Fetal brain and preeclampsia: neurodevelopmental disorder and its potential markers

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.320

Murashko A.V., Sidorova I.S., Chilova R.A., Managadze I.J.
I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

Preeclampsia is a dangerous complication of the perinatal period, a period of neurocorticogenesis, the formation of the neocortex – the principal human brain structure – as well as the correlates of consciousness and sensorimotor signaling, and the structures and functions of higher nervous activity.
This literature review addresses a topical issue: the impact of preeclampsia on fetal neurodevelopment and the search for potential biomarkers of fetal brain damage.
This was a comprehensive analysis of the complex pathophysiological chain of effects that preeclampsia has on the pregnant woman and fetus: ranging from placental dysfunction and impaired integrity and permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), changes in the expression of neuron-specific proteins (NSPs) and the formation of NSP-mediated maternal autoantibodies, to changes in the cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex, neurocorticogenesis and synaptogenesis, and, consequently, the development of a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders (aautism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cognitive impairment, mental and other disorders).
Conclusion: The presented data offer a new perspective on the phenomenon of preeclampsia as a key process determining fetal brain development and neurodevelopment in general, taking into account factors such as BBB permeability and the role of NSPs as effective diagnostic markers capable of predicting both short-term and long-term outcomes of fetal neurodevelopment.

Authors’ contributions: Murashko A.V., Sidorova I.S., Chilova R.A. – developing the concept and design of the study, editing the text; Managadze I.J. – collection and analysis of literary data, writing the text.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Funding: The study was conducted without sponsorship.
Disclosing AI use: The authors did not use any AI tools to generate the text of the article.
For citation: Murashko A.V., Sidorova I.S., Chilova R.A., Managadze I.D.
Fetal brain and preeclampsia: neurodevelopmental disorder and its potential markers.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2026; (3): 22-29 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.320

preeclampsia

neurocorticogenesis

neuron-specific proteins

blood-brain barrier

fetal neurodevelopment

Full text (in Russian)

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Received 07.11.2025

Accepted 24.03.2026

Andrey V. Murashko, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 1, N.V. Sklifosofsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2,
+7(499)248-67-29, murashkoa@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-2909
Iraida S. Sidorova, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Academician of the RAS, Merited Scholar of the Russian Federation, Merited Doctor of the Russian Federation, Professor
at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 1, N.V. Sklifosofsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University,
Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, +7(499)248-67-29, sidorovais@yandex.ru,
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2209-8662
Raisa A. Chilova, Dr. Med. Sci., Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 1, N.V. Sklifosofsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, +7(499)248-67-29, chilova_r_a@staff.sechenov.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6331-3109
Ioanna J. Managadze, Resident and PhD student at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 1, N.V. Sklifosofsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), 119991, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, +7(499)248-67-29, ktb1966@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8745-9372
Corresponding author: Ioanna J. Managadze, ktb1966@mail.ru

Fetal brain and preeclampsia: neurodevelopmental disorder and its potential markers

Murashko A.V., Sidorova I.S., Chilova R.A., Managadze I.J.

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