Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The contributions provide in-depth analyses of a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including those resulting from whole chromosome defects (Down and Turner syndromes), those related to defects in a single gene (fragile-X syndrome) or a small number of genes (Williams syndrome), and complex genetic disorders (dyslexia, autism).

Until recently, genetic, neuroanatomical, and psychological investigations on neurodevelopmental disorders were carried out independently. Now, tremendous advances across all disciplines have brought us toward a new scientific frontier: the integration of molecular genetics with a developmental cognitive neuroscience. The goal is to understand the basic mechanisms by which genes and environmental processes contribute to the development of specific structures and regions of the brain.

This handbook-style volume explores these advances from the perspective of developmental disorders in children. Research on children with known genetic disorders offers insights into the genetic mechanisms that underlie neural development and organization, as expressed in variations in cognitive profiles. The contributions provide in-depth analyses of a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including those resulting from whole chromosome defects (Down and Turner syndromes), those related to defects in a single gene (fragile-X syndrome) or a small number of genes (Williams syndrome), and complex genetic disorders (dyslexia, autism). Contributors from the fields of teratology and brain injury provide additional perspectives.

Contributors
Jane Adams, Marcia A. Barnes, Simon Baron-Cohen, Elizabeth Bates, Margaret L. Bauman, Ursula Bellugi, Jacquelyn Bertrand, Lori Buchanan, Merlin G. Butler, Dawn Delaney, Maureen Dennis, Kim N. Dietrich, Elizabeth M. Dykens, Jack M. Fletcher, Susan E. Folstein, Barbara R. Foorman, Albert Galaburda, Randi J. Hagerman, John Harrison, C. Ross Hetherington, Greg Hickok, Terry Jernigan, Beth Joseph, William E. MacLean, Jr., Michele M.M. Mazzocco, William M. McMahon, Carolyn B. Mervis, Debra Mills, Colleen A. Morris, Lynn Nadel, Bruce F. Pennington, Allan L. Reiss, Mabel L. Rice, Byron F. Robinson, Judith L. Ross, Joanne Rovet, Susan L. Santangelo, Bennett A. Shaywitz, Sally E. Shaywitz, Marian Sigman, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Travis Thompson, J. Bruce Tomblin, Doris Trauner, Stefano Vicari, Xuyang Zhang, Andrew Zinn

Helen Tager-Flusberg is Research University Professor at the University of Massachusetts and Senior Scientist in the Psychological Sciences Division at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center.