Neurodevelopmental Trajectories of the Prefrontal Cortex in a Maternal Undernutrition Model: Stereological, Molecular, and Behavioural Correlates Relevant to Northern Nigeria

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and lactation produces lasting alterations in prefrontal cortical development with documented consequences for executive function, impulse control, and working memory in offspring. Northern Nigeria has the highest burden of maternal malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, yet the neuroanatomical trajectories of prefrontal development in this nutritional context have not been investigated within a comprehensive multimodal experimental framework. This study aims to characterise the neurodevelopmental trajectory of the prefrontal cortex across postnatal time points in offspring of nutritionally restricted Wistar rat dams using stereological, molecular, and behavioural methodologies. Dams will receive diets with 5, 10, and 20 percent protein content from conception to weaning. Offspring will be assessed at postnatal days 7, 14, 21, 35, and 60. Stereological estimation of total neuron number and glial cell density, together with dendritic Golgi analysis and synaptic density by transmission electron microscopy, will be performed at each time point. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and insulin-like growth factor 1 expression will be quantified by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Delayed alternation and attentional set-shifting tasks will provide behavioural correlates. This study will generate a comprehensive multimodal developmental atlas of prefrontal cortical maturation under varying nutritional conditions, providing a mechanistic framework for understanding cognitive impairments associated with maternal malnutrition in northern Nigeria.

Keywords: prefrontal cortex, maternal malnutrition, stereology, neurodevelopment, executive function