Neurodevelopmental disorders

We have great pleasure to present the latest extension of the European Institute of Health Care book series. This volume is devoted to neurodevelopmental d- orders. Again, we had the privilege to be able to work with reknowned experts who have agreed to contribute to this endeavour. The book comprises a number of topics related to psychosocial and motor development and is exemplary with regard to its comprehensiveness, as reviews of the topics presented are generally not available in a single publication. It starts with a timely and critical discussion of the genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by Dr. Buitelaar in which prospects and challenges of this approach are outlined. The next chapter by Drs. Nicolson and Fawcett deals with dyslexia and its relationship to cerebellar function providing a framework that can explain motor, speed, and phonological deficits in a unified approach. Diagnostic and treatment aspects of speech development disorders are the focus of Dr. Zorowka’s contribution in which, among other issues, the necessity of mul- professional cooperation is stressed. Dr. Sigmundsson then focuses on disorders of motor development. 6-10 % of children have motor competence well below the norm, which often persist. The clumsy child syndrome must be seen and treated as a neurological dysfunction. The relationship between tic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder, two disturbances generally treated by different medical specialists, namely neurologists or psychiatrists, is then reviewed by Drs.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of neurodevelopmental disorders comprising motor, speech, cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions. Childhood and adolescent disorders ranging from dyslexia to schizophrenia and including autism, motor disorders and the attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome are presented from the perspectives of genetics, developmental psychology, clinical neurology and psychiatry. A multiprofessional team of experts from the various fields has contributed to this volume, which is aimed at clinicians and researchers alike. The reader will find up to date coverage of the clinically most relevant neurodevelopmental disorders with regard to pathophysiology, clinical presentation and treatment.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Michael Joel Schrift, D.O., M.A.(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description:This is an interesting new book devoted to common neurodevelopmental disorders. Written and edited by European clinician-researchers, the book is an excellent update and review of these common childhood onset disorders.
Purpose:The purpose of the book, according to the editor, is to present to the reader topics related to psychosocial and motor development of common neurodevelopmental disorders that are generally not available in a single publication.
Audience:The intended audience includes child psychiatrist, child psychologists, child neurologists, general psychiatrists and pediatricians.
Features:The book is essentially a compilation of reviews from journal articles. Topics covered include genetics issues in ADHD, the cerebellum and dyslexia, the clumsy child syndrome, the relationship between tic disorders and OCD, a review of the effectiveness of interventions in autism, and childhood onset schizophrenia and related disorders. Each chapter (review article) ends with relevant and up to date references. Unfortunately, no index was included. The book would have benefited from chapters bridging the varied topics covered.
Assessment:Although the review articles were quite interesting, this was not really a book. Also, the book is generally selling for $129. At that price, I think most purchasers would be disappointed by its thinness alone!

Preface......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 ADHD: strategies to unravel its genetic architecture......Page 7 Developmental dyslexia, learning and the cerebellum......Page 24 Disorders of speech development: diagnostic and treatment aspects......Page 42 Disorders of motor development (clumsy child syndrome)......Page 55 Tic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder : where is the link?......Page 73 The effectiveness of interventions for children with autism......Page 104 Schizophrenia and related disorders in children......Page 123