ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on conditions that impact the central nervous system and brain, including epilepsy, stroke and genetic disorders. Of some disorders, child stroke and its consequences have been most thoroughly explored in the context of plasticity. In terms of age at stroke, support for the critical period theory is evident, with a non-linear effect of age at insult. The need for detailed neuropsychological assessment of children with neurological conditions has been highlighted by the information people have presented. Children with epilepsy perform significantly below typically developing children on cognitive measures, including IQ, processing speed, language, memory and executive function. There are several neuromuscular disorders that are diagnosed in childhood. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common of these. Some research has suggested that boys with DMD are at risk of developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There is also a suggestion of higher than expected rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder in this population.
