This book provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the human central nervous system (CNS) in the context of its many developmental disorders due to genetic, environmental, and hypoxic/ischemic causes. The introductory chapters give an overview of the development of the human brain and the spinal cord, the mechanisms of development as obtained in experimental studies of various invertebrates and vertebrates, and  the causes of congenital malformations. In the main part, the developmental disorders of the human brain and the spinal cord are presented in a regional, more or less segmental way, starting with neurulation and neural tube defects, and ending with developmental disorders of the cerebral cortex. These are underlined by carefully chosen clinical case studies, including imaging data and, when available, postmortem verification of the developmental disorders involved. Numerous color photographs and illustrations complement the text.

This second edition emphasizes the prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound, MRI, and DTI and implements new classifications of developmental disorders.