Sally E. Shaywitz

The Boundaries of Attention Deficit Disorder.

This report examines distinctions and interrelationships among attention deficit disorder (ADD) and two closely related conditions: learning disability (LD) and oppositional/conduct (O/C) disorder. To evaluate our hypothesis that some of the difficulty in resolving the relationship between ADD and, particularly, O/C may reflect the consequences of selective referral patterns, we studied groups of children diagnosed as ADD from different referral sources. Results suggest that referral bias does exist and that children referred to mental health settings differ from those referred to pediatricians, child neurologists, or psychologists. Because of the nature of the subjects referred to mental health services, nonrepresentative associations may emerge. Rather than being considered as prototypical of all children with attention disorder, children referred to mental health facilities may represent simply an extreme of the continuum of ADD. Evidence suggests that many children with ADD will be represented by those referred primarily for attentional deficits and learning problems, rather than those with inattention, hyperactivity, or aggression referred for child psychiatric evaluation.

Evidence-Based Reading Policy in the United States: How Scientific Research Informs Instructional Practices.

Over the past decade the root of certain education policies in the United States has shifted from philosophical and ideological foundations to the application of converging scientific evidence to forge policy directions and initiatives. This has been particularly the case for early (kindergarten through third grade) reading instructional policies and practices. The use of scientific evidence rather than subjective impressions to guide education policy represents a dramatic shift in thinking about education. Some education policy initiatives in the United States now reflect a reliance on findings from rigorous scientific research rather than opinion, ideology, fads, and political interests.1 Advances in brain imaging technology now make it possible to provide evidence of the impact of scientifically informed reading instruction on brain organization for reading.

Neurotransmitters in Human Epilepsy

Recently, it has become increasingly evident that a relationship exists between monoaminergic neurotransmitters and seizure disorders. Other chapters in this volume have examined such findings at the preclinical level in animal studies. This chapter is designed to provide evidence linking seizures to disturbances in neurotransmitter function in the human. We provide, first, an overview of the classification and clinical presentation of seizure disorders. We next briefly review the pharmacological background of the neurotransmitter systems and discuss the strategies employed in human investigations. Studies detailing the relationship between seizures and each of the principal neurotransmitters are then described.