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The Significance and Course of Minimal Brain Dysfunction

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Abstract

Minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) and minimal brain damage can be regarded as typical examples of concepts which emphasize the interplay between biology and behavior1. Indeed there are many aspects of MBD which seem to have a biological basis, and most authors have discussed this point (Black 1981; Ochroch 1981; Small 1982; Gillberg and Rasmussen 1982; Lempp 1978; Strunk and Faust 1967; Sieber 1978; Gwerder 1976; Ruf-Bächtiger 1987; Rutter 1977, 1982; Rie and Rie 1980; Shaffer 1977; Nichols and Chen 1981). But, if we do not want to reduce the biological basis of MBD to the general assumption that all human behavior is biologically determined and therefore link all deviant, abnormal, or disordered behavior to a biological basis, we must find more specific relations between biology and behavior. Concerning MBD the following relations have to be tested:

  • The connection of MBD with clearly defined brain injury suffered early in life

  • The association between more biologically and more behaviorally determined levels of MBD case definition

  • The association between MBD and psychiatric disorders, examining the question of whether a uniform psychopathology can be observed in cases of MBD

  • The course of MBD with respect to the above-mentioned relations

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Esser, G., Schmidt, M.H. (1990). The Significance and Course of Minimal Brain Dysfunction. In: Rothenberger, A. (eds) Brain and Behavior in Child Psychiatry. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75342-8_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75342-8_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-75344-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-75342-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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