This totally new clinical text gives: • Guidance on how best to study causes • An account and analysis of international research • Methods of collection and analysis of data • A review of all published data • New ways of thinking about causal pathways in the cerebral palsies • Possible new prevention pathways • A guide to systematic management

This text draws together a number of major epidemiological studies of the cerebral palsies from many different countries. The first chapter is a historical review by Dr. Tom Ingram, who translated much of Freud's original writings on cerebral palsy, and is an acknowledged expert in this field. The editors have then drawn together critical evidence from several countries on prenatal, perinatal and postnatal risk factors contributing to cerebral palsy and have also considered the role played by social factors. A chapter by Jonathan Wigglesworth examines how these adverse factors may modify brain development and result in handicap to the child. The methodological problems of classifying and counting the cerebral palsies and assessing their frequency are fully discussed, and the difficult question of how far the perinatal health services have an impact on outcome is considered. Altogether, this is a comprehensive book on this topic, and a valuable reference source for anyone working in the field of cerebral palsy or epidemiology.

As the primary neurological disorder of young adults, multiple sclerosis is a significant health problem. While its basis is well known, the etiology of the disease remains to be elucidated. This text provides an overview of this field.