At the 1975 Winter Conference on Brain Research a series of workshops were held to discuss the role of the sensory environment in the etiology and therapy of brain dysfunction. The participants represented a broad range of disciplines ranging from basic neuro­ science through human development psychology. They were linked by a common belief that the role of the sensory environment in brain dysfunction had received insufficient attention. Each had made contributions to this question in their own respective disciplines and it was hoped that this meeting would provide an opportunity for cross fertilization and synthesis. From these workshops this book evolved. Its production would have been impossible without the help of many people. Anna Taylor's flexibility allowed the holding of a larger than normal workshop, while the authors bore up well under editorial pressure to meet deadlines. Linda Coleman and Phyllis Straw provided excellent support from Plenum while Therese Linden gave editorial assistance. Valarie Munden, Rosemary Schmele, and Estelle Hoffman did an excellent job of typing. RNW was supported by a Fellowship from the Foundations' Fund for Research in Psychiatry. As always, our families provided continuous support and encouragement. To all these people and more we say thank you. Roger N. Walsh M.D., B.Med.Sc., Dip.Psychol., Ph.D. William T. Greenough, Ph.D.

The Influence of Experience on Recovery Following Brain Damage in Rodents: Hypotheses Based on Developmental Research.- Malnutrition and Early Environmental Experience: Possible Interactive Effects on Later behavior.- Environmental Therapy in Hypothyroid and Other Disadvantaged Animal Populations.- The Effects of Total Social Isolation Rearing on Behavior of Rhesus and Pigtail Macaques.- Environments of Dysfunction: The Relevance of Primate Animal Models.- Neural Responses to Therapeutic Environments.- Environmental Programming to Foster Competence and Prevent Mental Retardation in Infancy.- The Influence of Severe Malnutrition in Infancy on the Intelligence of Children at School Age: An Ecological Perspective.- Caregiver-Infant Interaction as a Focus for Therapeutic Intervention with Human Infants.- Determination and Prevention of Infant Brain Dysfunction: Sensory and Nonsensory Factors.- Some Methodological Considerations in the Study of Abnormal Conditions.- Summary and Afterthoughts.