Neurodevelopmental processes in the ontogenesis and epigenesis of psychopathology

Citation
D. Cicchetti et Td. Cannon, Neurodevelopmental processes in the ontogenesis and epigenesis of psychopathology, DEV PSYCHOP, 11(3), 1999, pp. 375-393
Citations number
132
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
ISSN journal
09545794 → ACNP
Volume
11
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
375 - 393
Database
ISI
SICI code
0954-5794(199922)11:3<375:NPITOA>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Dramatic gains in knowledge have been made in the fields of neuroscience, h uman development, and developmental psychopathology during the past quarter of a century. Despite the advances that have been achieved in each discipl ine separately, considerably less progress has occurred in understanding th e relation between neurobiological and behavioral development in normal and atypical populations. Research has increasingly demonstrated that abnormal ities that occur early in development may result in the emergence of aberra nt neural circuitry that eventuates in relatively enduring forms of psychop athology. Knowledge of normal neurobiological development provides a powerf ul foundation for understanding the contributions that neurodevelopmental p rocesses make to the etiology and sequelae of psychopathology across the li fe course. An integrated perspective wherein an appreciation of the complex neural, psychological, and social-contextual processes that cohere to brin g about normal and pathological outcomes is necessary in order to advance u nderstanding of the genesis and epigenesis of mental disorders. Such an app roach will require a reduction of the schisms that so often separate neurob iological and behavioral research.