We have great pleasure to present the latest extension of the European Institute of Health Care book series. This volume is devoted to neurodevelopmental d- orders. Again, we had the privilege to be able to work with reknowned experts who have agreed to contribute to this endeavour. The book comprises a number of topics related to psychosocial and motor development and is exemplary with regard to its comprehensiveness, as reviews of the topics presented are generally not available in a single publication. It starts with a timely and critical discussion of the genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by Dr. Buitelaar in which prospects and challenges of this approach are outlined. The next chapter by Drs. Nicolson and Fawcett deals with dyslexia and its relationship to cerebellar function providing a framework that can explain motor, speed, and phonological deficits in a unified approach. Diagnostic and treatment aspects of speech development disorders are the focus of Dr. Zorowka s contribution in which, among other issues, the necessity of mul- professional cooperation is stressed. Dr. Sigmundsson then focuses on disorders of motor development. 6-10 % of children have motor competence well below the norm, which often persist. The clumsy child syndrome must be seen and treated as a neurological dysfunction. The relationship between tic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder, two disturbances generally treated by different medical specialists, namely neurologists or psychiatrists, is then reviewed by Drs."

This mini-encyclopedia aims to provide a survey of the wide range of interventions available for treating schizophrenia at a level appropriate for non-specialists who are beginning their engagement in the area and for others as a source of reference for the specialist. The pharmacological options are considered alongside psychosocial management approaches and the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment modality are outlined. The entries are written by leading experts, including basic and clinical scientists in academia and industry, and include descriptions of many relevant fundamental psychological and biological processes of the disorder. The volume owes much to the Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology edited by Ian Stolerman IP (published by Springer-Verlag in 2010), from which some entries are reproduced. Where entries deal with pharmacological interventions, the aim is to provide detailed information on the neuropsychopharmacology of the substances from domains such as clinical, experimental, and molecular pharmacology, insofar as they impact upon understanding of schizophrenia. Articles on non-drug interventions review the most recent evidence base related to commonly applied psychotherapeutic and rehabilitative measures. Other essays focus upon the key concepts and research methods used in the field, describing the main features of investigative techniques and outlining their roles, the types of information obtained and why they are needed; the advantages and limitations of a technique may also be summarized. The essays are complemented by many short definitions of important terms; in the interest of ease of reading, these definitions are not assigned to named authors; they are typically related to specific essays that they cross-reference and relevant authorship details can be found in the latter.

Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular disease, is one of the major killers in the world. By 2020 WHO statistics indicate that it will be the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in both the industrialised world and the underdeveloped world. The disease develops slowly over many years in the innermost layer of large and medium-sized arteries (Fig. 1) (Scott, 1995; Ross, 1999; Naumova and Scott, 2000; Glass and Witztum, 2001; Libby, 2001). It does not usually become manifest before the fourth of fifth decade, but then often strikes with devas tating suddenness. Fifty per cent of individuals still die (25 per cent immedi ately) from their first heart attack; and morbidity from coronary heart disease and stroke is very significant. The disease has a profound impact on health care services and on industrial economies. The lesions of atherosclerosis Autopsy studies show that in humans atherosclerosis begins in the first and second decade of life. A similar disease can be produced in experimental animals, where diet and genetics can be manipulated to produce identical lesions. The earliest lesions are fatty streaks. These consist of an accumulation of lipid-engorged macrophages (foam cells) and T and B lymphocytes in the arterial intima. With time, the fatty streaks progress to intermediate lesions, composed of foam cells and smooth muscle cells.

Das Lehrbuch listet die Krankheitsbilder anhand der ICD-10-Klassifikationen auf und stellt die psychischen Storungen hinsichtlich ihrer Epidemiologie, Psychopathologie, Atiologie und Diagnostik, aber auch neuartiger Therapiekonzepte dar. Viele Fallbeispiele dienen dabei der Vertiefung und helfen bei der Einpragung des Stoffs. Eingeflossen sind neueste Forschungsergebnisse aus der Pharmakologie, Psychotherapie und biologischen Psychiatrie. Das Lehrbuch begleitet die Einarbeitung in das Fachgebiet wahrend des Studiums oder in der Facharztausbildung."

We have great pleasure to present the latest extension of the European Institute of Health Care book series. This volume is devoted to neurodevelopmental d- orders. Again, we had the privilege to be able to work with reknowned experts who have agreed to contribute to this endeavour. The book comprises a number of topics related to psychosocial and motor development and is exemplary with regard to its comprehensiveness, as reviews of the topics presented are generally not available in a single publication. It starts with a timely and critical discussion of the genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by Dr. Buitelaar in which prospects and challenges of this approach are outlined. The next chapter by Drs. Nicolson and Fawcett deals with dyslexia and its relationship to cerebellar function providing a framework that can explain motor, speed, and phonological deficits in a unified approach. Diagnostic and treatment aspects of speech development disorders are the focus of Dr. Zorowka's contribution in which, among other issues, the necessity of mul- professional cooperation is stressed. Dr. Sigmundsson then focuses on disorders of motor development. 6-10 % of children have motor competence well below the norm, which often persist. The clumsy child syndrome must be seen and treated as a neurological dysfunction. The relationship between tic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder, two disturbances generally treated by different medical specialists, namely neurologists or psychiatrists, is then reviewed by Drs.