CUP BLOG DRAFT

NEUROCOGNITIVE REHABILITATION OF D.S.

1)Is edited by:

- Jean-Adolphe Rondal, Ph.D., jeanarondal@skynet.be, Emeritus Professor of Psycholinguistics at the University of Liège, (Belgium)

- Juan Perera, Ph.D., asnimo@telefonica.net, Director of the Center Principe de Asturias, University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)

- Donna Spiker, Ph.D., donna.spiker@sri.com Program Manager of the Early Childhood Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California (USA)

2) Is published by Cambridge University Press, (2011)

NEUROCOGNITIVE REHABILITATION OF D.S.

“Down syndrome is one of the most commonly occurring developmental disorders, with considerable bodies of research within many different disciplines. Despite calls for strong interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to both research and treatment of developmental disorders, including Down Syndrome, bringing together knowledge across disciplines in a systematic and comprehensive way is still rare. The purpose of the book is to represent some of the major ways in which a comprehensive neurocognitive rehabilitation program, focusing in Down syndrome, may be conceptualized and carried out.

This book truly brings together the wide spectrum of specific knowledge available from the genotype, brain development, and the behavioural phenotype, and shows why true cross-fertilization of information and approaches across disciplines will lead to advances in our understanding of Down syndrome and other developmental disorders as well as advances in applied treatment. By comprehensive, we mean a neurocognitive approach that can be connected transactionally with the major therapeutic endeavours in neighboring fields such as neurogenetics, experimental environmental enrichment in animal models, molecular and genic therapies, pharmacology, pediatrics, education and cardiology for infants and children with Down syndrome.

The book provides practical guidance on how to implement a systematic neurocognitive rehabilitation program. It covers every step from basic research to clinical application and assessment to promote maximum efficiency. To date such a comprehensive and cross-discipline theoretical and applied treatment, has been lacking. The book provides cutting edge reviews and analyses by world-leading researchers and clinicians that synthesize and summarize the newest findings across many disciplines, and highlight the practical treatment implications of the findings.The book is divided into 5 sections that serve to orient the reader to several broad areas of inquiry, with summaries of the wealth of information about Down syndrome available in multiple disciplines.

Each chapter includes applied treatment implications of basic scientific research, followed by a summary of the chapter and a complete list of references. Section I deals with definition, methodology and assessment issues. Section II deals with genetics, brain, and animal models relating to early neurocognitive rehabilitation, including new experimental perspectives of molecular and genic therapies, the effects of environmental enrichment, adequate nutrition and food supplement in their effects on brain and nervous system development. Section III is devoted to pharmacological and medical management and treatment. Recent advances in pharmacotherapy for children with Down syndrome are discussed, dealing particularly with cognitive enhancement.

Section IV is concerned with an analysis of key aspects of early neurocognitive rehabilitation and intervention (motor development, memory, speech and language, temperamental issues, and parental involvement).

Finaly, section V evaluates the prospects for future (but not so remote in time) genetic therapies in Down syndrome and stresses the necessity to maintain a strong neurobehavioural component in any future “hybrid” (i.e., genetic-neurobehavioral) rehabilitation praxis.

Readers with backgrounds or interest in many different fields will all find new information and perspectives from the comprehensive approach taken in this exciting volume.

SECTION 1 - DEFINITIONS, HISTORY, METHODOLOGY

AND ASSESSMENT - 1 - Early rehabilitative intervention: definition, 1 - Early rehabilitative intervention: definition,

objectives, models and challenges.objectives, models and challenges. 2 - The history of early intervention for infants2 - The history of early intervention for infants

and young children with Down syndromeand young children with Down syndrome

and their families.and their families. 3 - Advances in clinical endpoints for 3 - Advances in clinical endpoints for

neurocognitive rehabilitation in Downneurocognitive rehabilitation in Down

syndrome.syndrome.

SECTION 2 - GENETICS, BRAIN AND ANIMAL MODELS -

4 - New perspectives on molecular and genic4 - New perspectives on molecular and genic

therapies in Down syndrome.therapies in Down syndrome.

5 - Brain plasticity and environmental5 - Brain plasticity and environmental

enrichment in Ts65Dn mice, and animalenrichment in Ts65Dn mice, and animal

model for Down syndrome. model for Down syndrome.

6 - Development of the brain and metabolism.6 - Development of the brain and metabolism.

SECTION 3 - PHARMACOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT - 7 - Pharmacotherapy for children with Down 7 - Pharmacotherapy for children with Down

syndrome.syndrome.

8 - Early medical caretaking and follow-up.8 - Early medical caretaking and follow-up.

9 - Evaluation and management of 9 - Evaluation and management of

cardiovascular diseases in Down cardiovascular diseases in Down

syndrome.syndrome.

SECTION 4 - EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION -

10 - Developmental models as frameworks for 10 - Developmental models as frameworks for

early intervention with children with Downearly intervention with children with Down

syndrome. syndrome.

11 - Aspects of motor development in Down11 - Aspects of motor development in Down

syndrome.syndrome.

12 - Memory development and learnig. 12 - Memory development and learnig.

13 - Prelinguistic and early development,13 - Prelinguistic and early development,

stimulation and training in children with stimulation and training in children with

Down syndrome. Down syndrome.

14 - Speech perception, stimulation and14 - Speech perception, stimulation and

phonological development. phonological development.

15 - Goal-directedness as a target for early15 - Goal-directedness as a target for early

intervention in Down syndrome.intervention in Down syndrome.

16 - The role of parents of children with Down 16 - The role of parents of children with Down

syndrome and other disabilities in earlysyndrome and other disabilities in early

intervention. intervention.

SECTION 5 - THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES -

17 - Perspectives of hybrid therapeutic strategies in 17 - Perspectives of hybrid therapeutic strategies in intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome.intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERITY PRESS

ISBN: 978-1-107-40043-6ISBN: 978-1-107-40043-6

““The book we are presenting is a The book we are presenting is a magnificent example of how the study of magnificent example of how the study of something as crucial and extraordinary as something as crucial and extraordinary as the development of a child with Down the development of a child with Down syndrome can and must be tackled. It is syndrome can and must be tackled. It is presented as a multi-professional view that presented as a multi-professional view that combines various analyses from very combines various analyses from very different perspectives: genetics, different perspectives: genetics, biochemistry, medicine, human and biochemistry, medicine, human and experimental psychology, physical and experimental psychology, physical and educational intervention, the family, etc.educational intervention, the family, etc.

It is difficult to offer in two-hundred and It is difficult to offer in two-hundred and thirty-two packed pages, a more complete thirty-two packed pages, a more complete source of information, combining source of information, combining particulary technical chapters with others particulary technical chapters with others of great practical content. Undoubtedly, of great practical content. Undoubtedly, the contents of this book will help to the contents of this book will help to glimpse the future of truly comprehensive glimpse the future of truly comprehensive rehabilitation programmes. rehabilitation programmes.

It is a pity that the book, which is the result It is a pity that the book, which is the result of a conference recently held in Palma de of a conference recently held in Palma de Mallorca, is not translated into spanish, Mallorca, is not translated into spanish, because it would help numerous because it would help numerous professionals and parents in our field to professionals and parents in our field to enhance their information and training on a enhance their information and training on a task as transcendental of the baby´s life as task as transcendental of the baby´s life as intervention in the early years. We lack that intervention in the early years. We lack that vision in the bibliography avalaible in vision in the bibliography avalaible in spanish.”spanish.”

FUNDACIÓN IBEROAMERICANA DOWN 21FUNDACIÓN IBEROAMERICANA DOWN 21

Canal down21.org Prof. Jesus FlorezCanal down21.org Prof. Jesus Florez Univ. Cantabria Univ. Cantabria

(Spain)(Spain)