Nurturing the brain’ as an emerging research field involving child neurology

‘Nurturing the brain’ is an emerging research field integrating brain science, child care and education, which also involves child neurology. It has emerged from the recent remarkable progress in brain science and strong social demands for improvements in child care and education. This article reviews the current status of three major research themes in this field. First, developmental disorders represented by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism and Asperger syndrome often introduce difficulties in child care and education, which are to be addressed by appropriate assessment and treatment of affected children based on new knowledge of the pathogenesis of these disorders. Second, recent progress in research on the critical/sensitive periods of development of brain structures and functions promises useful advice for teachers and parents regarding optimal timing and ways of teaching various subjects. Third, the development of the brain throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence is paralleled by the growth and maturation of the mind. Neuronal mechanisms underlying the theory of mind, mirror neurons, internal model, cognitive control, and cognitive emotion regulation are important themes that bridge our understandings of the brain and the mind.