Progressive Brain Disorders In Childhood

A review of childhood neurodegenerative and other progressive but non-degenerative disorders to guide their diagnosis and management.

Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders are common, highly disabling, and associated with significant premature mortality. The impact of these disorders on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, and societies is large, growing, and underestimated. Despite this burden, these disorders have been systematically neglected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with pitifully small contributions to scaling up cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies. Systematically compiling the substantial existing knowledge to address this inequity is the central goal of this volume. This evidence-base can help policy makers in resource-constrained settings as they prioritize programs and interventions to address these disorders.

Brain disordersâ€"neurological, psychiatric, and developmentalâ€"now affect at least 250 million people in the developing world, and this number is expected to rise as life expectancy increases. Yet public and private health systems in developing countries have paid relatively little attention to brain disorders. The negative attitudes, prejudice, and stigma that often surround many of these disorders have contributed to this neglect. Lacking proper diagnosis and treatment, millions of individual lives are lost to disability and death. Such conditions exact both personal and economic costs on families, communities, and nations. The report describes the causes and risk factors associated with brain disorders. It focuses on six representative brain disorders that are prevalent in developing countries: developmental disabilities, epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and stroke. The report makes detailed recommendations of ways to reduce the toll exacted by these six disorders. In broader strokes, the report also proposes six major strategies toward reducing the overall burden of brain disorders in the developing world.

This open access book offers an essential overview of brain, head and neck, and spine imaging. Over the last few years, there have been considerable advances in this area, driven by both clinical and technological developments. Written by leading international experts and teachers, the chapters are disease-oriented and cover all relevant imaging modalities, with a focus on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The book also includes a synopsis of pediatric imaging. IDKD books are rewritten (not merely updated) every four years, which means they offer a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in imaging. The book is clearly structured and features learning objectives, abstracts, subheadings, tables and take-home points, supported by design elements to help readers navigate the text. It will particularly appeal to general radiologists, radiology residents, and interventional radiologists who want to update their diagnostic expertise, as well as clinicians from other specialties who are interested in imaging for their patient care.

Progressive neurodevelopmental disorders that affect the development of the infant brain can have detrimental impacts on a range of cognitive and emotional behaviors. The identification and management of these disorders can be challenging for neurologists, pediatricians and other healthcare professionals who encounter these conditions in their practices. This book is essential for teaching medical practitioners how to promptly identify neurological regression during childhood development and investigate disorders in sufficient depth to be able to arrive at a precise syndromic diagnosis, plan appropriate management for the patient, and offer advice to caregivers. The text provides a platform for clinicians - new and experienced - to expose their knowledge gaps in the field of neurodegenerative and related disorders. Individual disorders are analyzed by age of onset, with attention given to disorders present in utero, in the newborn, in the infant, and the adolescent, making this a practical and comprehensive guide for any healthcare professional.

Hauer offers hope and practical coping strategies in equal measure.

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

A practical guide to understanding and treating children and adolescents prone to extreme levels of angry outbursts, Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents is based on the very latest research and theory. Providing both a clinical and scientific perspective on irritability in children, this book is a timely look at recent developments in the field. Abnormal states of anger are a common reason for referral to child health services, and cause concern in clinics, schools, and families. Misdiagnosis and treatment can stem from a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in high levels of anger in children, and Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents provides clear guidance on the development of abnormal states of anger, their consequences for later development, and how to assess and make differential diagnoses between them. A useful resource for clinical practice, this book is concise and accessible, and offers tools for evaluating treatments. Disruptive Mood: Irritability in Children and Adolescents is designed for practitioners involved in child and adolescent mental health and education and researchers who need an introduction to this complex field.