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Structure and function of synapses
BOOK REVIEWS
385
a book for the bibliophile who enjoys handling and perusing a well-presented and attractivelyillustrated work of scholastic merit; others will undoubtedly read the book for pleasure, and yet others working in clinical neurology and its related disciplines who set out to read the volume or to dip into it with a sense of mild interest will
find themselves drawn into reading on and on and will be surprised to discover how much new knowledge they acquire as a result concerning the way in which our modern ideas of brain function have evolved. JOHN N. WALTON
Multiple Scleros&, a Reappra&aL by D. L. M.
chapter attention is paid to the clinical pathology of the disease, and it is in this chapter that the reviewer detects most of the rewriting, for it is here that much new material has become available. The book could serve as a model for those authors intending to write similarly on one of the medical problems extant. He would do well to give his subject the degree of attention which the clinical chapters afford to multiple sclerosis in this book, for here is the most complete description of the clinical vagaries of this condition, and it is to these chapters that the clinician in practice will return again and again to elucidate some bedside clinical point. The reference sources are recent and up to date, including some published material from 1972. There are over 1000 quoted references and these are disposed conveniently at the end of each individual section. The reviewer can find no fault with this volume, except to regret that it has been necessary to raise the price to £6.00. J. B. FOSTER
MCALPINE, C. E. LUMSDEN AND E. D. ACHESON, 2nd edition, x + 653 pages, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1972, £6.00. It has been a pleasure to read the second edition of this book which has now become the established work on multiple sclerosis in the English language. The authors have revised completely the first edition printed in 1965 and particularly valuable are the up to date accounts of the epidemiological aspects of the disease, and the section on clinical immunology. This edition contains a vast store of factual material and must be used as the first reference by any student of this disease whether he be clinical or primarily interested in its pathology, biochemistry, natural history or epidemiology. The book falls into three separate parts; the first is devoted to epidemiology and is the responsibility of Professor Acheson. In part II the clinical aspects of the disease are fully discussed by Dr. McAlpine and finally in Professor Lumsden's
Psychiatric Complications of Medical Drugs, by R. I. SHADER (Ed.), 394 pages, Raven Press, New York, ca. US $18.75; distributed in the Eastern Hemisphere by North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972, Dfl 60.--. Iatrogenic disease has changed its shape a great deal over the last 50 years. To-day, the doctor kills more patients than he did then; far better to lie in bed for a year with an apical systolic murmur, than be poisoned by any of the literally thousands of powerful drugs used so freely. The treatment today may be worse than the disease. In the U.S.A. each year approximately 1.5 million individuals will suffer adverse drug reactions leading to hospital admission, and 30%, of these may have a second adverse reaction during their hospitalisation. It becomes important for the doctor to know just
Structure and Function of Synapses, by G. D. PAPPAS AND D. P. PURPURA (Eds.), 380 pages, 87 halftone plates, 225 figures, Raven Press, New York, N.Y., ca. US $23.50, distributed in the Eastern Hemisphere by North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972, Dfl. 75.--.
what these adverse reactions are, how to distinguish them from the disease, what are the toxic effects of drugs, and what are their side-effects. This book deals with the psychiatric complications of certain groups of drugs commonly used in medical practice. Unfortunately the book is unsystematically organised and highly selective in the choice of topics, so that an overall view of what is an important subject is lacking. The neurologist might find the chapters on levodopa, the amphetamines and the anticholinergics of interest but it is doubtful whether chapters on the use of vitamins as therapeutic agents in psychiatry, or the psychological effects of androgens and oestrogens really fall within the scope of the book's title. A very uneven production. DENIS LE1GH
In the introduction to this volume, the editors state that they have attempted to meet the need for a survey of important new philosophical and operational approaches to synaptology which would, at the same time, provide a critical appraisal of established concepts. This they have done by
386
BOOK REVIEWS
inviting a total of nineteen workers to make relevant reviews of work in any field of synaptology without restriction on the content or length of text. The resulting twelve chapters consist of reviews of all aspects of the structure and function of synapses. The reviews range in content from the morphological correlates of chemical and electronic transmission to the role of macromolecular synthesis in the functioning of neurons and synapses. The nature of each of these reviews is such that it is impossible for one person to cover the entire volume in anything approaching a critical fashion. I have therefore decided to study only three chapters in depth and to skim the others. The article by Auerbach on transmitter release at chemical synapses is superb. His review of the quantal hypothesis of chemical transmission and of the role of calcium in the release process is more concise and to the point than any other currently available. It is well written, easy to read and well balanced, and is an admirable supplement to the monographs currently available that cover the more historical and technical aspects of synaptic transmission. Castellucci and his co-workers review some of the current concepts concerning the role of macromolecular synthesis on the functioning of neurons in synapses. This is a remarkable review to find in a volume of this kind in view of the relative novelty of the topic. This novelty is reflected in the bibliography--almost half the quoted references are to work published in the last three years. The authors have limited their review to a discussion of some biochemical aspects of function in specified cells of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia, the control of macro-molecular synthesis in the ganglion by neuronal activity, and finally, to the role of macro-molecular synthesis in short-term functioning of neurons. This approach precludes a detailed discussion of the role of protein synthesis in learning for example, but it does allow the authors to demonstrate the value of working on a welldefined experimental object when attempting to unravel the complexities of the biochemical basis for the control of neuronal activity. In 1968 M. V. Bennett wrote a review of the similarities between chemically and electrically
mediated transmission. In this volume he COl~tributes an updated review on the same topic, It is in many ways complementary to that by Auerbach it is also excellent in its own right. Of particular interest, however, is not simply the accumulated data that have been presented by the author, but the fact that he has attempted to get to grips with the central problems relevant to developmental biology. Thus, not only has Bennett tabulated the known examples of electrical and chemical mediation and excitatory transmission in the vertebrate CNS, but he has also tried to find a logical explanation for the existence of a particular mode of transmission in a given synapse. It is, of course, an almost impossible task. Although in many cases the requirements of speed of transmission or of temporal summation may appear to offer a logical explanation for the development of electrical or chemical transmission respectively many synapses do not allow such a logical explanation. There are also technical difficulties in exploring various synapses and interpretative difficulties may often be encountered. This chapter is fascinating and I shall read it often. Of the chapters mainly concerned with the morphological aspects of synapses, and of cholinergic transmission in mollusca, I can say little except that I have learnt more by reading this volume than I could have learnt by spending weeks in a library working through the literature. The whole volume is extremely well-presented and the figures--especially the 87 reproductions of electron micrographs--are clear and uncluttered. There is an almost complete lack of minor misspellings and misprints which is evidence of the editor's care and attention to detail. In summary this volume is essential reading for those who work on any aspect of the structure and function of synapses. It is sufficiently detailed for the specialist and sufficiently well written for the student. It is not a cheap book; but by today's standards quality as high as this justifies the cost. My only adverse comment is very minor I wish the editors had enforced a standard method for quoting references since at least four different methods appear to have been used throughout the volume. J. B. HARRIS
Age Changes in the Neuromuscular System, by
neuromuscular apparatus is welcome. The authors point out that decreasing motor efficiency is a prominent symptom of old age and that knowledge of the basic biological mechanisms which accounts for this progressive functional deterioration is still fragmentary. They consider in depth information which has been derived from structural, biochemical and physiological studies carried out by themselves and others. Evidence which indicates that a progressive decline in the trophic
E. GUTMANN AND W. HANZLIKOVA, viii+195 pages, 49 illustrations, Scientechnica, Bristol, 1972, £6.50. The work of Professor Gutmann and his colleagues in the Institute of Physiology of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences upon neuromuscular function in man and animals has justly won world renown. Hence this monograph on ageing changes in the
385
a book for the bibliophile who enjoys handling and perusing a well-presented and attractivelyillustrated work of scholastic merit; others will undoubtedly read the book for pleasure, and yet others working in clinical neurology and its related disciplines who set out to read the volume or to dip into it with a sense of mild interest will
find themselves drawn into reading on and on and will be surprised to discover how much new knowledge they acquire as a result concerning the way in which our modern ideas of brain function have evolved. JOHN N. WALTON
Multiple Scleros&, a Reappra&aL by D. L. M.
chapter attention is paid to the clinical pathology of the disease, and it is in this chapter that the reviewer detects most of the rewriting, for it is here that much new material has become available. The book could serve as a model for those authors intending to write similarly on one of the medical problems extant. He would do well to give his subject the degree of attention which the clinical chapters afford to multiple sclerosis in this book, for here is the most complete description of the clinical vagaries of this condition, and it is to these chapters that the clinician in practice will return again and again to elucidate some bedside clinical point. The reference sources are recent and up to date, including some published material from 1972. There are over 1000 quoted references and these are disposed conveniently at the end of each individual section. The reviewer can find no fault with this volume, except to regret that it has been necessary to raise the price to £6.00. J. B. FOSTER
MCALPINE, C. E. LUMSDEN AND E. D. ACHESON, 2nd edition, x + 653 pages, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1972, £6.00. It has been a pleasure to read the second edition of this book which has now become the established work on multiple sclerosis in the English language. The authors have revised completely the first edition printed in 1965 and particularly valuable are the up to date accounts of the epidemiological aspects of the disease, and the section on clinical immunology. This edition contains a vast store of factual material and must be used as the first reference by any student of this disease whether he be clinical or primarily interested in its pathology, biochemistry, natural history or epidemiology. The book falls into three separate parts; the first is devoted to epidemiology and is the responsibility of Professor Acheson. In part II the clinical aspects of the disease are fully discussed by Dr. McAlpine and finally in Professor Lumsden's
Psychiatric Complications of Medical Drugs, by R. I. SHADER (Ed.), 394 pages, Raven Press, New York, ca. US $18.75; distributed in the Eastern Hemisphere by North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972, Dfl 60.--. Iatrogenic disease has changed its shape a great deal over the last 50 years. To-day, the doctor kills more patients than he did then; far better to lie in bed for a year with an apical systolic murmur, than be poisoned by any of the literally thousands of powerful drugs used so freely. The treatment today may be worse than the disease. In the U.S.A. each year approximately 1.5 million individuals will suffer adverse drug reactions leading to hospital admission, and 30%, of these may have a second adverse reaction during their hospitalisation. It becomes important for the doctor to know just
Structure and Function of Synapses, by G. D. PAPPAS AND D. P. PURPURA (Eds.), 380 pages, 87 halftone plates, 225 figures, Raven Press, New York, N.Y., ca. US $23.50, distributed in the Eastern Hemisphere by North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972, Dfl. 75.--.
what these adverse reactions are, how to distinguish them from the disease, what are the toxic effects of drugs, and what are their side-effects. This book deals with the psychiatric complications of certain groups of drugs commonly used in medical practice. Unfortunately the book is unsystematically organised and highly selective in the choice of topics, so that an overall view of what is an important subject is lacking. The neurologist might find the chapters on levodopa, the amphetamines and the anticholinergics of interest but it is doubtful whether chapters on the use of vitamins as therapeutic agents in psychiatry, or the psychological effects of androgens and oestrogens really fall within the scope of the book's title. A very uneven production. DENIS LE1GH
In the introduction to this volume, the editors state that they have attempted to meet the need for a survey of important new philosophical and operational approaches to synaptology which would, at the same time, provide a critical appraisal of established concepts. This they have done by
386
BOOK REVIEWS
inviting a total of nineteen workers to make relevant reviews of work in any field of synaptology without restriction on the content or length of text. The resulting twelve chapters consist of reviews of all aspects of the structure and function of synapses. The reviews range in content from the morphological correlates of chemical and electronic transmission to the role of macromolecular synthesis in the functioning of neurons and synapses. The nature of each of these reviews is such that it is impossible for one person to cover the entire volume in anything approaching a critical fashion. I have therefore decided to study only three chapters in depth and to skim the others. The article by Auerbach on transmitter release at chemical synapses is superb. His review of the quantal hypothesis of chemical transmission and of the role of calcium in the release process is more concise and to the point than any other currently available. It is well written, easy to read and well balanced, and is an admirable supplement to the monographs currently available that cover the more historical and technical aspects of synaptic transmission. Castellucci and his co-workers review some of the current concepts concerning the role of macromolecular synthesis on the functioning of neurons in synapses. This is a remarkable review to find in a volume of this kind in view of the relative novelty of the topic. This novelty is reflected in the bibliography--almost half the quoted references are to work published in the last three years. The authors have limited their review to a discussion of some biochemical aspects of function in specified cells of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia, the control of macro-molecular synthesis in the ganglion by neuronal activity, and finally, to the role of macro-molecular synthesis in short-term functioning of neurons. This approach precludes a detailed discussion of the role of protein synthesis in learning for example, but it does allow the authors to demonstrate the value of working on a welldefined experimental object when attempting to unravel the complexities of the biochemical basis for the control of neuronal activity. In 1968 M. V. Bennett wrote a review of the similarities between chemically and electrically
mediated transmission. In this volume he COl~tributes an updated review on the same topic, It is in many ways complementary to that by Auerbach it is also excellent in its own right. Of particular interest, however, is not simply the accumulated data that have been presented by the author, but the fact that he has attempted to get to grips with the central problems relevant to developmental biology. Thus, not only has Bennett tabulated the known examples of electrical and chemical mediation and excitatory transmission in the vertebrate CNS, but he has also tried to find a logical explanation for the existence of a particular mode of transmission in a given synapse. It is, of course, an almost impossible task. Although in many cases the requirements of speed of transmission or of temporal summation may appear to offer a logical explanation for the development of electrical or chemical transmission respectively many synapses do not allow such a logical explanation. There are also technical difficulties in exploring various synapses and interpretative difficulties may often be encountered. This chapter is fascinating and I shall read it often. Of the chapters mainly concerned with the morphological aspects of synapses, and of cholinergic transmission in mollusca, I can say little except that I have learnt more by reading this volume than I could have learnt by spending weeks in a library working through the literature. The whole volume is extremely well-presented and the figures--especially the 87 reproductions of electron micrographs--are clear and uncluttered. There is an almost complete lack of minor misspellings and misprints which is evidence of the editor's care and attention to detail. In summary this volume is essential reading for those who work on any aspect of the structure and function of synapses. It is sufficiently detailed for the specialist and sufficiently well written for the student. It is not a cheap book; but by today's standards quality as high as this justifies the cost. My only adverse comment is very minor I wish the editors had enforced a standard method for quoting references since at least four different methods appear to have been used throughout the volume. J. B. HARRIS
Age Changes in the Neuromuscular System, by
neuromuscular apparatus is welcome. The authors point out that decreasing motor efficiency is a prominent symptom of old age and that knowledge of the basic biological mechanisms which accounts for this progressive functional deterioration is still fragmentary. They consider in depth information which has been derived from structural, biochemical and physiological studies carried out by themselves and others. Evidence which indicates that a progressive decline in the trophic
E. GUTMANN AND W. HANZLIKOVA, viii+195 pages, 49 illustrations, Scientechnica, Bristol, 1972, £6.50. The work of Professor Gutmann and his colleagues in the Institute of Physiology of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences upon neuromuscular function in man and animals has justly won world renown. Hence this monograph on ageing changes in the