The Importance of Brain Development for Understanding Early-Onset Psychiatric Disorders

Developmental brain pathology is a risk factor for early-onset psychopathology. This article provides an overview of the contributions from the developmental neurosciences to our understanding of early-onset psychopathology. It reviews normal human brain development, the role of clinical observation to the development of animal models of early-onset psychopathology and, finally, corroborative studies in humans based upon findings from the animal experiments. These models permit study, at the mechanistic level, as to how a specific neurochemical lesion in a specific anatomic area at a specific developmental stage results in a characteristic behavioral phenotype. The models provide new insights into the concept of a critical period whether they are the result of the transient, developmental expression of a gene or whether they result from the unique anatomy of the brain at a particular age or stage. Animal models of early-onset psychopathology provide important insights into the potential neuroanatomic substrates and developmental processes that are relevant to the emergence of a particular disorder. Ultimately, their study will lead to a generation of therapeutic tools to effectively address the actual disease process. More importantly, they are the first step in developing preventive interventions for early-onset, severe psychopathology. Thus, their value to advancing our understanding of these clinical conditions is inestimable.