Developmental Neuropsychiatry Research Articles

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Psychiatry was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of psychiatry is divided into 13 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Perminder S. SachdevPerminder S. SachdevPerminder S. Sachdev AM, MBBS, MD, FRANZCP, PhD, FAHMS, is Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) in the School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney, Australia, and Clinical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI) at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia. He is co-chair of the Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT), and director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Vascular Contributions to Dementia. His major areas of research are drug-induced movement disorders, brain imaging, cognitive ageing and dementia. He has published over 700 peer-reviewed journal papers and six books, including one for lay readers (The Yipping Tiger and Other Tales from the Neuropsychiatric Clinic) and a book of poems (A Migrant's Musings). He was named NSW Scientist of the Year for Biomedical Sciences in 2010. In 2011, he was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to medical research. In 2018, he won the DARF-Yulgilbar Innovation Award for dementia research. In 2022, he was awarded the Ryman Prize for research concept or initiative that has enhanced quality of life for older people. Roma VasaRoma VasaDr Roma Vasa is an internationally recognized developmental neuropsychiatrist and the Director of Psychiatric Services at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr Vasa is co-chair of the Autism and Intellectual Disability Committee of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Within the field of developmental neuropsychiatry, Dr Vasa specializes in the assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders and their associated psychiatric conditions, as well as neuropsychiatric outcomes after pediatric traumatic brain injury. Her research focuses on investigating the phenotype and underlying transdiagnostic constructs of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder, notably intolerance of uncertainty. Dr Vasa is committed to training the next generation of psychiatrists, students, and other professionals in developmental neuropsychiatry and has developed innovative educational models in this area. She recently launched the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Scholar Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, which provides advanced specialty training to child and adolescent psychiatrists.

James C. Harris, MD (1940-2021).

Sadly, Dr.James C. Harris passed away at his home in April 2021, peacefully and in the presence of his loving wife Catherine DeAngelis, MD, shortly after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and received his medical degree in 1966 from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. This followed a year of internship at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in California and a residency in Pediatrics at Strong Memorial Hospital University of Rochester in New York State. He came to Johns Hopkins as a Senior Assistant Resident in Pediatrics in 1972, and it is then that Hopkins became his professional home, which he never left. He proceeded to complete his general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins as well. Dr.Harris was Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and of Pediatrics, former Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, founding director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program at Hopkins and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and a beloved mentor to so many of today's leaders in child and adolescent psychiatry. Jim was indeed a distinguished clinician, educator, scholar, investigator, and advocate; he was also my training director, mentor, and friend.

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Psychiatry was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of psychiatry is divided into 11 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS James C. HarrisJames C. HarrisDr James C. Harris is the founding Director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, Mental Health, and History of Medicine, USA. Dr Harris’ two volume single authored textbook, Developmental Neuropsychiatry, established the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty, garnering the Medical Book of the Year award from Doody's Health Science Books. He is series editor for Developmental Perspectives in Psychiatry for Oxford University Press US and writes the section on Developmental Neuropsychiatry for the Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry. In 1983, he founded the Autism Clinic at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received the George Tarjan Award for outstanding leadership and continuous contributions in the field of intellectual disability from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and is the recipient of the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement from the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his pioneering work in developmental neuropsychiatry. In 2011, he received the Leon Eisenberg Award from Harvard Medical School, USA, for outstanding leadership and stewardship in the field of mental health and disabilities. He is the 2015 recipient of the Frank J. Menolascino Award for Psychiatric Services for Persons with Intellectual Developmental Disorders and the 2017 recipient of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Catcher in the Rye Award for Life Time Steadfast Advocacy for Children with Psychiatric Disorders. His goal in working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities has focused on helping each child to reach his or her individual potential believing, as he does, that all children are capable of personal self-expression and growth. Perminder S. SachdevPerminder S. SachdevDr Perminder S. Sachdev is Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Australia, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and Clinical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute, the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and completed his MD in psychiatry from that institution before migrating to New Zealand and then to Australia where he completed his psychiatric training and went on to head the Neuropsychiatric Institute. His doctorate was on the ethnopsychological concepts in Maori culture. His early work in neuropsychiatry was on drug-induced movement disorders, in particular akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. His most recent work has been in cognitive ageing, dementia and pre-dementia syndromes. Dr Sachdev is Past-President of the International Neuropsychiatric Association and was inaugural Chair of the Section of Neuropsychiatry of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He was the recipient of the Organon Senior Research Award of the RANZCP in 1995, the Novartis Oration of the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2004, and the inaugural INA-India lecture in 2005. He has published five books and over 350 original papers in peer-reviewed journals. His recent academic book is Secondary Schizophrenia (Cambridge University Press). His foray into popular science writing was celebrated with his recent book The Yipping Tiger and other tales from the neuropsychiatric clinic, which won the 2009 Rotary Health Knowledge Dissemination Award. He was awarded the NSW Biomedical Scientist of the Year 2010. He was made Member of the Order of Australia in 2011. He is the current President of the International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology.

Editorial introductions

Current Opinion in Psychiatry was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of psychiatry is divided into 13 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS James C. HarrisJames C. HarrisDr James C. Harris is the founding Director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, Mental Health, and History of Medicine, USA. Dr Harris’ two volume single authored textbook, Developmental Neuropsychiatry, established the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty garnering the “Medical Book of the Year” award from Doody's Health Science Books. He is series editor for Developmental Perspectives in Psychiatry for Oxford University Press US and writes the section on Developmental Neuropsychiatry for the Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry. In 1983 he founded the Autism Clinic at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received the George Tarjan Award for outstanding leadership and continuous contributions in the field of intellectual disability from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is the recipient of the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement from the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his pioneering work in Developmental Neuropsychiatry. In 2011 he received the Leon Eisenberg Award from Harvard Medical School, USA, for outstanding leadership and stewardship in the field of mental health and disabilities. He is the 2015 recipient of the Frank J. Menolascino Award for Psychiatric Services for Persons with Intellectual Developmental Disorders and the 2017 recipient of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Catcher in the Rye Award for Life Time Steadfast Advocacy for Children with Psychiatric Disorders. His goal in working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities has focused on helping each child to reach his or her individual potential believing, as he does, that all children are capable of personal self-expression and growth. Perminder S. SachdevPerminder S. SachdevDr Perminder S. Sachdev is Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Australia, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and Clinical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute, the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and completed his MD in Psychiatry from that institution before migrating to New Zealand and then to Australia where he completed his psychiatric training and went on to head the Neuropsychiatric Institute. His doctorate was on the ethnopsychological concepts in Maori culture. His early work in Neuropsychiatry was on drug-induced movement disorders, in particular akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. His most recent work has been in cognitive ageing, dementia and pre-dementia syndromes. Dr Sachdev is Past-President of the International Neuropsychiatric Association and was inaugural Chair of the Section of Neuropsychiatry of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He was the recipient of the Organon Senior Research Award of the RANZCP in 1995, the Novartis Oration of the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2004, and the inaugural INA-India lecture in 2005. He has published five books and over 350 original papers in peer-reviewed journals. His recent academic book is Secondary Schizophrenia (Cambridge University Press). His foray into popular science writing was celebrated with his recent book The Yipping Tiger and other tales from the neuropsychiatric clinic, which won the 2009 Rotary Health Knowledge Dissemination Award. He was awarded the NSW Biomedical Scientist of the Year 2010. He was made Member of the Order of Australia in 2011. He is the current President of the International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology.

Editorial introductions

Current Opinion in Psychiatry was launched in 1988. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of psychiatry is divided into 13 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS James C. HarrisJames C. HarrisDr James C. Harris is the founding Director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, Mental Health, and History of Medicine, USA. Dr Harris’ two volume single authored textbook, Developmental Neuropsychiatry, established the agenda for this emerging clinical specialty garnering the “Medical Book of the Year” award from Doody's Health Science Books. He is Series Editor for Developmental Perspectives in Psychiatry for Oxford University Press US and writes the section on Developmental Neuropsychiatry for the Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry. In 1983 he founded the Autism Clinic at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the recipient of the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement from the American Psychiatric Association in recognition of his pioneering work in Developmental Neuropsychiatry. In 2011 he received the Leon Eisenberg Award from Harvard Medical School, USA, for outstanding leadership and stewardship in the field of mental health and disabilities. His goal in working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities has focused on helping each child to reach his or her individual potential believing, as he does, that all children are capable of personal self-expression and growth. Perminder S. SachdevPerminder S. SachdevDr Perminder S. Sachdev is Scientia Professor of Neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales, Australia, Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and Clinical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute, the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and completed his MD in psychiatry from the same institution before migrating to New Zealand and then to Australia where he completed his psychiatric training and went on to head the Neuropsychiatric Institute. His doctorate was on the ethnopsychological concepts in Maori culture. His early work in neuropsychiatry was on drug-induced movement disorders, in particular akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. His most recent work has been in cognitive ageing, dementia and pre-dementia syndromes. Dr Sachdev is Past President of the International Neuropsychiatric Association and was inaugural Chair of the Section of Neuropsychiatry of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. He was the recipient of the Organon Senior Research Award of the RANZCP in 1995, the Novartis Oration of the Australasian Society for Psychiatric Research in 2004, and the inaugural INA-India lecture in 2005. He has published five books and over 350 original papers in peer-reviewed journals. His recent academic book is Secondary Schizophrenia (Cambridge University Press). His foray into popular science writing was celebrated with his recent book, The Yipping Tiger and other tales from the neuropsychiatric clinic, which won the 2009 Rotary Health Knowledge Dissemination Award. He was awarded the NSW Biomedical Scientist of the Year 2010. He was made Member of the Order of Australia in 2011. He is the current President of the International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology.

Myanmar’s Mental Health System Undergoes Major Modernization

Myanmar’s Mental Health System Undergoes Major Modernization

AACAP Updates Guidelines On Autism Spectrum Disorder

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Research NewsFull AccessAACAP Updates Guidelines On Autism Spectrum DisorderAaron LevinAaron LevinSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 Mar 2014https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2014.3a18AbstractNew practice parameter for autism spectrum disorder will help clinicians coordinate treatment.A flood of new research in recent years has prompted the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to revise a key guideline for evaluating and treating autism.The “Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder” applies that information to make the case for “multidisciplinary care, coordination of services, and advocacy for individuals and their families.”The practice parameter appeared in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.New research creates a need for revised autism guidelines, said Yale’s Fred Volkmar, M.D.Yale University“There were about 2,800 papers published last year alone,” said lead author Fred Volkmar, M.D., a professor of psychiatry, pediatrics, and psychology at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale Child Study Center. “The field is changing rapidly.”Practice parameters seek to promote effective care and move professional medical methods closer to current best practices.In all, Volkmar’s work group reviewed abstracts of 9,581 articles and selected 186 for full examination based on quality and generalizability.“This is a very comprehensive effort, based on the current evidence,” commented James Harris, M.D., a professor and director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. Harris was not involved in the preparation of the practice parameter.After summarizing material on the epidemiology, etiology, and clinical course of autism spectrum disorder, the document recommends routine inquiry about symptoms of autism spectrum disorder as part of the developmental assessment of young children and of the psychiatric assessment of all children. If a child has significant symptoms, clinicians should coordinate a full medical, psychological, and communication evaluation. A careful evaluation should differentiate between autism and a variety of developmental and other disorders, as well as intellectual and behavioral disabilities.“Finding children with autism spectrum disorder early and getting them into treatment helps them do better and develop workaround tools,” said Volkmar.Treatment involves a team approach, he said. Strong evidence now supports structured educational, communication, and behavioral treatments backed by family involvement. There is lesser evidence for the value of pharmacological treatments, but they can help with comorbid conditions like anxiety, depression, aggression, inattention, and other problems.James Harris, M.D., a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, says that psychiatrists need to ask parents if they are using any alternative/complementary therapies with their children.Aaron Levin“The role of psychiatrists is first to closely coordinate diagnosis and treatment with teachers, behavioral psychologists, and speech and language pathologists, as well as looking for co-occurring conditions like anxiety or mood dysregulation,” said Harris. “Once a treatment team is in place, the psychiatrist can evaluate whether medications can help the child make productive use of those interventions.”The practice parameter concludes with a strong recommendation that clinicians should “inquire about the use of alternative/complementary treatments and be prepared to discuss their risk, and potential benefits.”“Perhaps 90 percent of parents of children with autism use some kind of alternative or complementary therapies,” said Volkmar. “Most of them are harmless, but some, like chelation or secretin, are not, so we have to encourage a discussion with parents about the lack of evidence.”Harris agreed. “The psychiatrist has to ask what the parents are actually doing, then stick with them and educate them.” ■“Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder” can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived

Fragile X syndrome

Advances in developmental neuropsychiatry and the mental health needs of people with intellectual disability are creating ever greater understanding of the critical associations between human genome variations and psychological functioning throughout lifespan and across the entire intellectual ability spectrum. This review highlights the recent developments and their clinical implications for people with fragile X syndrome. There is substantial evidence for individuals of all ages and intellectual abilities being prone to psychological profiles determined not only by having a fragile X gene full mutation, but also by having premutations and intermediate alleles. The importance of these genetic contributors to mental life, if anything, increases with age. Premutation carriers are prone to neurodegenerative mid-life fragile X tremor-ataxia syndrome. Women with premutations experience premature ovarian insufficiency. Imbalances in the (gamma amino butyrie acid)-glutamate mediated postsynaptic cascade central neuronal pathways are a current focus of psychopharmacological enquiry, giving the hope of syndrome-specific medical treatments. Findings from genetic, neurological, biochemical, psychological and pharmacological research are combining to revolutionize understanding of the pathogenesis of developmental and psychological disabilities affecting individuals with fragile X syndrome irrespective of age, intelligence level and gene mutation status. Results of syndrome-specific medication trials are awaited.

JS02-02 - Emergency psychiatry in italy 30 years after the closure of mental health hospitals: past experiences and future projects

The first law on mental health dates back to 1904, and attempted to encourage a uniform national discipline of the mental institutions and established as confinement criteria ‘social danger’ and ‘public scandal’.Very little exists in the scientific literature regarding this topic. A study conducted on the admissions to the Psychiatric Hospital of Collegno and Grugliasco (one of the largest in Italy) has highlighted few predictable aspects of mental health institutions. In particular, it suggests that the stereotype of “psychiatric imprisonment” not only does not correspond to the truth but has become misleading as well. In the past, patients were very often discharged from hospital due to overcrowding and high costs.In 1978 the Italian Parliament enacted the law Number 180. The importance of this law made admissions compulsory but also authorized the modalities and the timing of the Compulsory Psychiatric Treatment (CPT).By confronting the data relative to CPT in Turin from 2007 to 2009 (1,159 CPT per 868 subjects) and those dating back between 1985 and 1998 (4,819 CPT per 3,092 subjects) remarkable results emerge as regards psychiatric emergency in Italy. Recently there has been a higher incidence of CPT due to personality disorders, if compared with schizophrenia. It is clear not only the increasingly higher number of patients affected by these disorders, but also their characterization as emergency cases.In the CPT consent form, terms such as “psychomotor agitation”, “impulsivity” and/or “aggressiveness” are often adopted when making diagnoses both for the clinical evaluation and admission to hospital. These data support the hypothesis that some cases of compulsory admissions are necessary to contain disturbing behaviors, thus confirming CPT as a of social control tool.The institutional function of the Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment in general hospital in Italy (PSDT) is responsible for emergency care. A study conducted for 7 years at our PSDT showed that many patients affected by schizophrenia had a positive history of substance abuse and these cases revealed a more severe psychopathology and a major resistance to treatment.Very often the Psychiatric Unit ended up to offering health care assistance to patients presenting with social emergency situations. Our data demonstrate a significant statistical correlation between admitted patients and the length of hospital stays.To fully understand the Italian Psychiatric Reform it is imperative to analyze the university network services and how the 40 Italian universities with psychiatric clinics deal with the education and training of the Mental Health Therapists. The reform established a department model offering diversified and specialized structures within one facility, the Department of Mental Health.The integration and coordination among psychiatry and the other health care services such as addiction treatment facilities, developmental neuropsychiatry, disability, geriatrics and social services had to be regulated. Providing clinical governance, maintaining and improving the quality of patients’ care within the healthcare system, integrating healthcare strategies and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches will be essential to this project.

Pseudocataplexy and Transient Functional Paralysis: A Spectrum of Psychogenic Motor Disorder

Pseudocataplexy and Transient Functional Paralysis: A Spectrum of Psychogenic Motor Disorder

Risk appraisal in developmental forensic neuropsychiatry: an introduction and guide to the existing knowledge and clinical practice basis

This paper is based on seminar, workshop and lecture materials presented at national and international conferences, and follows an invitation to cover this topic as part of a one‐day conference on mental health issues in autism spectrum disorders (Staufenberg, 2005; 2007). The paper will seek to a) outline a review of the current evidence base and clinical approaches to the appraisal of risk behaviour or aggressive conduct in general and forensic psychiatric practice, before b) reviewing the current issues in the clinical risk appraisal in individuals with complex neurodevelopmental syndromes of the high functioning autism spectrum, and in particular Asperger's syndrome.References based on clinical and structured instrument‐based risk appraisal will also introduce the pertinence of assessing personality traits in individuals with Asperger's syndrome, with specific reference to forensic neuropsychiatry‐based expertise and case vignettes. A discussion of potential research directions and collaborations will conclude this introductory guide to the emerging field of forensic developmental neuropsychiatry.

Book Review: Mental Retardation: Intellectual Disability: Understanding its Development, Causes, Classification, Evaluation and Treatment

Mental Retardation Intellectual Disability: Understanding Its Development, Causes, Classification, Evaluation and Treatment James C Harris. New York (NY): Oxford University Press; 2006. 429 p. US$45.00. Reviewer Rating: Excellent Review by Bruce D McCreary, MD, FRCPC Kingston, Ontario James C Harris is professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, mental hygiene, and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Readers interested in developmental neuropsychiatry will be familiar with his widely read, 2-volume text devoted to the field, published by Oxford University Press in 1995. His aim in this new book is to provide a comprehensive review of intellectual disabilities, a topic covered as mental retardation in 35 pages of his earlier text. Intellectual Disability has 10 chapters and 7 appendices. Chapter 1 outlines the content of each of the following chapters and highlights Harris' approach: emphasis in this book is on the development of the person, the provision of interventions for associated behavioural and emotional problems and the needed positive supports for self determination.p5 Chapter 2 is devoted to origins, changing concepts, and legal safeguards; as do most of the appendices, it reflects the author's US perspective. rest of the text will be more useful to readers in Canada and elsewhere. Those interested in the legacy of John F Kennedy will be impressed by the continuing impact of his various presidential advisory committees on intellectual disabilities, whose contributions have, sadly, no federal counterpart in Canada. Chapter 3 concerns the classification of intellectual disability and illustrates the use of methodologies developed by the American Association on Mental Retardation, the ICD-10, and the DSM-IV-TR. Chapter 4 discusses epidemiologic considerations. Here, the author observes that mental disorders are 3 to 4 times more prevalent in individuals with intellectual disabilities and that, unfortunately, less than one-third of those with identified psychopathology receive mental health services. Harris' review of etiology and assessment in Chapter 5 identifies the multiplicity of causes for intellectual disability and stresses the growing significance of epigenetics, that is, The study of process by which genotypes give rise to phenotypes as the developmental program unfolds.p 101 importance of systematic clinical assessments, supplemented as needed by special genetic investigations or neuroradiologic examination, is noted; the cause of intellectual disability can be identified in 40% to 60% of those evaluated. …

Developmental Neuropsychiatry: A New Model of Psychiatry for Young People With and Without Intellectual Disability?

Deinstitutionalization of young people with intellectual disability means that they are now cared for by families and served by community-based professionals. Normalization, which has been the guiding philosophy for this re-integration, has challenged child psychiatry to accept its responsibility for the mental health of this special needs group. It is argued that this group, with its special mental health needs, has had an influence on the conceptual framework of child psychiatry, particularly our understanding of development. This article examines the influence of the psychiatry of intellectual disability on child psychiatry and the influence of child psychiatry on the understanding of the mental health needs of those with intellectual disability. In particular, the management of young people with intellectual disability has required child psychiatry to expand its understanding of a biopsychosocial approach. Some of the resulting changes and challenges are presented to illustrate the benefits for both child psychiatry and the psychiatry of intellectual disability. The interaction of different conceptual biases has led to a new and broader conceptual spectrum of developmental neuropsychiatry. Developmental neuropsychiatry recognizes the need to integrate social science and preventative strategies at one end of the spectrum, with the genetics, molecular biology of human behaviour and targeted pharmacology at the other, and consider the developmental and interactive nature of such models. This article argues that this emerging, dynamic and broader conceptual framework of developmental neuropsychiatry enhances our understanding of the child mental health of all children. The article looks at some of the implications for assessment, diagnosis and treatment. As mental health needs become a greater public health priority, the advances in basic sciences will reinvigorate this medical specialty and training programmes will need to reflect these.

Two distinct forms of minor neurological dysfunction: perspectives emerging from a review of data of the Groningen Perinatal Project

Two distinct forms of minor neurological dysfunction: perspectives emerging from a review of data of the Groningen Perinatal Project

Putting Mental Retardation and Mental Illness on Health Care Professionals' Radar Screen

IN THE LAST 10 TO 20 YEARS, GENETIcists, neuroscientists, and others have made tantalizing discoveries about some basic features of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. For example, researchers have linked fragile X syndrome with excess or abnormal neuronal connections in the brain. They’ve found that adults who have velocardiofacial syndrome are very likely also to have psychosis. Another major finding is the difference in behavioral phenotypes in PraderWilli syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) because of genetic imprinting. The same region on chromosome 15 is deleted in both disorders, but a deletion inherited from the father results in PWS while a deletion inherited from the mother causes AS. These findings and others are helping to build a foundation for improved diagnoses and medical care for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. But perhaps the greatest challenge for researchers and clinicians will be translating these findings into accurate diagnostic methods and appropriate treatment for people with mental retardation who also have mental illnesses. Experts say people with this dual diagnosis are among the most overlooked and ignored patient populations in the United States. “There has been a paucity of psychiatric research and a lack of framework in psychiatry to address emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric problems in these people,” says James Harris, MD, director of developmental neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “The problems in access to mental health care are far more extensive and widespread than in terms of physical health.”

Autism and Other Developmental Disorders

Cohen, D, Volkmar F, eds. Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.Harris J. Developmental neuropsychiatry. Vols I–II. New York: Oxford ...

Developmental Neuropsychiatry.

Developmental Neuropsychiatry.

Developmental Neuropsychiatry: Volume 1, The Fundamentals, and Volume 2, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Developmental Disorders

Developmental Neuropsychiatry: Volume 1, The Fundamentals, and Volume 2, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Developmental Disorders

Developmental Neuropsychiatry (2 volumes)

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ArticleFull AccessDevelopmental Neuropsychiatry (2 volumes)Boris BirmaherBoris BirmaherSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Apr 2006https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.9.1.116AboutSectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail "Developmental Neuropsychiatry (2 volumes)." The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 9(1), pp. 116–117 FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 9Issue 1 February 1997Pages 116-117 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 April 2006 Published in print 1 February 1997

Developmental Neuropsychiatry: The Fundamentals (Volume 1) and Developmental Neuropsychiatry: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Developmental Disorders (Volume 2)

This is a rich 2-volume set. James Harris has written both volumes, as books used to be written. That fact gives the set an unmistakable warmth and integrity. This set of books is also a scholarly tour de force because it encompasses neuroanatomy, all central nervous system functions, the clinical world of developmental disabilities, and assorted topics along the way (eg, sleep, emotion, and memory). The set is a review of the basic science of the brain, a text of developmental aberrations, and an affirmation of the wisdom of psychiatry. Two features included in various chapters are tables of clinical characteristics and special glossaries. The set does have a few shortcomings: people-first language is not used, confusion among the terms<i>syndrome, disorder</i>, and<i>disease</i>(and their possessive forms) occurs, pictures of involved individuals are absent, and remarks about adult life are limited. Finally, only 20 pages is devoted to the