Summary : In recent years our laboratory has focused on the brain dynamics underlying neuropsychiatric conditions such as attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and autism. Our studies indicate the existence of discrete cognitive and social functions that show specific alterations in each type of disorder. Whereas these functions are present in most of the patients, they are not sufficient for clinical diagnosis. These alterations often appear in healthy siblings of the patients, pointing to an identifiable genetic substrate that increases the risk of developing the psychiatric condition.