ABSTRACT
Subtle dysfunctions of the central nervous system reverberate in their effects during childhood. Neurodevelopmental dysfunctions have been associated with aberrant genetic patterns, inborn errors of metabolism, chromosomal abnormalities, perinatal health stresses, recurrent ear infections, premature birth, closed head trauma, and assorted other medical problems. This chapter presents some of the common patterns of impairment and discusses the impacts of neurodevelopmental dysfunctions during childhood. Neurodevelopmental dysfunctions can be divided into eight domains: selective attention; memory; visual-spatial ordering; temporal-sequential organization; language; neuro-motor function; higher-order cognition; and social cognition. Neurodevelopmental dysfunctions have the potential to participate significantly in the pathogeneses of a wide range of negative functional outcomes during adolescence and young adult life. The insidious dysfunctions of social cognition can have a particularly durable effect on interpersonal relationships. It is possible to conjecture that dysfunctions can compromise marital relationships and the ability of a parent to offer proper nurturance to a child.
