The study of visual development has proceeded at a rapid pace in recent years, and there have been theoretical and methodological innovations across a wide range of disciplines. This book brings together some of the most recent innovations from a neurobiological perspective. Chapters cover the pre- to postnatal development of vision, new insights into the concept of critical periods, object and face recognition, as well as dynamic perception and visual recognition memory in infants. The volume finishes with a detailed overview of the development of visual functions from the perspective of neural network modeling. This book will appeal to psychologists, visual scientists and infancy researchers with an interest in development of the visaul system from a multidisciplinary perspective. An integrative introduction is followed by chapters that challenge thinking about development in terms of a nativist-empiricist dichotomy. Emphasis is on cross-disciplinary research links and between chapters readers will find cross-references.

Development of the Visual System presents a selection of current studies that clearly illustrate principles of visual system development. These range from retinal development in fish and frogs to the effects of abnormal visual experience on the primary visual cortex of the cat. The book is unique in addressing four specific and fundamental aspects of development: cell lineage and cell fate, specificity and targeting of axons, specification of visual cortex, and correlates of the critical period. Encompassing technical advances in cellular and molecular biology and in video imaging and microscopy, contributions in each of these areas provide new information at the cellular and molecular levels to complement the now classic descriptions of visual development previously available at the level of neural systems.ContributorsKaren L. Allendoerfer, David M. Altshuler, Antonella Antonini, Seymour Benzer, Edward M. Callaway, Constance L. Cepko, Hollis T. Cline, Max S. Cynader, N. W. Daw, Scott E. Fraser, K. Fox, Eckhard Friauf, Anirvan Ghosh, R. W. Guillery, William A. Harris, Christine E. Holt, Lawrence C. Katz, Susan McConnell, Pamela A. Raymond, Thomas A. Reh, Carla J. Shatz, Michael P. Stryker, Claudia A. 0. Stuermer, Mriganka Sur, David L. Turner, T. N. Wiesel

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

This volume contains summaries of most of the invited presentations given by lecturers and participants at the NATO Advanced Study Institute, "Develop mental Neurobiology of Vision," held in Rethymnon, Crete, Greece 18-27 Sep tember 1978. The purpose of this meeting was to enable a relatively small international group of scientists and students to hold discussions and to present their views on current problems in the field. It was intended that the results of the exchanges would be conveyed to others in the native countries of the parti cipants. An attempt was made to obtain broad representation of disciplines within the area of the Institute and this is reflected in the diversity of the chapters in this book. Considerable interest has been generated in recent years concerning the development and plasticity of vision. Perhaps not unexpectedly, along with the high level of activity in this field, there have been so me controversial findings.

Most parents today have accepted the message that the first three years of a baby's life determine whether or not the child will grow into a successful, thinking person. But is this powerful warning true? Do all the doors shut if baby's brain doesn't get just the right amount of stimulation during the first three years of life? Have discoveries from the new brain science really proved that parents are wholly responsible for their child's intellectual successes and failures alike? Are parents losing the "brain wars"? No, argues national expert John Bruer. In The Myth of the First Three Years he offers parents new hope by debunking our most popular beliefs about the all-or-nothing effects of early experience on a child's brain and development. Challenging the prevailing myth -- heralded by the national media, Head Start, and the White House -- that the most crucial brain development occurs between birth and age three, Bruer explains why relying on the zero to three standard threatens a child's mental and emotional well-being far more than missing a few sessions of toddler gymnastics. Too many parents, educators, and government funding agencies, he says, see these years as our main opportunity to shape a child's future. Bruer agrees that valid scientific studies do support the existence of critical periods in brain development, but he painstakingly shows that these same brain studies prove that learning and cognitive development occur throughout childhood and, indeed, one's entire life. Making hard science comprehensible for all readers, Bruer marshals the neurological and psychological evidence to show that children and adults have been hardwired for lifelong learning. Parents have been sold a bill of goods that is highly destructive because it overemphasizes infant and toddler nurturing to the detriment of long-term parental and educational responsibilities. The Myth of the First Three Years is a bold and controversial book because it urges parents and decision-makers alike to consider and debate for themselves the evidence for lifelong learning opportunities. But more than anything, this book spreads a message of hope: while there are no quick fixes, conscientious parents and committed educators can make a difference in every child's life, from infancy through childhood, and beyond.

Pediatric Neuroophthalmology details the diagnostic criteria, current concepts of pathogenesis, neuroradiological correlates, and clinical management of a large group of neuroophthalmic disorders that present in childhood. Surprisingly distinct from neuroophthalmic disorders afflicting adults, this set of diseases falls between the cracks of most ophthalmology training, and thus, warrants a practical, clinical guide for the practitioner in ophthalmology - the neuroophthalmologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, general ophthalmologist - as well as neurologists and for residents. The authors, leading pediatric ophthalmologists, have taken this difficult subject matter and developed an accessible, user-friendly manual with a detailed approach to the recognition, differential diagnosis, and management of pediatric neuroophthalmologic disorders.