Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine on the Developing Brain: An Authoritative Guide

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Brain Development: Normal Processes and the Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine. Michael W. Miller (Ed.). 2006. New York: Oxford University Press, 424 pp., $98.50 (HB)

The process of brain development is an essential yet often overlooked area in the neuropsychological literature. The topic has a natural appeal to those who work with children where developmental disorders predominate. However, it is often more difficult for those who work with adults to appreciate the role of developmental aberrations and their contribution to pathological processes that may seem far removed from the early developmental history of our patients. The tendency for some to deemphasize early developmental influences may stem in part from a lack of clarity about how common toxin exposures, such as alcohol and nicotine, alter normal brain development and contribute to changes in cognitive function. Increasingly, evidence of early developmental influences has emerged in a host of epigenetically-based developmental disorders and neuropathological conditions, such as schizophrenia, and these influences are also implicated in theoretical models, such as cognitive reserve.