NEUROCOGNITIVE REHABILITATION OF D.S.
1) Is edited by:
- Jean-Adolphe Rondal, Ph.D., jeanarondal@skynet.be,
Emeritus Professor of Psycholinguistics at the
University of Liège, (Belgium)
- Juan Perera, Ph.D., asnimo@telefonica.net,
Director of the Center Principe de Asturias,
University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
- Donna Spiker, Ph.D., donna.spiker@sri.com
Program Manager of the Early Childhood Program,
SRI International, Menlo Park, California (USA)
2) Is published by Cambridge University Press, (2011)
NEUROCOGNITIVE REHABILITATION OF D.S.
“Down syndrome is one of the most commonly occurring
developmental disorders, with considerable bodies of
research within many different disciplines. Despite calls for
strong interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to
both research and treatment of developmental disorders,
including Down Syndrome, bringing together knowledge
across disciplines in a systematic and comprehensive way
is still rare.
The purpose of the book is to represent some of the major
ways in which a comprehensive neurocognitive
rehabilitation program, focusing in Down syndrome, may
be conceptualized and carried out.
This book truly brings together the wide spectrum of
specific knowledge available from the genotype, brain
development, and the behavioural phenotype, and shows
why true cross-fertilization of information and approaches
across disciplines will lead to advances in our
understanding of Down syndrome and other
developmental disorders as well as advances in applied
treatment. By comprehensive, we mean a neurocognitive
approach that can be connected transactionally with the
major therapeutic endeavours in neighboring fields such
as neurogenetics, experimental environmental
enrichment in animal models, molecular and genic
therapies, pharmacology, pediatrics, education and
cardiology for infants and children with Down syndrome.
The book provides practical guidance on how to implement
a systematic neurocognitive rehabilitation program. It
covers every step from basic research to clinical application
and assessment to promote maximum efficiency. To date
such a comprehensive and cross-discipline theoretical and
applied treatment, has been lacking. The book provides
cutting edge reviews and analyses by world-leading
researchers and clinicians that synthesize and summarize
the newest findings across many disciplines, and highlight
the practical treatment implications of the findings.
The book is divided into 5 sections that serve to orient the
reader to several broad areas of inquiry, with summaries of
the wealth of information about Down syndrome available
in multiple disciplines.
Each chapter includes applied treatment implications of basic
scientific research, followed by a summary of the chapter and a
complete list of references.
Section I deals with definition, methodology and assessment
issues.
Section II deals with genetics, brain, and animal models relating
to early neurocognitive rehabilitation, including new
experimental perspectives of molecular and genic therapies, the
effects of environmental enrichment, adequate nutrition and food
supplement in their effects on brain and nervous system
development.
Section III is devoted to pharmacological and medical
management and treatment. Recent advances in
pharmacotherapy for children with Down syndrome are
discussed, dealing particularly with cognitive enhancement.
Section IV is concerned with an analysis of key aspects of
early neurocognitive rehabilitation and intervention (motor
development,
memory,
speech
and
language,
temperamental issues, and parental involvement).
Finaly, section V evaluates the prospects for future (but not
so remote in time) genetic therapies in Down syndrome and
stresses the necessity to maintain a strong
neurobehavioural component in any future “hybrid” (i.e.,
genetic-neurobehavioral) rehabilitation praxis.
Readers with backgrounds or interest in many different
fields will all find new information and perspectives from the
comprehensive approach taken in this exciting volume.
SECTION 1
- DEFINITIONS, HISTORY, METHODOLOGY
AND ASSESSMENT 


1 - Early rehabilitative intervention: definition,
objectives, models and challenges.
2 - The history of early intervention for infants
and young children with Down syndrome
and their families.
3 - Advances in clinical endpoints for
neurocognitive rehabilitation in Down
syndrome.
SECTION 2
- GENETICS, BRAIN AND ANIMAL MODELS 
4 - New perspectives on molecular and genic
therapies in Down syndrome.

5 - Brain plasticity and environmental
enrichment in Ts65Dn mice, and animal
model for Down syndrome.

6 - Development of the brain and metabolism.
SECTION 3
- PHARMACOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT 
7 - Pharmacotherapy for children with Down
syndrome.

8 - Early medical caretaking and follow-up.

9 - Evaluation and management of
cardiovascular diseases in Down
syndrome.
SECTION 4
- EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION 
10 - Developmental models as frameworks for
early intervention with children with Down
syndrome.

11 - Aspects of motor development in Down
syndrome.

12 - Memory development and learnig.

13 - Prelinguistic and early development,
stimulation and training in children with
Down syndrome.

14 - Speech perception, stimulation and
phonological development.

15 - Goal-directedness as a target for early
intervention in Down syndrome.

16 - The role of parents of children with Down
syndrome and other disabilities in early
intervention.
SECTION 5
- THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES 
17 - Perspectives of hybrid therapeutic strategies in
intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERITY PRESS
ISBN: 978-1-107-40043-6
“The book we are presenting is a
magnificent example of how the study of
something as crucial and extraordinary as
the development of a child with Down
syndrome can and must be tackled. It is
presented as a multi-professional view that
combines various analyses from very
different perspectives: genetics,
biochemistry, medicine, human and
experimental psychology, physical and
educational intervention, the family, etc.
It is difficult to offer in two-hundred and
thirty-two packed pages, a more complete
source of information, combining
particulary technical chapters with others
of great practical content. Undoubtedly,
the contents of this book will help to
glimpse the future of truly comprehensive
rehabilitation programmes.
It is a pity that the book, which is the result
of a conference recently held in Palma de
Mallorca, is not translated into spanish,
because it would help numerous
professionals and parents in our field to
enhance their information and training on a
task as transcendental of the baby´s life as
intervention in the early years. We lack that
vision in the bibliography avalaible in
spanish.”
FUNDACIÓN IBEROAMERICANA DOWN 21
Canal down21.org
Prof. Jesus Florez
Univ. Cantabria (Spain)