Brain Damage in Children: The Biological and Social Aspects.

Abstract

This fascinating volume consists of the papers presented at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia in 1962 on social and biological problems of childhood brain damage. Since the problems arising from this condition are multidisciplinary, contributors and discussants were selected from psychiatry, neurology, sociology, and biochemistry. The mood of this conference is recaptured, and one can feel the excited reactions in the abbreviated discussions. The authors emphasize that the fact of brain damage in children and the concept of the brain-damaged child are different. There are many children with known brain damage who do not exhibit brain-damaged behavior. On the other hand, there are children with no known brain damage who exhibit brain-damaged behavior. The characteristics of brain-damaged behavior are hyperkinetic motor activity, limited attention span, emotional lability, impulsiveness, and social disarticulation. One contributor described the research going on in this area. The current view of disruptive behavior as a consequence of