Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms in Psychopathology

Book excerpt: This volume represents a burgeoning perspective on the origins of psychopathology, one that focuses on the development of the human central nervous system. The contemporary neurodevelopmental perspective assumes that mental disorders result from etiologic factors that alter the normal course of brain development. Defined here in its broadest sense, neurodevelopment is a process that begins at conception and extends throughout the life span. We now know that it is a complex process, and that its course can be altered by a host of factors, ranging from inherited genetic liabilities to psychosocial stressors. This book features the very best thinking in the converging fields of developmental neuroscience and developmental psychopathology. The developmental window represented is broad, extending from the prenatal period through adulthood, and the authors cover a broad range of etiologic factors and a spectrum of clinical disorders. Moreover, the contributors did not hesitate to use the opportunity to hypothesize about underlying mechanisms and to speculate on research directions.