Although human brain development continues throughout childhood and adolescence, it is a non-linear process both structurally and functionally. Here we review studies of brain development in healthy children from the viewpoint of structure and the perfusion of gray and white matter. Gray matter volume increases and then decreases with age, with the developmental time of the peak volume differin...

Adolescence starts with puberty and ends when individuals attain an independent role in society. Cognitive neuroscience research in the last two decades has improved our understanding of adolescent brain development. The evidence indicates a prolonged structural maturation of grey matter and white matter tracts supporting higher cognitive functions such as cognitive control and social cognition...

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by excessive inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, either alone or in combination. Neuropsychological findings suggest that these behaviors result from underlying deficits in response inhibition, delay aversion, and executive functioning which, in turn, are presumed to be linked to dysfunction of frontal-striatal-cerebellar...

the brain edema is one of remarkable injuries after traumatic brain injuries (tbi). the common treatments for limiting edema are included mannitol, barbiturates, corticosteroids, hyperventilation and central nervous system derange. the most of these treatments for edema is problematic. for example, mannitol can be effective for the short period of time (24 hours) after brain injuries but is not...

With the discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, sleep was no longer considered a homogeneous state of passive rest for the brain. On the contrary, sleep, and especially REM sleep, appeared as an active condition of intense cerebral activity. The fact that we get large amounts of sleep in early life suggested that sleep may play a role in brain maturation. This idea has been investigated f...

The discovery of stem cells in adult nerve tissue makes the repair of brain damage a realistic possibility.

The role of the serotonergic system in the neuroplastic events that create, repair, and degenerate the brain has been explored. Synaptic plasticity occurs throughout life and is critical during brain development. Evidence from biochemical, pharmacological, and clinical studies demonstrates the huge importance of an intact serotonergic system for normal central nervous system (CNS)function. Sero...

Media coverage of early brain development not only has focused public attention on early childhood but also has contributed to misunderstanding of developmental neuroscience research. This article critically summarizes current research in developmental neuroscience that is pertinent to the central claims of media accounts of early brain development, including (a) scientific understanding of for...

Introduction Understanding early human brain development is of great clinical importance, as many neurological and neurobehavioral disorders have their origin in early structural and functional brain development. With conventional magnetic resonance imaging we have been able to delineate macroscopically early developmental events such as myelination and gyral development. Diffusion tensor imagi...

Genetic studies are refining our understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms in autism. Some autism-related mutations appear to disrupt genes regulated by neuronal activity, which are especially important in development of the postnatal nervous system. Gene replacement studies in mice indicate that the developmental window to ameliorate symptoms may be wider than previously anticipated.