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1988 year book of neurology and neurosurgery
Book Reviews
Surg Neural 1988;30:252-4
repeated topics in multiple, similar chapters. The editors should be applauded for a concise organization, the lack of repetition, and the summary statement at the end of each chapter. All the chapters are well researched and comprehensively referenced. The subjects span the realm of molecular mechanisms of memory, detailed analysis of tract projections, emotions, attention, processing of higher functions, and diseases that affect higher brain functions. Several chapters deserve special recognition. These include Nottebohm’s chapter on the learning of songs in birds, Squire’s chapter on memory, Hillyard and Picton’s chapter on the electrophysiology of cognition, and Ojemann and Creuttfeldt’s chapter on language. This book is one of the best I have had the privilege of reading, and it is a necessary addition to the library of every serious neuroscientist, whether more interested in clinical neuroscience than in basic neuroscience. DAVID J. GOWER, M.D. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1988 Year Book of Neurology
and
Neurosurgery. Edited by Russell
N. DeJong, M.D. and Robert D. Currier, M.D. (Neurology) and Robert M. Crowell, M.D. (Neurosurgery). 466 pages. $47.00. Chicago:
Year Book Medical Publishers,
1988.
This book, as usual, is published most attractively: well bound on excellent paper with good illustrations and succinct, meaningful, and often memorable reviews of literally hundreds of articles. The first half of the book is related to neurology, but will be of interest to neurosurgeons. Of particular interest is the section, “Introductory Remarks,” by Russell DeJong covering some areas which are particularly interesting to neurosurgeons. There are introductory remarks by Robert D. Currier on pages 17- 19 that should be read by everyone because Dr. Currier gives a genuinely important historical perspective of the way in which the Year Book of Nervous and Mental Disease was begun in 1908 and the ways in which it has developed. Most of the reviews are about half a page, are well documented, and are followed by a lo- or 12-line commentary by one of the authors of the 1988 Year Book. It would be impossible in a review of this type to go into any great detail, but to point out to neurosurgeons and neurologists who read this review certain incidental and interesting things: on page 96, the description of “Defecation Syncope: A Symptom with Multiple Etiologies.” Apparently this syndrome had not been described before but is described now and is thought to be due to various causes and is not considered benign. The mean age was 59 years and seven patients died in the 2-year followup. There is a description on page 146 of coma caused by ibuprofen overdosage, which can cause coma in toxic dosages. It is rapidly metabolized and these patients should be expected to awaken rapidly unless other agents have also been
253
ingested. Supportive therapy with intubation for airway protection is recommended. “Are We Drinking Our Neurons Away?” is covered in an article from The British Medical Journal, indicating that the primary event in brain shrinkage in alcoholics is the loss of cortical neurons. The review of neurosurgical articles by Dr. Crowell from the University of Illinois is really superb and required an immense amount of work on his part. There is an introduction by him on pages 2 19-23 which covers this general field of neurosurgery and all of the areas that are to be discussed in the reviews. The reviews of neurosurgical papers are done just as the neurological papers are done by Drs. DeJong and Currier. Although no one wants to read this book from cover to cover, it is a handy book to keep on one’s desk and read from time to time, and to look up in the excellent author index any article that was published by any name known to the reader. There is also an excellent subject index which covers the subjects extremely well. If there are any omissions in the neurosurgical portion of this book, it is in the relative paucity of the coverage of pediatric neurosurgery, which is a considerably larger field than is indicated by its representation in this book. The second omission might be in the understandable lack of review of the Japanese and other foreign neurosurgical journals which are filled with a great deal of interesting material, some of it state-of-the-art and not well recognized by our English speaking colleagues. Possibly Dr. Crowell could persuade his Japanese and other foreign associates to offer some review of their neurosurgical journals. It would add to the value of this book, although, undoubtedly, it would also add to its size. This is a book that all neurosurgeons will want to own. And, of the many of these I have read in the past, this is the best. EBEN ALEXANDER, Winston-Salem, North
JR., M.D., Carolina
Editor
Occlusive Cerebrovascular Disease-Diagnosis and Surgical Management. Edited by Thoralf M. Sundt, Jr. 506 pages. $85.00. Philadelphia:
W.B.
Saunders,
1987.
This well-written text covers all aspects of occlusive cerebrovascular disease. The material is drawn largely from the vast surgical experience of the editor, but there are contributions, both in neurosurgery and related disciplines, from his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic. The book is divided into several major sections. The first is a review of basic aspects of cerebrovascular disease, including pathophysiology, pathology, epidemiology, evaluation of patients clinically and with ancillary testing, and anesthetic management. The second, and largest, section of the book is devoted to surgery of the carotid artery and contains chapters on anatomy of the carotid artery, indications for carotid endarintraoperative monitoring, technique, compliterectomy, cations, and outcome. Subjects such as carotid body tumors,
Surg Neural 1988;30:252-4
repeated topics in multiple, similar chapters. The editors should be applauded for a concise organization, the lack of repetition, and the summary statement at the end of each chapter. All the chapters are well researched and comprehensively referenced. The subjects span the realm of molecular mechanisms of memory, detailed analysis of tract projections, emotions, attention, processing of higher functions, and diseases that affect higher brain functions. Several chapters deserve special recognition. These include Nottebohm’s chapter on the learning of songs in birds, Squire’s chapter on memory, Hillyard and Picton’s chapter on the electrophysiology of cognition, and Ojemann and Creuttfeldt’s chapter on language. This book is one of the best I have had the privilege of reading, and it is a necessary addition to the library of every serious neuroscientist, whether more interested in clinical neuroscience than in basic neuroscience. DAVID J. GOWER, M.D. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1988 Year Book of Neurology
and
Neurosurgery. Edited by Russell
N. DeJong, M.D. and Robert D. Currier, M.D. (Neurology) and Robert M. Crowell, M.D. (Neurosurgery). 466 pages. $47.00. Chicago:
Year Book Medical Publishers,
1988.
This book, as usual, is published most attractively: well bound on excellent paper with good illustrations and succinct, meaningful, and often memorable reviews of literally hundreds of articles. The first half of the book is related to neurology, but will be of interest to neurosurgeons. Of particular interest is the section, “Introductory Remarks,” by Russell DeJong covering some areas which are particularly interesting to neurosurgeons. There are introductory remarks by Robert D. Currier on pages 17- 19 that should be read by everyone because Dr. Currier gives a genuinely important historical perspective of the way in which the Year Book of Nervous and Mental Disease was begun in 1908 and the ways in which it has developed. Most of the reviews are about half a page, are well documented, and are followed by a lo- or 12-line commentary by one of the authors of the 1988 Year Book. It would be impossible in a review of this type to go into any great detail, but to point out to neurosurgeons and neurologists who read this review certain incidental and interesting things: on page 96, the description of “Defecation Syncope: A Symptom with Multiple Etiologies.” Apparently this syndrome had not been described before but is described now and is thought to be due to various causes and is not considered benign. The mean age was 59 years and seven patients died in the 2-year followup. There is a description on page 146 of coma caused by ibuprofen overdosage, which can cause coma in toxic dosages. It is rapidly metabolized and these patients should be expected to awaken rapidly unless other agents have also been
253
ingested. Supportive therapy with intubation for airway protection is recommended. “Are We Drinking Our Neurons Away?” is covered in an article from The British Medical Journal, indicating that the primary event in brain shrinkage in alcoholics is the loss of cortical neurons. The review of neurosurgical articles by Dr. Crowell from the University of Illinois is really superb and required an immense amount of work on his part. There is an introduction by him on pages 2 19-23 which covers this general field of neurosurgery and all of the areas that are to be discussed in the reviews. The reviews of neurosurgical papers are done just as the neurological papers are done by Drs. DeJong and Currier. Although no one wants to read this book from cover to cover, it is a handy book to keep on one’s desk and read from time to time, and to look up in the excellent author index any article that was published by any name known to the reader. There is also an excellent subject index which covers the subjects extremely well. If there are any omissions in the neurosurgical portion of this book, it is in the relative paucity of the coverage of pediatric neurosurgery, which is a considerably larger field than is indicated by its representation in this book. The second omission might be in the understandable lack of review of the Japanese and other foreign neurosurgical journals which are filled with a great deal of interesting material, some of it state-of-the-art and not well recognized by our English speaking colleagues. Possibly Dr. Crowell could persuade his Japanese and other foreign associates to offer some review of their neurosurgical journals. It would add to the value of this book, although, undoubtedly, it would also add to its size. This is a book that all neurosurgeons will want to own. And, of the many of these I have read in the past, this is the best. EBEN ALEXANDER, Winston-Salem, North
JR., M.D., Carolina
Editor
Occlusive Cerebrovascular Disease-Diagnosis and Surgical Management. Edited by Thoralf M. Sundt, Jr. 506 pages. $85.00. Philadelphia:
W.B.
Saunders,
1987.
This well-written text covers all aspects of occlusive cerebrovascular disease. The material is drawn largely from the vast surgical experience of the editor, but there are contributions, both in neurosurgery and related disciplines, from his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic. The book is divided into several major sections. The first is a review of basic aspects of cerebrovascular disease, including pathophysiology, pathology, epidemiology, evaluation of patients clinically and with ancillary testing, and anesthetic management. The second, and largest, section of the book is devoted to surgery of the carotid artery and contains chapters on anatomy of the carotid artery, indications for carotid endarintraoperative monitoring, technique, compliterectomy, cations, and outcome. Subjects such as carotid body tumors,