Ontogeny of neurotransmitter systems: Substrates for developmental disabilities?

This papaer provides an overview of the developmental characteristics of several major CNS neurotransmitter systems, specifically those involving serotonin, catecholamines, and GABA. These were chosen because of their putative importance in various aspects of brain development or plasticity, and the existence of clinically relevant sequelae linking these systems to developmental disorders and disabilities. Patterns of development of these neurotransmitter systems and their putative roles as developmental signals are discussed, as is their possible relevance to developmental disabilities such as autism, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorders, self‐injurious behaviour, and epilepsy.