Emilie Willoch Olstad

Olstad EW, Nordeng HME, Lyle R, Gervin K. No impact of prenatal paracetamol and folic acid exposure on cord blood DNA methylation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Front Genet. 2023;14:1204879. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1204879.

Olstad EW, Nordeng HME, Sandve GK, Lyle R, Gervin K. Effects of prenatal exposure to (es)citalopram and maternal depression during pregnancy on DNA methylation and child neurodevelopment. Transl Psychiatry. 2023;13. doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02441-2.  

Olstad EW, Nordeng HME, Sandve GK, Lyle R, Gervin K. Low reliability of DNA methylation across Illumina Infinium platforms in cord blood: implications for replication studies and meta-analyses of prenatal exposures. Clin Epigenetics. 2022 Jun 28;14(1):80. doi: 10.1186/s13148-022-01299-3.

Gomes JDA, Olstad EW, Kowalski TW, Gervin K, Vianna FSL, Schüler-Faccini L, Nordeng HME. Genetic Susceptibility to Drug Teratogenicity: A Systematic Literature Review. Front Genet. 2021 Apr 27;12:645555. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.645555.

Olstad EW, Nordeng HME, Gervin K. Prenatal medication exposure and epigenetic outcomes: a systematic literature review and recommendations for prenatal pharmacoepigenetic studies. Epigenetics. 2022 Apr;17(4):357-380. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2021.1903376. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

• Carson, Alexis Christine; Zidan, Mahmoud; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Gervin, Kristina; Galesloot, Tessel E. & Scholte, Iris [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2026). Genetically Informed Research Designs in Perinatal Pharmacoepidemiology: A Methodological Overview. Drug Safety. ISSN 0114-5916. 49(7), p. 761–773. doi: 10.1007/s40264-026-01647-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite the widespread use of medications during pregnancy, ethical and methodological barriers to clinical trials make observational studies necessary for evaluating medication safety in this population. Observational studies are prone to biases that often limit their validity due to the lack of randomization; integrating genetic information through discordant sibling designs, polygenic scores, and Mendelian randomization can address several confounding issues. However, application of these three approaches in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology has been limited. Complementing traditional designs with these genetically informed research designs can tackle common biases and strengthen causal inference. This paper focuses on applying genetically informed research designs to child outcomes in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology by reviewing various methods, discussing their strengths and limitations, and examining their application to date, as well as considerations for implementing them in future research. Such considerations include the availability of genetic data, the complexity of integrating genetic data with existing epidemiological data, and selection of appropriate genetic instruments for analyses. Incorporating causal inference in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology can ultimately contribute to enhancing safe medication use during pregnancy.

• Kinge-Rasmussen, Mathilde; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Bjørk, Marte-Helene; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Tan, Manuela & Gervin, Kristina [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Genetic susceptibility for neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to women with epilepsy. Brain Communications. 8(2). doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcag078. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Children of women with epilepsy have higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), than the general population. This likely reflects a complex gene-environment interplay, but the specific contribution of genetic susceptibility, independent of in utero antiseizure medication exposure, remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for ADHD and ASD are elevated in these children compared to the general population and to assess associations with childhood neurodevelopmental traits. We analysed genetic and questionnaire data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). We included children born to women with epilepsy (n = 422) and children of mothers without epilepsy (n = 73 300). The parent-reported neurodevelopmental traits hyperactivity, inattention, social difficulties, language difficulties, repetitive behaviour and motor difficulties were measured using z scores at ages 0.5, 1.5, 3, 5 and 8 years. The genetic susceptibility was calculated as PRSs for ADHD and ASD. Children born to women with epilepsy had higher PRSs for ADHD (mean difference = 0.09, P = 0.07), not ASD (mean difference = 0.014, P = 0.78), compared to those without epilepsy. In these children, we observed stronger associations between the ADHD PRSs and neurodevelopmental traits closely linked to ADHD, specifically hyperactivity and inattention for all ages examined with the strongest association at 8 years. For the ASD PRSs, we observed stronger associations with motor development and language difficulties particularly at 5 years in children born to women with epilepsy. Although these associations were in the same direction and statistically significant for all ages in the general population, they did not reach statistical significance in children born to women with epilepsy. Findings from this study show that the ADHD and ASD PRSs were more strongly associated with hyperactivity/inattention, and with language/motor difficulties respectively in children born to women with epilepsy, compared to the general population. However, statistical significance was not reached likely due to limited sample size. These findings underscore the importance of considering genetic predisposition when assessing neurodevelopmental risks in this population.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Bjørk, Marte-Helene; Selmer, Kaja Kristine & Gervin, Kristina (2025). Paternal valproate use and impact of shared genetic susceptibility on child neurodevelopment. Scientific Reports. 15(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-23377-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Reddy, Akhila Srinivas; Gelder, Marleen van; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Gervin, Kristina; Torkildsen, Janne von Koss & Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland (2025). Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Families of Women Taking Psychotropic Medication During Pregnancy. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. ISSN 0269-5022. 40(1), p. 97–108. doi: 10.1111/ppe.70075. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Familial and environmental factors contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Prenatal psychotropic exposure may influence the risk of NDDs in children. As these medications are prescribed to women with mental disorders, which are genetically and environmentally linked to NDDs, accounting for familial confounding is essential when studying medication safety in pregnancy. Objectives To compare the prevalence of NDDs in pregnant women using psychotropics, their partners, and their previous children, with those not using these medications. Methods We included data from the most recent pregnancy of Norwegian women with mental disorders who gave birth between 2010 and 2018, using Norwegian registries. Maternal psychotropic use included antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and sedatives, as recorded in the Norwegian Prescription Database. NDDs were identified using ICD-10 codes for intellectual disabilities, language/scholastic disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) from the Norwegian Patient Registry. Modified Poisson regression estimated crude and adjusted relative risks (aRRs) for the association between psychotropic use and family history of NDDs. Results The study included 27,638 women. Among psychotropic users, NDDs prevalence was 9.6% in women, 5.4% in partners, and 10.0% in previous children, compared to 5.7%, 4.6%, and 8.0% in non-users, respectively. ADHD was the most prevalent NDD. Psychotropic use in pregnancy was associated with any NDD, particularly ADHD, in the women [any NDD aRR 1.77 (95% CI 1.60, 1.95); ADHD aRR 1.79 (95% CI 1.61, 1.98)], previous children [any NDD aRR 1.25 (95% CI 1.07, 1.47); ADHD aRR 1.26 (95% CI 1.02, 1.54)], and partners [any NDD aRR 1.21 (95% CI 1.06, 1.37); ADHD aRR 1.22 (95% CI 1.07, 1.39)]. Conclusions Prenatal psychotropic use was associated with a higher prevalence of NDDs in mothers and their previous children, highlighting the need to account for familial neurodevelopmental patterns to distinguish the effects of psychotropics from underlying genetic or familial factors.

• Kanduri, Chakravarthi; Mamica, Maria Anna; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Zucknick, Manuela; Jessica, Li, Jingyi & Sandve, Geir Kjetil Ferkingstad (2025). Beware of counter-intuitive levels of false discoveries in datasets with strong intra-correlations. Genome Biology. ISSN 1465-6906. 26. doi: 10.1186/s13059-025-03734-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The false discovery rate (FDR) controlling method by Benjamini and Hochberg (BH) is a popular choice in the omics fields. Here, we demonstrate that in datasets with a large degree of dependencies between features, FDR correction methods like BH can sometimes counter-intuitively report very high numbers of false positives, potentially misleading researchers. We call the attention of researchers to use suited multiple testing strategies and approaches like synthetic null data (negative control) to identify and minimize caveats related to false discoveries, as in the cases where false findings do occur, they may be numerous.

• Reddy, Akhila Srinivas; Fawad, Fatima; Leite, Mila Apostolova; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Gervin, Kristina & Kanduri, Chakravarthi [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2025). Prenatal exposure to psychotropics and analgesics on cognitive, linguistic and educational outcomes – a scoping review with focus on validity and reliability of outcome measures. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 25. doi: 10.1186/s12884-025-07235-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective To provide an overview of the observational studies on child’s cognitive, linguistic, and educational outcomes following prenatal exposure to psychotropics and analgesics, including reporting of outcome measure validity and reliability. Study design We searched four databases, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed from inception to September 2023. We included all original studies involving participants less than 18 years old, who were prenatally exposed to psychotropics and/or analgesics with cognitive, linguistic, and/or educational outcomes and excluded those lacking comparison groups. Results 80 studies were identified. Most studies (47%) focused on the effects of prenatal exposure to antiepileptics on child cognition. Valproate was consistently associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, whereas the results for other medications were sparse and conflicting. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were measured by psychometric assessments in 71 studies and by diagnostic codes in health care registries in nine studies. Only 33 of the 71 studies (46.5%) using psychometric measures mentioned the psychometric properties of the instruments used. In studies using diagnostic outcome measures, only one study reported positive predictive values and performed a sensitivity analysis to address outcome misclassification. Conclusion Except for valproate, there is a concerning lack of studies on the impact of prenatal exposure to psychotropics and analgesics on cognitive, linguistic, and educational outcomes with existing studies yielding inconsistent findings. Regardless of whether psychometric measures or diagnostic codes were used, most studies lacked a robust assessment of outcome measures, which threatens their validity and interpretability. Future studies on long-term prenatal medication safety need to focus on the accuracy of neurodevelopmental outcome measures.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Bjørk, Marte-Helene; Selmer, Kaja Kristine & Gervin, Kristina (2025). Agreement Between Parental Self-Reported Antiseizure Medication Use and Dispensed Prescription Records From a National Prescription Database. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. ISSN 1053-8569. 34(4). doi: 10.1002/pds.70139. Full text in Research Archive
• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Sandve, Geir Kjetil Ferkingstad; Lyle, Robert & Gervin, Kristina (2023). Effects of prenatal exposure to (es)citalopram and maternal depression during pregnancy on DNA methylation and child neurodevelopment. Translational Psychiatry. 13(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02441-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Studies assessing associations between prenatal exposure to antidepressants, maternal depression, and offspring DNA methylation (DNAm) have been inconsistent. Here, we investigated whether prenatal exposure to citalopram or escitalopram ((es)citalopram) and maternal depression is associated with differences in DNAm. Then, we examined if there is an interaction effect of (es)citalopram exposure and DNAm on offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. Finally, we investigated whether DNAm at birth correlates with neurodevelopmental trajectories in childhood. We analyzed DNAm in cord blood from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) biobank. MoBa contains questionnaire data on maternal (es)citalopram use and depression during pregnancy and information about child neurodevelopmental outcomes assessed by internationally recognized psychometric tests. In addition, we retrieved ADHD diagnoses from the Norwegian Patient Registry and information on pregnancies from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. In total, 958 newborn cord blood samples were divided into three groups: (1) prenatal (es)citalopram exposed ( n  = 306), (2) prenatal maternal depression exposed ( n  = 308), and (3) propensity score-selected controls ( n  = 344). Among children exposed to (es)citalopram, there were more ADHD diagnoses and symptoms and delayed communication and psychomotor development. We did not identify differential DNAm associated with (es)citalopram or depression, nor any interaction effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes throughout childhood. Trajectory modeling identified subgroups of children following similar developmental patterns. Some of these subgroups were enriched for children exposed to maternal depression, and some subgroups were associated with differences in DNAm at birth. Interestingly, several of the differentially methylated genes are involved in neuronal processes and development. These results suggest DNAm as a potential predictive molecular marker of later abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes, but we cannot conclude whether DNAm links prenatal (es)citalopram exposure or maternal depression with child neurodevelopmental outcomes.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Lyle, Robert & Gervin, Kristina (2023). No impact of prenatal paracetamol and folic acid exposure on cord blood DNA methylation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Frontiers in Genetics. 14, p. 1–6. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1204879. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pharmacoepigenetic studies are important to understand the mechanisms through which medications influence the developing fetus. For instance, we and others have reported associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and offspring DNA methylation (DNAm). Additionally, folic acid (FA) intake during pregnancy has been associated with DNAm in genes linked to developmental abnormalities. In this study, we aimed to: (i) expand on our previous findings showing differential DNAm associated with long-term prenatal paracetamol exposure in offspring with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and (ii) examine if there is an interaction effect of FA and paracetamol on DNAm in children with ADHD. We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). We did not identify any impact of paracetamol or any interaction effect of paracetamol and FA on cord blood DNAm in children with ADHD. Our results contribute to the growing literature on prenatal pharmacoepigenetics, but should be replicated in other cohorts. Replication of pharmacoepigenetic studies is essential to ensure robust findings and to increase the clinical relevance of such studies.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland; Sandve, Geir Kjetil Ferkingstad; Lyle, Robert & Gervin, Kristina (2022). Low reliability of DNA methylation across Illumina Infinium platforms in cord blood: implications for replication studies and meta-analyses of prenatal exposures. Clinical Epigenetics. 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s13148-022-01299-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: There is an increasing interest in the role of epigenetics in epidemiology, but the emerging research feld faces several critical biological and technical challenges. In particular, recent studies have shown poor correlation of measured DNA methylation (DNAm) levels within and across Illumina Infnium platforms in various tissues. In this study, we have investigated concordance between 450 k and EPIC Infnium platforms in cord blood. We could not replicate our previous fndings on the association of prenatal paracetamol exposure with cord blood DNAm, which prompted an investigation of cross-platform DNAm diferences. Results: This study is based on two DNAm data sets from cord blood samples selected from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). DNAm of one data set was measured using the 450 k platform and the other data set was measured using the EPIC platform. Initial analyses of the EPIC data could not replicate any of our previous signifcant fndings in the 450 k data on associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and cord blood DNAm. A subset of the samples (n=17) was included in both data sets, which enabled analyses of technical sources potentially contributing to the negative replication. Analyses of these 17 samples with repeated measurements revealed high per-sample correlations (−R ≈0.99), but low per-CpG correlations (−R≈0.24) between the platforms. 1.7% of the CpGs exhibited a mean DNAm diference across platforms >0.1. Furthermore, only 26.7% of the CpGs exhibited a moderate or better cross-platform reliability (intra-class correlation coefcient ≥0.5). Conclusion: The observations of low cross-platform probe correlation and reliability corroborate previous reports in other tissues. Our study cannot determine the origin of the diferences between platforms. Nevertheless, it emulates the setting in studies using data from multiple Infnium platforms, often analysed several years apart. Therefore, the fndings may have important implications for future epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs), in replication, meta-analyses and longitudinal studies. Cognisance and transparency of the challenges related to cross-platform studies may enhance the interpretation, replicability and validity of EWAS results both in cord blood and other tissues, ultimately improving the clinical relevance of epigenetic epidemiology.

• Dgama, Percival Paul Menino; Qiu, Tao; Cosacak, Mehmet Ilyas; Rayamajhi, Dheeraj; Konac, Ahsen & Hansen, Jan Niklas [Show all 23 contributors for this article] (2021). Diversity and function of motile ciliated cell types within ependymal lineages of the zebrafish brain. Cell reports. 37(1). doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109775. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Motile cilia defects impair cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and can cause brain and spine disorders. The development of ciliated cells, their impact on CSF flow, and their function in brain and axial morphogenesis are not fully understood. We have characterized motile ciliated cells within the zebrafish brain ventricles. We show that the ventricles undergo restructuring through development, involving a transition from mono- to multiciliated cells (MCCs) driven by gmnc. MCCs co-exist with monociliated cells and generate directional flow patterns. These ciliated cells have different developmental origins and are genetically heterogenous with respect to expression of the Foxj1 family of ciliary master regulators. Finally, we show that cilia loss from the tela choroida and choroid plexus or global perturbation of multiciliation does not affect overall brain or spine morphogenesis but results in enlarged ventricles. Our findings establish that motile ciliated cells are generated by complementary and sequential transcriptional programs to support ventricular development.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Nordeng, Hedvig Marie Egeland & Gervin, Kristina (2021). Prenatal medication exposure and epigenetic outcomes: a systematic literature review and recommendations for prenatal pharmacoepigenetic studies. Epigenetics. ISSN 1559-2294. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2021.1903376. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  When used during pregnancy, analgesics and psychotropics pass the placenta to enter the foetal circulation and may induce epigenetic modifications. Where such modifications occur and whether they disrupt normal foetal developme nt, are currently unanswered questions. This field of prenatal pharmacoepigenetics has received increasing attention, with several studies reporting associations between in utero medication exposure and offspring epigenetic outcomes. Nevertheless, no recent systematic review of the literature is available. Therefore, the objectives of this review were to (i) provide an overview of the literature on the association of prenatal exposure to psychotropics a nd analgesics with epigenetic outcomes, and (ii) suggest recommendations for future studies within prenatal pharmacoepigenetics. We performed systematic literature searches in five databases. The eligible studies assessed human prenatal exposure to psychotropics or analgesics, with epigenetic analyses of offspring tissue as an outcome. We identified 18 eligible studies including 4,419 neonates exposed to either antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid, or methadone. The epigenetic outcome in all studies was DNA methylation in cord blood, placental tissue or buccal cells. Although most studies found significant differences in DNA methylation upon medication exposure, almost no differences were persistent across studies for similar medications and sequencing methods. The reviewed studies were challenging to compare due to poor transparency in reporting, and heterogeneous methodology, design, genome coverage, and statistical modelling. We propose 10 recommendations for future prenatal pharmacoepigenetic studies considering both epidemiological and epigenetic perspectives. These recommendations may improve the quality, comparability, and clinical relevance of such studies. PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42020166675.

• Gomes, Julia do Amaral; Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Kowalski, Thayne Woycinck; Gervin, Kristina; Vianna, Fernanda Sales Luiz & Schüler-Faccini, Lavínia [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Genetic Susceptibility to Drug Teratogenicity: A Systematic Literature Review. Frontiers in Genetics. 12. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.645555. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Since the 1960s, drugs have been known to cause teratogenic effects in humans. Such teratogenicity has been postulated to be influenced by genetics. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current knowledge on genetic susceptibility to drug teratogenicity in humans and reflect on future directions within the field of genetic teratology. We focused on 12 drugs and drug classes with evidence of teratogenic action, as well as 29 drugs and drug classes with conflicting evidence of fetal safety in humans. An extensive literature search was performed in the PubMed and EMBASE databases using terms related to the drugs of interest, congenital anomalies and fetal development abnormalities, and genetic variation and susceptibility. A total of 29 studies were included in the final data extraction. The eligible studies were published between 1999 and 2020 in 10 different countries, and comprised 28 candidate gene and 1 whole-exome sequencing studies. The sample sizes ranged from 20 to 9,774 individuals. Several drugs were investigated, including antidepressants (nine studies), thalidomide (seven studies), antiepileptic drugs (five studies), glucocorticoids (four studies), acetaminophen (two studies), and sex hormones (estrogens, one study; 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate, one study). The main neonatal phenotypic outcomes included perinatal complications, cardiovascular congenital anomalies, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. The review demonstrated that studies on genetic teratology are generally small, heterogeneous, and exhibit inconsistent results. The most convincing findings were genetic variants in SLC6A4, MTHFR, and NR3C1, which were associated with drug teratogenicity by antidepressants, antiepileptics, and glucocorticoids, respectively. Notably, this review demonstrated the large knowledge gap regarding genetic susceptibility to drug teratogenicity, emphasizing the need for further efforts in the field. Future studies may be improved by increasing the sample size and applying genome-wide approaches to promote the interpretation of results. Such studies could support the clinical implementation of genetic screening to provide safer drug use in pregnant women in need of drugs.

• Ringers, Christa; Olstad, Emile Willoch & Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie (2019). The role of motile cilia in the development and physiology of the nervous system. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8436. 375:20190156, p. 1–10. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0156. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Motile cilia are miniature, whip-like organelles whose beating generates a directional fluid flow. The flow generated by ciliated epithelia is a subject of great interest, as defective ciliary motility results in severe human diseases called motile ciliopathies. Despite the abundance of motile cilia in diverse organs including the nervous system, their role in organ development and homeostasis remains poorly understood. Recently, much progress has been made regarding the identity of motile ciliated cells and the role of motile-cilia-mediated flow in the development and physiology of the nervous system. In this review, we will discuss these recent advances from sensory organs, specifically the nose and the ear, to the spinal cord and brain ventricles.

• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Hansen, Jan Niklas; Wens, Adinda; Brandt, Cecilia & Wachten, Dagmar [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Ciliary beating compartmentalizes cerebrospinal fluid flow in the brain and regulates ventricular development. Current Biology. ISSN 0960-9822. 29(2), p. 229–241.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.11.059. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Motile cilia are miniature, propeller-like extensions, emanating from many cell types across the body. Their coordinated beating generates a directional fluid flow, which is essential for various biological processes, from respiration to reproduction. In the nervous system, ependymal cells extend their motile cilia into the brain ventricles and contribute to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. Although motile cilia are not the only contributors to CSF flow, their functioning is crucial, as patients with motile cilia defects develop clinical features, like hydrocephalus and scoliosis. CSF flow was suggested to primarily deliver nutrients and remove waste, but recent studies emphasized its role in brain development and function. Nevertheless, it remains poorly understood how ciliary beating generates and organizes CSF flow to fulfill these roles. Here, we study motile cilia and CSF flow in the brain ventricles of larval zebrafish. We identified that different populations of motile ciliated cells are spatially organized and generate a directional CSF flow powered by ciliary beating. Our investigations revealed that CSF flow is confined within individual ventricular cavities, with little exchange of fluid between ventricles, despite a pulsatile CSF displacement caused by the heartbeat. Interestingly, our results showed that the ventricular boundaries supporting this compartmentalized CSF flow are abolished during bodily movement, highlighting that multiple physiological processes regulate the hydrodynamics of CSF flow. Finally, we showed that perturbing cilia reduces hydrodynamic coupling between the brain ventricles and disrupts ventricular development. We propose that motile-cilia-generated flow is crucial in regulating the distribution of CSF within and across brain ventricles.

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• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Wens, Adinda; Hansen, Jan; Brandt, Cecilia & Yaksi, Emre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2018). Spatially organized ciliary beating compartmentalizes cerebrospinal fluid flow in the brain and regulates ventricular development. Full text in Research Archive
• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Hansen, Jan; Wens, Adinda; Brandt, Cecilia & Wachten, Dagmar [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Spatially organized ciliary beating compartmentalizes cerebrospinal fluid flow in the brain and regulates ventricular development. Full text in Research Archive
• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Hansen, Jan; Wens, Adinda; Yaksi, Emre & Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie (2018). Cilia-driven flow in the zebrafish brain ventricles. Full text in Research Archive
• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Yaksi, Emre & Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie (2018). The function of motile-cilia driven flow in the nervous system. Full text in Research Archive
• Olstad, Emilie Willoch; Ringers, Christa; Hansen, Jan; Wens, Adinda; Brandt, Cecilia & Wachten, Dagmar [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). The function of motile-cilia driven flow in the nervous system. Full text in Research Archive

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