Volpe's Neurology of the Newborn

Dr. Joseph J. Volpe received his M.D. degree from the Harvard Medical School, completed a Pediatric residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, carried out a postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH and trained in Pediatric Neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He then served for 20 years on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, the last ten years the Stein Professor of Neurology and Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurology. In 1990 he was named Neurologist-in-Chief at the Boston Children's Hospital, Bronson Crothers Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School, and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Under Dr. Volpe's leadership over the next 15 years, the Department of Neurology grew to a faculty size of over 50 child neurologists and neuroscientists. The clinical and research programs became the largest and most diverse of any child neurology facility in the world.
Dr. Volpe generally is credited with having pioneered the field of neonatal neurology. His work in that field has included both clinical and basic research. The principal focus of his research has been elucidation of the pathogenesis of the major forms of brain injury in the newborn, and prevention of this injury. He has contributed more than 300 original articles and his single-authored book, Neurology of the Newborn, over five editions, is considered "the bible" in the field. Previous reviews have characterized the book as "an extraordinary work of scholarship", "so comprehensive, it is beyond criticism", "a treasure for those interested in the neurologic disorders of the newborn", "the standard reference for all involved in the care of the newborn infant".
Dr. Volpe is also widely recognized for his dedication to the training of academic child neurologists and neonatologists, and many of his approximately 100 past trainees are key figures in programs in neonatal neurology throughout the world. He also has trained approximately 50 research fellows in clinical and basic research, most of whom hold academic positions worldwide.
He has received many awards nationally and internationally, including the most prestigious awards of major academic societies of pediatrics child neurology, and neonatology worldwide. In 1997 he was elected to the Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Medicine) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In 2007 the Boston Children's Hospital created the Joseph J. Volpe Chair in Neurology, currently held by Dr. Basil Darras, one of the editors of this book. In this sixth edition, Dr. Volpe has led a distinguished group of editors and authors, all of whom are former trainees and colleagues. The book retains the dedication to excellence apparent in the previous five single-authored editions.

Dr. Basil T. Darras is Associate Neurologist-in-Chief and Chief of the Division of Clinical Neurology at Boston Children's Hospital, and the Joseph J. Volpe Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Darras is a pediatric neurologist with advanced training and certification in human genetics and neuromuscular medicine. At Boston Children's he serves as Director of the Neuromuscular Program, which includes one of the oldest and most active muscular dystrophy clinics in the country and where he specializes in the care of children with neuromuscular conditions originating from inherited or acquired conditions of the motor unit. He has published over 140 original reports in peer-reviewed journals and over 70 chapters, reviews and editorials; his major publications and specific research interests have focused on the molecular genetics, diagnostics, and therapeutics of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies and spinal muscular atrophy, and on defining the indications for new diagnostic methodologies in the evaluation of children with pediatric neuromuscular diseases. Basic research, carried out in collaboration with scientists in the research laboratories of Boston Children's and other institutions, focuses on the description of novel mutations in patients with neuromuscular diseases and the application of new technologies to explore the pathogenesis and treatment of congenital myopathies and muscular dystrophies. Dr. Darras is site PI for the consortium conducting Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinical Research in Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and site PI/PD for the NeuroNEXT NINDS Program. He is currently involved in multiple clinical trials of novel genetic interventions for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Linda de Vries obtained her PhD degree in Utrecht (1987) with Leo van de Brande. The degree was based on data collected during a 4 year research period at the Hammersmith Postgraduate school in London where she worked with Lilly and Victor Dubowitz in the field of Neonatal Neurology. Between 1987 and 1989 she did her Pediatric Neurology fellowship in Leuven with Paul Casaer. Since 1989, she has worked in the department of Neonatology in Utrecht, where she is a professor in Neonatal Neurology since 2001. Her research focuses on prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome in high risk preterm and full-term newborns, using neurophysiology and neuro-imaging methods. These at risk children are also seen by her in the follow-up clinic until early childhood. She has a special interest in neonatal stroke and brain plasticity. Her work has been published in >300 publications. She is also an adjunct professor in neonatal neurology at University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Unit I: Human Brain Development Overview 1. Neural Tube Development and Defects 2. Prosencephalic Development and Defects 3. Congenital Hydrocephalus 4. Cerebellar Development and Defects 5. Neuronal Proliferative Events and Defects 6. Neuronal Migrational Events and Defects 7. Organizational Events and Defects 8. Myelination Events and Defects Unit II: Neurological Evaluation Overview 9. Neurological Examination: Normal and Abnormal Features 10. Specialized Neurological Studies 11. Neurodevelopmental Followup Unit III: Neonatal Seizures Overview 12. Neonatal Seizures Unit IV: Hypoxic-ischemic and Related Disorders Overview 13. Pathophysiology General Principles 14. Encephalopathy of the Preterm - Neuropathology 15. Encephalopathy of the Preterm - Pathophysiology 16. Encephalopathy of the Preterm - Clinical - Neurological Features, Diagnosis, Imaging, Prognosis, Therapy 17. Intrauterine, Intrapartum Assessments in the Term Infant 18. Hypoxic Ischemic Injury in the Term Infant - Neuropathology 19. Hypoxic Ischemic Injury in the Term Infant - Pathophysiology 20. Hypoxic Ischemic Injury in the Term Infant - Clinical - Neurological Features, Diagnosis, Imaging, Prognosis, Therapy 21. Stroke in the Newborn Unit V: Intracranial Hemorrhage Overview 22. Intracranial/Hemorrhage - Supratentorial (Subdural, Subarachnoid, Intraventricular (Term Infant), Miscellaneous 23. Intracranial Hemorrhage Infratentorial/Cerebellar 24. Preterm IVH/Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Unit VI: Metabolic Encephalopathies Overview 25. Glucose 26. Bilirubin 27. Amino acids 28. Organic acids Unit VII: Degenerative Disorders 29. Degenerative Disorders of the Newborn Unit VIII: Neuromuscular Disorders Overview 30. Evaluation, Specialized Studies 31. Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita 32. Levels Above Lower Motor Neuron to Neuromuscular Junction 33. Muscle Involvement and Restricted Disorders Unit IX: Intracranial Infections Overview 34. Viral, Protozoan and Related Intracranial Infections 35. Bacterial and Fungal Intracranial Infections Unit X: Perinatal Trauma 36. Injuries of Extracranial, Cranial, Intracranial, Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nervous System Structures Unit XI: Intracranial Mass Lesions 37. Brain Tumors and Vein of Galen Malformations Unit XII: Drugs and the Developing Nervous System Overview 38. Passive Addiction and Teratogenic Effects