Développement cérébral en psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent. Approche par l’imagerie

Abstract

Modifications in cerebral development have either been demonstrated or their presence is probable in a number of psychiatric disorders which arise during childhood or adolescence. Their detection depends on new methods of image analysis; examples are presented in this article. These methodological innovations permit the quantification of anatomical or functional imaging data, not only in patient groups, but also on an individual basis. This new technology could concern diagnostic aid, psychopathological information, therapeutic evaluation, and sometimes detecting a disorder. The implementation of this type of research depends on the organization of clinico-methodological networks for setting up the relevant databases.