Advances in paediatric neuropsychopharmacology: an overview

This Special Section of the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology highlights current progress in paediatric neuropsychopharmacology. Combining critical reviews and, in some cases, new data, specific topics include: biological findings in major depression, sleep dysregulation in depressed youth, cardiovascular and ventilatory dysregulation in panic disorder, paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with strep (PANDAS), age of onset as a subtype marker in tic and obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD), functional and pharmaconeuroanatomy of OCD and the behavioural pharmacokinetics of methylphenidate. In this introductory section, these articles are placed in the context of the state-of-the field and, more specifically, within the framework of recent NIMH initiatives in paediatric neuropsychopharmacology