Biosignal Transduction Mechanisms

Books in Brief

Biosignal Transduction Mechanisms

Modulation of Defined Vertebrate Neural Circuits (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 563)

edited by /Hichiki Kasai, Tohru Yoshioka and Hideo Suzuki, SpringerVerlag, 1989. DA4 108.00 (xii + 209 pages) ISBN 3 540 50708 6

edited by Michael Davis, Barry L. Jacobs and Ronald I. Schoenfeld, The New York Academy of Sciences, 1989. $49.00 (viii + 195 pages) ISBN 0 89766 527 9

poll of my co-workers revealed, however, that the title means different things to different people. Unfortunately, in this short book, your favorite topic of signal transduction may be missing. The emphasis is on ionic channels and ionic currents. Complex second messenger cascades are not dealt with separately or in great detail. Excitation-secretion coupling, excitation-contraction coupling and fertilization are not covered. Phototransduction is mentioned and there is a chapter on chemoreception, but sensory transduction is not given a general review. The book resulted from a set of research projects on the 'Molecular Mechanism of Bioelectric Response' conducted in Japan from 1984 to 1986. Each chapter

This volume is an interesting, up-to-date collection of 13 papers from a conference held in Elkridge, MD, USA in September 1988. A general theme, suggested by the editors, is the extension of the 'simple system' approach, extensively exploited in invertebrate neuroscience, to the more elaborate neural circuits underlying particular vertebrate behavioural patterns. Contributions cover a diverse assembly of neuronal systems, from a range of species, of enormously varying complexity, for example turtle spinal circuits, mammalian blink reflexes and breathing pattern generators, and avian auditory space maps. Indeed, when Heather Williams, summarizing bird song mechanisms, writes of 'multiple loops, multiple modalities, multiple representations... and multiple neural mechanisms' the reader readily appreciates that some of the circuits investigated are a far cry from being simple. A wide readership of neuroscientists, basic and applied, will find numerous points of interest within this useful reference volume. The individual chapters are well-written and include good bibliographies; all but two are illustrated. Perhaps inevitably, in a multi-author book featuring such a heterogeneity of topics and experimental methodologies, there is some lack of cohesion. Therefore, I would have welcomed a critical editorial rEsum~ of the major new conclusions that emerged concerning the principles governing modulation of vertebrate neural circuits.

Biosignal Transduction Mechanisms is an intriguing title. A quick

The Electromyographer's Handbook (2nd edn) Rajesh K. Sethi and Lowery Lee Thompson, Churchill Livingstone, 1989. £21.50 (199 pages) ISBN 0 316 84187 0

This step-by-step guide to human nerve conduction studies will probably appeal to researchers and clinicians who are quite new to the field of electromyography (EMG). The practical aspects of the motor and sensory studies of each nerve are dealt with in individual chapters. This gives the investigator quick access to a standard protocol. These chapters follow a clear and well-illustrated but rather repetitive pattern: after a brief review of anatomical and clinical applications, the procedure for the placement of recording and stimulating electrodes is carefully outlined. Tables summarizing the statistics obtained from other well-acknowledged studies give the reader a fair idea of expected normal Frederick W. J. Cody values. The interpretation of EMG Departmentof PhysiologicalSciences,University of Manchester,StopfordBuilding,OxfordRoad, recordings is outlined concisely ManchesterM 139PT,UK. but thoroughly. Abnormal findTINS, Vol. 13, No. 6, 1990

is a summary of the authors' research. Several chapters focus on theoretical or experimental techniques. In general, the articles present the authors' viewpoints rather than identify and discuss areas of controversy. The authors present their work on the following topics: ion channel kinetics, conotoxin binding to Ca2+ channels, the structure and function of muscarinic receptors, the expression of neuronal receptors in Xenopus oocytes, and the use of monoclonal antibodies to identify neuron subtypes. Since the articles are not general reviews, they are not extensively referenced, and there are few references after 1987. The book also suffers from some editorial lapses. Although this book does not serve as a general text on signal transduction, it does provide a convenient collection of specific research projects on bioelectric responses. John A. Dani

Departmentof MolecularPhysiologyand Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Bay/or Plaza,Houston,TX77030,USA.

ings are constantly compared with normal electrical activity patterns for both motor unit and single muscle fibre studies. This is complemented by a section that neatly relates the results of an EMG examination to the differential diagnosis of common neuromuscular disorders. Most aspects of EMG studies are included. Some, however, receive little or no attention. The chapters on F-waves and H-reflex methods are brief, though this probably reflects their use in clinical practice. More recent advances in stimulation, particularly electromagnetic stimulation, are not covered. The techniques, now increasingly used, of spike- and stimulus-triggered averaging are barely mentioned. Although this handbook is a well-presented, well-referenced guide, it at times makes the study of nerve conduction appear rather easier than is the case in daily practice. K. tH. Bennett

Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB23DY, UK.

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