Pediatric neuropsychology is a relatively new specialty, perhaps best considered in its adolescence; but its scientific base and clinical application are being increasingly sought and appreciated in a variety of venues and for various purposes. This growing interest and attention is reflected in an ever-increasing number of peer-reviewed studies, books, and conferences addressing issues in brain and cognitive development. Among such texts is the second edition of Pediatric Neuropsychology: Research, Theory and Practice, which provides a valuable overview of conditions, both congenital and acquired, that affect children.

The second edition differs markedly from the first, which was published in 2000; it represents far more than a simple “updating” of the prior content. Most apparent is the inclusion of a wholly new section on developmental disorders, with the associated addition of a fourth editor, Bruce Pennington. Several topics covered in the first edition have been omitted, while new ones have been added, so that more than half of the chapters are new to the second edition. While the editors made these changes with due consideration, the decision to omit chapters on some of the more commonly encountered conditions of childhood (e.g., meningitis; sickle cell disease) and to add instead chapters on conditions of considerable interest but lesser frequency (e.g., Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis) may not meet the practical learning needs of some readers. Entirely absent, and unfortunate in this reader's view, is an introductory chapter (written by Maureen Dennis in the first volume) to provide an integrated overview and set the stage for a consideration of the biological and developmental issues in the chapters to follow.

The volume's 18 chapters are organized into three parts, Medical Disorders (10 chapters), Neurodevelopmental Disorders (6 chapters), and Clinical Assessment and Intervention (2 chapters). This reader found the distinction between “medical” and “neurodevelopmental” conditions somewhat artificial, highlighting a more general theoretical challenge in pediatric neuropsychology bearing on the issue of timing and mechanism of insult and plasticity. For example, the first chapter in the Medical Disorders Section, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, was defined by the authors in the opening sentence as a neurodevelopmental disorder! Similarly, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, considered in the Medical Disorders Section, could equally be considered “neurodevelopmental” because the brain develops in an anomalous manner in utero. Perhaps a more useful distinction, because it would allow a clearer consideration of plasticity issues in development, would be that between conditions that are congenital (defined as occurring as part and parcel of the prenatal developmental process) and acquired (due to injury or insult at some point after birth or following a period of normal development). This would cluster conditions with known or inferred genetic etiologies, such as Spina Bifida, Tuberous Sclerosis, Turner Syndrome, Down Syndrome, and other intellectual disabilities and contrast them with clearly acquired conditions such as meningitis, head injury, and stroke.

Part 1, Medical Disorders (10 chapters), includes chapters about conditions that would commonly present to a pediatric neuropsychologist working in a medical setting. These include some congenital conditions (e.g., Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders), some acquired disorders (e.g., brain tumor, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and the effects of environmental toxicants), and some conditions that are not easily categorized as either congenital or acquired (e.g., seizure disorders, prematurity, childhood MS).

Part 2, Neurodevelopmental Disorders (six chapters) are more likely to appeal to pediatric neuropsychologists who practice in child development clinics, mental health settings, school boards or in private practice. Chapters are related to learning disability syndromes (math disability, reading disability, and specific language impairment), neuropsychiatric disorders (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders), and Intellectual Disability Syndromes. What these conditions have in common is that they are defined primarily on the basis of behavioral/cognitive profiles, as opposed to genetic or brain anomalies. This distinction may not hold in the future, of course, as we learn more about the underlying biological mechanisms of neurodevelopment disorders.

Part 3, Clinical Assessment and Intervention (two chapters) is a more general section in which theories and models of pediatric neuropsychological assessment and intervention are considered. These two chapters provide an overview of theories and methods of pediatric neuropsychological evaluation that would be especially useful to students and trainees.

The expertise of the chapter authors is considerable. They communicate considerable knowledge and sophistication in their respective fields and have been well chosen to review existing knowledge and theory and also to project directions for future investigation. The within-chapter organization is strong. A very nice feature is the consistent organization of chapters into a format that first reviews definitions of terminology specific to the condition (e.g., types of seizures) and then reviews data on epidemiology of the condition under consideration, the underlying neural substrate or neuropathology, mechanisms of injury if applicable, clinical features, and developmental outcomes (including predictors, mediators, and moderators of outcome), and interventions. Chapters generally conclude with a section on directions for future research. Issues related to measurement and other methodological factors that bear on interpretation of research are included as well. The regularity of the chapter format facilitates locating specific information within each chapter and increases the ease of integrating information across chapters. Writing style in the individual chapters varies from clear and easily accessible (appropriate for graduate students as well as for seasoned practitioners seeking to update their knowledge about specific conditions) to highly detailed and technical (likely more appropriate for content specialists).

Is there a need for a second edition of this book at this time? The level of sophistication in discussions about predictors and outcomes of childhood conditions in the chapters of this book certainly justifies a second edition. First, the domain of outcomes of acquired and developmental conditions in the second edition go beyond neurocognitive variables to include psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional sequelae, factors that were rarely considered a decade ago. Second, outcomes of pediatric conditions are considered across the lifespan (i.e., adult outcomes), another welcome change that reflects recent thinking in the field of pediatric neuropsychology. Third, the book includes discussion of genetic factors that may be predictive of or associated with outcome (see chapters on Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and Brain Tumor), which is an emerging area of interest and investigation in pediatric neuropsychology.

In relation to other books in the field, this volume is unique in its broad coverage of both medical conditions and developmental disabilities. Most of the existing child/pediatric neuropsychology texts deal specifically with diagnoses or conditions that focus on one or the other area (e.g., Baron, Fennel, and Voeller's Pediatric Neuropsychology in the Medical Setting, 1995 vs. Tager-Flusberg's Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 1999) and, therefore, only appeal to people in particular practice settings. The organization and goals of the book are such that each chapter stands alone, allowing the reader to pick and choose depending on individual needs and interests. However, whether broadening the focus to encompass developmental disabilities in addition to medical conditions makes the book appealing to a wider range of readers or dilutes the usefulness of the book remains to be seen; and, for the sake of a more complete overview of the field of pediatric neuropsychology, it may be useful to own both editions.

The second edition of Pediatric Neuropsychology: Research, Theory and Practice makes a valuable contribution to the field and deserves a prominent place on the bookshelves of both generalist and specialist pediatric practitioners. It is unique in its successful integration of developmental neuropsychological theory, review and critique of current research, and applications to clinical problems. As a result, it will appeal to a broad readership spanning pediatric specialists in psychology, medicine, and psychiatry. It will be useful to trainees (clinical neuropsychology graduate students, interns, and fellows), and pediatric neuropsychologists who practice in a variety of settings as well as other pediatric medical specialists such as child neurologists and developmental pediatricians. If the first edition, published in 2000, reflected the state of pediatric neuropsychology in “middle childhood,” and the second edition reflects its state in “adolescence”, I will eagerly await the third edition, in which the state of the art of pediatric neuropsychology can be expected to have reached “maturity”.