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by A. Berthoz The publication of this volume, edited by Adriano Ferrari and Giovanni Cioni, is a major event for several reasons. Most importantly, it concerns an area of child pathology that has yet to be fully explored. In this context, the authors’ efforts to compile their observations as well as those of other clinicians and to elaborate their theories have resulted in an ess- tial step in the field of cerebral palsy (CP). The originality of the book is its very clear focus, while at the same time the authors have encouraged the book’s contributors to express their ideas and personal opinions. This leads sometimes to redundancy, but this is precisely one of the benefits of the book - cause the same problems are then exposed from different points of views. The reader is thus spared the normative attempts of many other pathology books, in which the compl- ity of a given disease is hidden by the authors’ or editors’ desire to impose a rigid taxo- my or epidemiology.
In the first two years of life, several important and interlinked neurological functions develop; this is a decisive developmental period. Neurological disorders arising in early childhood therefore require special attention and should be defined precisely. To be understood and managed correctly, these disorders (epilepsy, cerebral lesions, tumours, nerve damage, etc.) must be considered as a whole. By compartmentalizing the disorders and only focusing on a certain number of them, physicians run the risk of neglecting others which could have been useful in reaching a more accurate diagnosis. Written by neuropaediatricians with the aim of sharing their knowledge, this book is the only one of its kind to date to explore, in such detail, all the factors which have the potential to perturb neurological development.
A survey of the latest research, covering such topics as plasticity in the adult brain and the underlying mechanisms of plasticity. The notion that neurons in the living brain can change in response to experience—a phenomenon known as "plasticity"—has become a major conceptual issue in neuroscience research as well as a practical focus for the fields of neural rehabilitation and neurodegenerative disease. Early work dealt with the plasticity of the developing brain and demonstrated the critical role played by sensory experience in normal development. Two broader themes have emerged in recent studies: the plasticity of the adult brain (one of the most rapidly developing areas of current r...
This new textbook wants to offer to neonatologists and pediatricians a modern and complete view of the various problems and aspects of neonatology, currently one of the most complex and advanced fields of pediatrics. The first chapters will be dedicated to the epidemiology of neonatal mortality and morbidity and to the conditions responsible for neonatal risk. A section will be devoted to organizational problems of hospitals and home services for efficient modern neonatal and infant care. Particular attention will be paid to neonatal care, medico-legal questions, examination of newborns and current availability of laboratory facilities and instrumentation for identification of perinatal abno...
This book provides a comprehensive review and update of the newest diagnostic and therapeutic tools in paediatric neurology. Special attention is paid to neuroradiologic and neurophysiologic techniques and to their clinical application, with guidelines and suggestions on how an integrated approach can be used to reach diagnosis. Some of the chapters focus on the new-born infant and the first years of life, highlighting the most appropriate MRI, clinical, and EEG techniques to investigate the developing brain. State-of-the-art techniques used in older children are also presented that afford a better understanding of the correlation between function and brain structure in young patients with b...
Cerebral Palsy in Infancy is a thought-provoking book which introduces a new way of thinking on the development and use of interventions. Relevant to current practice, it advocates early, targeted activity that is focused on increasing muscle activation, training basic actions and minimizing (or preventing) mal-adaptive changes to muscle morphology and function. The authors present recent scientific findings in brain science, movement sciences (developmental biomechanics, motor control mechanisms, motor learning, exercise science) and muscle biology. This knowledge provides the rationale for active intervention, underpinning the need for an early referral to appropriate services. The book fe...
This book provides an update on pediatric neurological disorders with cerebellar involvement. The opening section of the volume is dedicated to the structure and function of cerebellum: the specific development of the cerebellum, unlike other structures of the central nervous system, begins at a later stage of foetal development and lasts longer, even after birth, thus making the cerebellum particularly vulnerable to a wide range of insults, both genetic and acquired. Of particular interest are chapters that focus on cerebellar disorders, which may occur in isolation, or else as part of more complex malformations of the posterior fossa or in association with other supratentorial anomalies. S...
Clinics in Developmental Medicine No.186 The increased awareness of cerebral visual impairment in children, combined with improved recognition of its wide ranging manifestations, has led to its recognition as the most common cause of visual impairment in children in the developed world. Yet the subject is in its infancy, with very little published to date. Information on this complex topic has been needed by all disciplines working with disabled children for many years. This ambitious book links the work of authors from many of the major research teams in this field, who have made significant contributions to the literature on the subject of cerebral visual impairment and provide a structured amalgam of the viewpoints of different specialists. The book contains some very novel concepts, which will be of great practical value to those who care for children with visual impairment due to brain injury. Summaries of the more specialist chapters as well as clear diagrams and a glossary have been provided to increase the book’s accessibility to a broader readership. This is an exciting and important field, to which this book makes a major contribution.
It was Oscar Wilde who defined the tragedy of old age by saying that " . . . as soon as you are old enough to know better, you don't know anything at all. " As improvements in the quality of health care bring about longer life, our attention has turned from the prolonging of life to the maintenance of involvement in life. In developed nations, a full 100% increase in the ranks of the elderly has appeared and with the benefits of this prolongation have come new and greater needs of the elderly cohort. Our interest is in those processes that may lead to dementia among the elderly, for in dementia we see a thief that robs victims of their memories and their place in life. This text was conceive...
Readers are provided with essential information on Cerebral Palsy. This book also serves as a historical survey, by providing information on the controversies surrounding its causes. Compelling first-person narratives by people coping with Cerebral Palsy give readers a first-hand experience. Patients, family members, or caregivers explain the condition from their own experience. The symptoms, causes, treatments, and potential cures are explained in detail. Essential to anyone trying to learn about diseases and conditions, the alternative treatments are explored. Each essay is carefully edited and presented with an introduction, so that they are accessible for student researchers and readers.