Specific learning disorders: the possible role of brain damage.

The causes of many of the more subtle disorders of cerebral function are often obscure. Are they due to impaired development of the brain or to damage to the brain? Particularly if there is no definite evidence of the latter, and when talking to parents, it is better to use such terms as "minimal cerebral dysfunction". However this must not lesson in any way the constant search for the etiology of these disorders. There is no doubt about their frequency, and in one form or another, about one in ten children have special educational needs. There is therefore a major medical contribution to be made to the problems of these children, especially in terms of prevention. A review of the literature shows, among other causes, how often episodes during pregnancy and birth can lead to learning problems during school life. In the future the development of new neuroradiological, and other techniques, will help to explain these common disabilities.