioral capacities. Thus, perinatal dysphagia may be an early indicator of disrupted genetic and developmental programs that compromise neural circuits and yield a broad range of behavioral deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.

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