Abstract: | Reviews the book, Neuroscience of cognitive development: The role of experience and the developing brain by Charles A. Nelson, Michelle de Haan, and Kathleen M. Thomas (see record 2006-09288-000). The goal of this book is to provide a state-of-the-art introduction to the neural bases of cognitive development. The first chapter reviews different aspects of brain development. Chapter two illustrates how experience induces changes in the developing brain as well as in the adult brain, and addresses the question of similarities and differences between neural plasticity in children and adults. The next chapter introduces different methods to study the brain and discusses advantages and disadvantages of each method. In Chapters four through eleven, the authors review the current knowledge about the neurological bases in a number of key areas of cognitive development. The book should be of interest to psychologists who seek a thorough review of the neurological bases associated with various cognitive abilities in infants and children. It might also usefully accompany a graduate course on developmental neuroscience, keeping in mind that the book presupposes a good grasp of neuroanatomy, and of the methods used in the study of the brain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |