The pages of this site are designed to provide a survey of neural tube defects (NTDs) affecting both the brain and head, as well as those afflicting the spinal cord, vertebral column, and the back. Additionally, pages have been devoted to development and neurulation to provide some background information for the context of developmental problems in general, and more specifically NTDs.

On the bar to the left, the first four NTDs listed, anencephaly through exencephaly, are cephalic defects, affecting the brain, the skull, the scalp, and possibly the neck, or high vertebral column and spinal cord. The last three NTDs listed are the three most common forms of spina bifida, the most common CNS malformation by itself. These defects afflict the vertebral column, and potentially the spinal cord, from the neck to the level of the tailbone.

This site has been produced in coordination with an undergraduate seminar at Davidson College.