Synopses & Reviews
Advances in cognitive neuroscience are rapidly transforming how scientists think about psychopathology. This highly readable book illuminates the interplay among biological processes and psychological and social-contextual factors in the development of such widely encountered problems as depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. From leading developmental scientist Bruce F. Pennington, the book explains the variety of methods currently being used to investigate the mind-brain connection, including behavioral and molecular genetics, studies of brain structure and function, neuropsychology, and treatment studies. Chapters summarize what investigators in these fields have learned about the etiology and brain mechanisms of specific disorders and syndromes; integrate these findings with existing psychological and developmental analyses; and examine the implications for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Review
"I adopted
The Development of Psychopathology for an advanced undergraduate class, and I plan to use it in an introductory graduate seminar next semester. Pennington's book has the highest ratio of science to glitz of any work in this area. Neuroscience and genetics are sometimes weak points in behavioral science texts, but these two fast-growing areas get their due here. This integrated treatment of child psychopathology by one of the field's leaders is a treat for both students and instructor."--Hill Goldsmith, PhD, Fluno Bascom Professor and Leona Tyler Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin/n-/Madison
"The new discipline of cognitive neuroscience has already brought a rich harvest of applications to the traditional subjects of psychology and psychiatry. This is the first textbook on one of the most exciting of these applications, developmental psychopathology. This landmark book not only presents interesting and novel findings on the major syndromes, but also situates them within an integrated theoretical framework that makes it a joy to read. Particularly compelling are the insights it offers on developmental disorders, including autism and dyslexia. As one of the leaders of the emerging field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, Pennington writes with the superb clarity and great authority that comes only from first-hand knowledge. He offers lucid discussions of the complexities of models of causation and of comorbidity in different syndromes and how to resolve them. Also presented in highly accessible form are the new techniques from genetics, epidemiology, neurobiology, neuropsychology, and neuroimaging that are fundamental to the neuroscience approach."--Uta Frith, PhD, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, UK
"This clear, readable and interesting book by one of the world leaders in the field of developmental cognitive psychology provides a splendid account of modern concepts of developmental psychopathology, as viewed from a neuroscience perspective. The essential research findings are succinctly summarized, but the particular value of the book lies in the understanding it provides of what these findings mean. Highly recommended!"--Professor Sir Michael Rutter, Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
"This book is a remarkable achievement. Pennington provides a new integrative framework for understanding psychopathology, based on principles of developmental cognitive neuroscience. A wide range of disorders, such as depression, dyslexia, autism, and schizophrenia, are considered from multiple levels of analysis, from genes to brain to behavior. This book will serve as an outstanding text for advanced students in many fields, including psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. I strongly recommend it to any professional seeking to understand how the new field of cognitive neuroscience will transform our understanding of psychopathology."--Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Washington
"Compelling....[Pennington] demonstrates that virtually all mental disorders are developmental in nature and therefore must be understood in the context of what is known about normal development....His approach not only illuminates an understanding of pathological functioning, but also can serve as a road map to better understanding the avoidance of pathological outcomes. Ultimately, this work can inform prevention efforts with populations at risk for the development of psychopathology."--from the Foreword by Dante Cicchetti, PhD, Department of Psychology and Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester
Review
"An outstanding achievement....The real triumph of this book is Pennington's ability to highlight how historical debates between psychiatrists and psychologists within developmental psychopathology would have benefited from a cognitive neuroscientific approach that integrates different levels of analysis....I would warmly recommend this book as an optimistic and highly enjoyable read for any professional within the field of developmental psychopathology."--Autism
Review
"Every so often a book comes along that as soon as you see it you realize that you had just been waiting for it to be written. This is such a book....The next generation of clinicians and researchers in the field of developmental psychopathology will have to [have] working knowledge of the methods and findings of neuroscience and genetics. Both those in training and in current practice will find this book a rich and intellectually exciting framework within which to understand developments in these fields and to appreciate their relevance to developmental psychopathology."--Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Review
"An excellent text or resource for trainees in developmental psychopathology and general psychiatry residents or child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. It could facilitate meaningful discussions on the general challenges within the field of mental health and inform thought on an integrated approach to a person with a specific disorder of motivation, action selection, or language. In addition, it is appropriate for the clinician who seeks a broader understanding and framework on which to base clinical practice."--Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Synopsis
From a leading developmental scientist, the book explains the variety of methods currently being used to investigate the mind-brain connection, including behavioral and molecular genetics, studies of brain structure and function, neuropsychology, and treatment studies.
Synopsis
This volume illuminates the interplay among biological, psychological, and social-contextual processes in the development of prevalent clinical problems. Bruce F. Pennington explains the variety of methods used to investigate the mind-brain connection, including behavioral and molecular genetics, studies of brain structure and function, neuropsychology, and treatment studies. Shedding light on where mental disorders come from, how they develop, and why they are so common, the book also examines the implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
About the Author
Bruce F. Pennington, PhD, is John Evans Professor of Psychology at the University of Denver, where he heads the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience program. He received his BA in English at Harvard University in 1968 and his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Duke University in 1977. He has earned an international reputation for his research on dyslexia, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and has published over 150 scientific papers on these topics. His honors include Research Scientist, MERIT, and Fogarty awards from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Pennington's earlier book,
Diagnosing Learning Disorders, emphasizes a close relation between research and practice. In addition to being a researcher and research mentor, he is also a child clinical neuropsychologist and has been active in clinical practice and training throughout his career.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Fundamental Issues
Ecumenism versus Integration: The Need for a New Framework
The Mind-Body Problem in Psychopathology
To Diagnose or Not to Diagnose?
Establishing the Validity of Diagnoses
Testing the Basis of Comorbidity
Why a Developmental Approach?
Why a Science of Psychopathology Is Difficult
What Counts as an Explanation
2. Methods of Syndrome Analysis
Epidemiology
Behavioral and Molecular Genetics
Neurobiology
Neuropsychology
3. Disorders of Motivation
Depression and Dysthymia
Anxiety Disorders
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
4. Disorders of Action Regulation
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Conduct Disorder
Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Schizophrenia
5. Disorders of Language and Cognitive Development
Autism
Mental Retardation
Dyslexia and Other Language Disorders
6. Conclusions
Fundamental Issues Revisited
Etiology
Brain Mechanisms
Neuropsychology
Prevention and Treatment