Present evidence indicates that malnutrition, per se, and as an integral part of the environmental complex, may adversely affect brain development and behavior both directly and indirectly. However, continued study in animals and man is needed to identify and document more clearly the interacting effects between nutrition and other environmental factors in terms of brain development and behavior. The subtleties of these interrelationships, their prevalence, and their consequences for the individual and for both national and international communities need to be defined. We must identify underlying mechanisms and improve means of treatment and prevention of their derangement. These tasks will require major and continuing commitments of money and people to basic research, development of more specific and sensitive testing techniques for both man and animals, and constant improvement in the design and conduct of studies at all levels.
