Through The Ages

By ANDREA DORFMAN

CONCEPTION TO BIRTH PRENATAL The brain and nervous system develop and form an intricate network. But genetic errors and environmental factors like fetal exposure to alcohol or drugs can make this process go awry. Some common examples:

CEREBRAL PALSY Affects about 10,000 U.S. babies a year. More than 80% show signs in the womb or before they are a month old. Usually diagnosed by age 3

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME Profound mental retardation caused by maternal alcohol abuse. Studies suggest that 1,200 to 8,800 FAS babies are born in the U.S. every year

NEURAL-TUBE DEFECTS These include spina bifida and anencephaly, each of which affects 1 or 2 of every 10,000 live births

DOWN SYNDROME The most common chromosome abnormality. Occurs in 1 of every 800 to 1,000 live births

INFANCY 0-5 yrs. Excess neurons and synapses are pruned in the first 18 months, but the brain keeps growing, reaching 90% of adult size. Brain cells become more adept at communicating; babies learn to talk

AUTISM DISORDERS Three to four times as common in boys

EPILEPSY About 10% of Americans will have a seizure sometime during their life. By age 80, about 3% will have been found to have epilepsy

ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR From lying and bullying to vandalism and homicide. More prevalent in boys, who tend to inflict physical harm on others

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER Tends to run in families and affects two to three times as many boys as girls. Between 3% and 5% of U.S. schoolchildren are thought to have ADHD

DYSLEXIA Revealed when a child tries to learns to read

ANXIETY DISORDERS Most prevalent group of psychiatric illnesses among children and adults

LATE CHILDHOOD 5-10 yrs. Dramatic growth spurts in the temporal and parietal lobes, brain regions crucial to language and understanding of spatial relations, make this a prime time for learning new languages and music

DEPRESSION In any given year, nearly 10% of adult Americans-two-thirds of them women-experience a depressive disorder. Up to 10% of children ages 6 to 12 have symptoms of major depression, but the typical age of onset is mid-20s

CONDUCT DISORDER Various behaviors that show a persistent disregard for the norms and rules of society. Affects 6% to 16% of boys and 2% to 9% of girls under age 18

PUBERTY 10-13 yrs. Just before puberty, the brain's gray matter thickens, especially in the frontal lobe, the seat of planning, impulse control and reasoning. This growth may be triggered by surges of sex hormones

EATING DISORDERS In the U.S., most common in teen girls and young women; only 5% to 15% of anorexics or bulimics and 35% of binge eaters are male

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE Apparently caused by abnormally functioning brain circuitry. Neurotransmitter and hormone imbalances may also be involved

ADOLESCENCE 13-20 yrs. The brain begins to shrink, losing about 2% of its weight and volume in each successive decade. Abnormally high loss of gray matter during this period may be a cause of teenage schizophrenia

AGORAPHOBIA Affects twice as many women as men

PANIC DISORDER Afflicts 2.4 million Americans ages 18 to 54 in a given year. Twice as common in women

SOCIAL PHOBIAS Persistent fears of being watched, judged or embarrassed in situations like parties or performing in public. Affect men and women equally

BIPOLAR DISORDER About 2.3 million adult Americans are manic-depressive

PEAK SUICIDE YEARS Third leading cause of death among people 15 to 24. White males are at greatest risk

EARLY ADULTHOOD 20-30 yrs. By the late 20s, information processing begins to slow down. Memory centers in the hippocampus and frontal lobes seem most affected. However, this change is not usually noticeable until at least age 60

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION Hits 10% of new mothers

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER Most sufferers are women

SCHIZOPHRENIA Affects about 1% of the U.S. population

MIDDLE AGE 30-60 yrs. Learning, memory, planning and other complex mental processes become more difficult, and reacting to stimuli takes longer. Plaques and tangles may form in certain brain regions

PARKINSON'S DISEASE More than 1 million Americans have it

HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE More than 250,000 Americans have HD or are at risk of inheriting it

EARLY-ONSET ALZHEIMER'S Just 5% to 10% of all Alzheimer's cases

MENOPAUSE Sudden mood swings, irritability, inability to cope, memory lapses

OLD AGE 60-100 yrs. Aging, depression, anxiety disorders and Alzheimer's may alter sleep patterns. The decline in cognitive abilities becomes more pronounced. Coordination and dexterity are also affected

STROKE Risk rises sharply after age 65

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Most common form of dementia among the elderly. Prevalence doubles every five years after age 65

PEAK SUICIDE YEARS People age 65 and older have higher suicide rates than any other age group. The rate among U.S. white men 85 and older is six times the national average

Dr. Jay Giedd, National Institute of Mental Health; Centers for Disease Control; Natl. Center for Health Statistics; Natl. Institute on Aging; Natl. Institute of Child Health & Human Development; Natl. Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; MEDLINEplus; infoaging.org American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; MayoClinic.com NAMI; Natl. Mental Health Association