This book provides a state-of-the-art understanding of the neural
bases of cognitive development. Although the field of developmental
cognitive neuroscience is still in its infancy, the authors
effectively demonstrate that our understanding of cognitive
development is and will be vastly improved as the mechanisms
underlying development are elucidated.

The authors begin by establishing the value of considering
neuroscience in order to understand child development and then
provide an overview of brain development. They include a critical
discussion of experience-dependent changes in the brain. The
authors explore whether the mechanisms underlying developmental
plasticity differ from those underlying adult plasticity, and more
fundamentally, what distinguishes plasticity from
development.

Having armed the reader with key neuroscience basics, the book
begins its examination of the neural bases of cognitive development
by examining the methods employed by professionals in developmental
cognitive neuroscience. Following a brief historical overview, the
authors discuss behavioral, anatomic, metabolic, and
electrophysiological methods. Finally, the book explores specific
content areas, focusing on those areas where there is a significant
body of knowledge on the neural underpinnings of cognitive
development, including:

Declarative and non-declarative memory and learning
Spatial cognition
Object recognition
Social cognition
Speech and language development
Attention development

For cognitive and developmental psychologists, as well as students
in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive
development, the authors' view of behavioral development from the
perspective of neuroscience sheds new light on the mechanisms that
underlie how the brain functions and how a child learns and
behaves.

Autorentext

CHARLES A. NELSON III, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics at
Harvard Medical School, holds the Richard David Scott Chair in
Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research at Children's Hospital
Boston, and is the Director of Research in the Developmental
Medicine Center, Children's Hospital Boston. His research is
concerned with developmental cognitive neuroscience broadly
defined, with specific interests in the effects of early experience
on brain-behavior development, in memory development, and in the
development of face processing.

MICHELLE de HAAN, PhD, is Senior Lecturer at the
Institute of Child Health, Birkbeck College, University of London.
Dr. de Haan's main area of research is the neural basis of visual
recognition and long-term memory. She is the Associate Editor of
Developmental Science.

KATHLEEN M. THOMAS, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the
Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota. Dr. Thomas
applies neurophysiological techniques, such as MRI, to address the
interaction among multiple neural systems involved in learning.

Zusammenfassung
A new understanding of cognitive development from the perspective of neuroscience

This book provides a state-of-the-art understanding of the neural bases of cognitive development. Although the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience is still in its infancy, the authors effectively demonstrate that our understanding of cognitive development is and will be vastly improved as the mechanisms underlying development are elucidated.

The authors begin by establishing the value of considering neuroscience in order to understand child development and then provide an overview of brain development. They include a critical discussion of experience-dependent changes in the brain. The authors explore whether the mechanisms underlying developmental plasticity differ from those underlying adult plasticity, and more fundamentally, what distinguishes plasticity from development.

Having armed the reader with key neuroscience basics, the book begins its examination of the neural bases of cognitive development by examining the methods employed by professionals in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Following a brief historical overview, the authors discuss behavioral, anatomic, metabolic, and electrophysiological methods. Finally, the book explores specific content areas, focusing on those areas where there is a significant body of knowledge on the neural underpinnings of cognitive development, including:

Declarative and non-declarative memory and learning
Spatial cognition
Object recognition
Social cognition
Speech and language development
Attention development
For cognitive and developmental psychologists, as well as students in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive development, the authors' view of behavioral development from the perspective of neuroscience sheds new light on the mechanisms that underlie how the brain functions and how a child learns and behaves.

Inhalt

Preface.

Introduction: Why should developmental psychologists be
interested in the brain?