Developmental Neuropsychiatry

Although developmental concepts have held a prominent place in American psychiatry for over fifty years because of the dominance of psychodynamic theory, it is only in recent years that advances in neuroscience have begun to impact developmental psychiatry. James Harris's two volume work on developmental neuropsychiatry sets the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty. Written by an individual with the developmental expertise of a pediatrician, the behavioral sophistication of an adult and child psychiatrist, and a deep appreciation of neuroscience, these two books offer an integrated yet comprehensive approach to developmental neuropsychiatry. In Volume I, Part I discusses basic neural science, including aspects of molecular neurobiology, developmental neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems and neuronal signaling mechanisms, sleep and circadian rhythms, and basic genetics. Part II provides background on cognitive neuroscience that relate to attention, emotion, language, memory, neural networks, and consciousness. Part III emphasizes the developmental perspective which is crucial to an understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. It offers an ethological framework as well as background information on cognitive development, emotion expression and regulation, language development, temperament and personality, and the emergence of the self.

Several alterations of brain function cause common mental problems in young people. ADHD, autism, tic disorders, learning difficulties, intellectual disability, and the psychotic disorders of young people are conventionally classified and described as discrete neuropsychiatric problems. Research, however, has made it clear that they are complex, variable, dimensional, overlapping, and that they frequently coexist and share aetiological influences. Developmental Neuropsychiatry explores how clinicians often find themselves confronted with complex problems of diagnosis and treatment. Existing texts and guidelines, however, continue to be organized around simple conceptualization of illness categories. The book provides unified accounts of the complex psychiatric, psychological, neurological, medical, social, and educational issues that are relevant to clinical understanding.

This book addresses key issues in child neuropsychology but differs from other books in the field in its emphasis on clinical practice rather than research issues. Although research findings are presented, they are described with emphasis on what is relevant for assessment, treatment and management of pediatric conditions. The authors have chosen to focus on a number of areas. First, the text examines the natural history of childhood CNS insult, highlighting studies where children have been followed over time to determine the impact of injury on ongoing development. Second, processes of normal and abnormal cerebral and cognitive development are outlined and the concepts of brain plasticity and the impact of early CNS insult discussed. Finally, using a number of common childhood CNS disorders as examples, the authors develop a model which describes the complex interaction among biological, psychosocial and cognitive factors in the brain injured child. The text will be of use on advanced undergraduate courses in developmental neuropsychology, postgraduate clinical training programmes, and for professionals working with children in clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and in educational and rehabilitation contexts.

Although developmental concepts have held a prominent place in American psychiatry for over fifty years because of the dominance of psychodynamic theory, it is only in recent years that advances in neuroscience have begun to impact developmental psychiatry. James Harris's two-volume work on developmental neuropsychiatry sets the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty. Grounded in neuroscience but enriched by clinical realities, Volume II provides a comprehensive review of the developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Throughout the text current DSM-IV diagnostic criteria are provided.