Over early fetal life the anterior brain, neuroepithelium, neural crest and facial ectoderm constitute a unitary, three-dimensional (3D) developmental process. This intimate embryological relationship between the face and brain means that facial dysmorphogenesis can serve as an accessible and informative index of brain dysmorphogenesis in neurological and psychiatric disorders of early developmental origin. There are three principal challenges in seeking to increase understanding of disorders of early brain dysmorphogenesis through craniofacial dysmorphogenesis: (i) the first, technical, challenge has been to digitize the facial surface in its inherent three-dimensionality;(ii) the second, analytical, challenge has been to develop methodologies for extracting biologically meaningful shape covariance from digitized samples, making statistical comparisons between groups and visualizing in 3D the resultant statistical models on a 'whole face' basis; (iii) the third, biological, challenge is to demonstrate a relationship between facial morphogenesis and brain morphogenesis not only in anatomical-embryological terms but also at the level of brain function. Here we consider each of these challenges in turn and then illustrate the issues by way of our own findings. These use human sexual dimorphism as an exemplar for 3D laser surface scanning of facial shape, analysis using geometric morphometrics and exploration of cognitive correlates of variation in shape of the 'whole face', in the context of studies relating to the early developmental origins of schizophrenia.

The embryological unity over early fetal life of the anterior brain, neuroepithelium, neural crest, and facial ectoderm is responsible for facial dysmorphogenesis in disorders of early brain development, including schizophrenia. This study examined covariance of facial shape and asymmetry with cognition in a normal sample of 36 men and 51 women using geometric morphometrics. Facial shape and asymmetry covaried with verbal and visual spatial cognitive functions in a sexually dimorphic manner. Events over early fetal life may be an important determinant of sexually dimorphic covariance of anterior facial shape and asymmetry with aspects of cognition that involve the anterior brain.

Objectives: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is the strongest predictor of suicidal behaviour. This retrospective study reviewed all DSH presentations to our Paediatric Emergency Department between 2002-2006.Method: Using database and medical records we profiled these presentations. Data was coded and statistically analysed.Results: There were 253 DSH attendances. Twenty-four percent were living in care, 15% were under 12 years and 14% presented more than once. Overdoses (61%) were more common than cutting (16%) and 56% had a psychiatric condition.Conclusions: DSH presents an ongoing challenge to child and adolescent mental health services and those working in suicide prevention. Identifying the characteristics of these young people is essential to providing appropriate treatment for this high-risk group.