Neurology of the Infant

Recent advances in the field of developmental neuroscience have been quite exciting, especially as they pertain to infants and children, in whom neurologic development proceeds more rapidly than at any other time of life So much has now been learned of normal neurologic development, which in tun informs the more pressing work of understanding how these normal functions become disordered by genetic, physical. or neurochemical mishaps. The information thus gained can, it is hoped, provide clinicians with the means to improve both their diagnostic and therapeutic tools and, more importantly, to use this understanding in the service of preventing or mitigating the effects of these childhood neurologic disorders. The physiologic and pathologic signs of neurologic diseases are better understood in the light of the current gains made in the fields of paediatric neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuroimaging and genetics. This progress in knowledge can assuredly help the clinician to recognise the nature of the disorder and to plan the most appropriate and effective measures to improve the quality of the affected child's life.