Eugenio Mercuri – författare

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 148 This is the second edition of the manual describing a popular and practical tool for the clinical neurological examination of the newborn. In addition to a number of developments on the original scheme in the light of clinical and research experience, the new manual also facilitates the recording and performance of the examination by providing clear information on its administration, aided by illustrative diagrams. A new feature is the inclusion of useful scoring tables at the back of the book. Other new sections include a simplified version of the examination suited to inexperienced staff, applicable both for screening and for use in developing countries, and a revised proforma which may be used for the follow-up of infants beyond the neonatal period. There is also a new section describing clinical patterns in newborns with brain lesions and their correlation with imaging and neurological findings.

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 176 The book provides a review of the state of the art of neurological assessment in the first two years of life and identifies the most appropriate instruments for the follow-up of newborns who are at risk of developing neurological abnormalities.After a brief description of the neurophysiological basis of development in the first years, the book provides a comprehensive review of the various methods used for the neurological assessment in young infants describing how a combined approach of clinical and instrumental investigations can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information.The first part of the book describes the most used clinical neurological examinations and their applications in infants with neurological abnormalities, followed by a description of the value of neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques in normal preterm and full term infants in the first two years and the main types of abnormal MR findings of neurophysiological findings (EEG and evoked potentials) in relation to brain lesions.Other sections include chapters describing techniques assessing specific aspects of cognitive, perceptual and sensory abilities. Special attention is given to hearing, language and communication and to development of vision and visual attention both in normal infants and in those with neonatal brain lesions.The final chapters are devoted to intervention, describing how the identification of specific profiles of impairment can lead to the development of appropriate plans of early intervention.

This volume is based on a highly successful conference dedicated to Perinatal brain damage: from pathogenesis to neuroprotection. Neonatologists, paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, obstetricians, basic researchers involved in neurosciences, as well as rehabilitation professionals, will be interested by this publication. The volume covers pathogenic aspects of brain lesions occurring in the fetal and neonatal period, and addresses the issues of diagnostic work-up and treatment. The most authoritative basic researchers, clinicians, and specialists in the field of neuroimaging, provide chapters on recent clinical advances. A subject of particular importance is the neurological vulnerability of the preterm infant, which also touches on ethical aspects of the care of high-risk preterm babies and those born from multiple pregnancies. A particularly original section focuses on cerebral white matter and the many issues related to this crucial part of the developing brain. Experts also deal with cerebral visual impairment, motor development, cognitive function, and the mechanisms underlying the neuronal plasticity of the infant's brain. Concepts of neuroprotection are also outlined, based on pharmacological agents tested on experimental animals and the best drugs used to treat neonatal convulsions.