CIHR Cafe Scientifique

Blame your parents! Why you are who you are
March 14, 2008

EVENT SUMMARY: Prenatal and childhood experiences can dramatically alter neurological and behavioural development later in life.  The effects of early life events such as exposure to drugs, disease, or injury can result in irreversible neurological conditions ranging from learning disabilities to disorders like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) to mental retardation.  Children with such developmental disabilities face a lifetime of challenges that can prevent them from participating fully in education, work, and play.  Preventative measures against aversive childhood experiences must be based in increased knowledge of the brain’s mechanistic responses and experience-dependent plastic changes. Understanding the factors affecting development could lead to enormous savings in health care costs and as well as contribute to the well-being of significant segments of the population, however, it is difficult to inform the public on what measures can be taken to prevent the occurrence of developmental disorders in their family. 

Sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the University of Lethbridge, Cafe Scientifiques provide insight into health-related issues of interest to the general public in a casual atmosphere. A key feature is the interaction and discussion amongst the public and the researchers.