Brain slices in basic and clinical research

Book Reviews/Electroencephalography and clinical Neurophysiology 95 (1995) 305-307 Handbook of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. - A.D. Korczyn (Ed.) (Dekker, New York, 1995, 592 p., Price: US $185.00) The number of books on the autonomic nervous system published within the last 5 years parallels the dramatic, increased interest in this specialized area of neurology. On the surface, this appears to be just another in a series of recent books dealing with autonomic nervous system disorders. Indeed, it covers the standard topics including neurotransmitters, neuropathology, and the various clinical entities. However, this book gives credence to the old adage that "you should not judge a book by its cover." Prof. Korczyn, with the help of many contributors who have not been the usual authors in books within this field, has put together an excellent collection of generally well-written chapters including several dealing with topics not adequately covered in other texts (e.g., enuresis, skin wrinkling, hyperhidrosis, salivary gland disorders, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring). Particularly outstanding are the chapters on neurotransmitters and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The selection of authors provides a fresh perspective to the presentation of material seen repeatedly in other sources. There is a good balance of basic and clinical science with an appropriate number of illustrations and useful tables. Clinicians will find the recommendations for management valuable to their practice; investigators will appreciate the specialized topics and current bibliography. The only minor drawback is the lack of a rational grouping of the chapters into cohesive sections; however, this is not a serious compromise since each chapter can easily stand alone. Although this book will not likely replace the existing ones on this subject, it is a good complement. The editor has achieved the primary goal set forth in the preface: " . . . to provide the reader with a series of reviews of clinical entities and mechanisms relevant to human disease." I highly recommend this book for experts in the field as well as practicing neurologists. Ronald J. Polinsky

Sandoz Research Institute, East Hanover, NJ (USA)

Brain slices in basic and clinical research. - A. Schurr and B.M. Rigor (Eds.) (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1995, 342 p., Price: US $125.00) This matter-of-fact-type title does not betray the interesting questions which are being raised in the 17 chapters of this book. Thanks to fine editing, the authors of each chapter explain their topics in a particularly lucid and easily comprehensible manner (each chapter being preceded by a table of contents). In chapter 1, mechanisms of plasticity and, in particular, their dependency on calcium are discussed (T.J. Teyler et al.). The authors of chapter 2 (P.G. Aitken et al.) superbly explain chaos theory ("Chaotic components of synaptic variability in hippocampal pathways"). The use of voltammetry in brain slices is very well demonstrated (chapter 5, J.A. Stamford). Clinical neurophysiologists without personal neuronal record-

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ing experience will greatly enjoy what F.A. Edwards writes about patchclamp recording (chapter 6) and also the following chapter (by Alreja and Aghajanian). In chapter 8, the patch-clamp technique is being applied to substantia nigra and pedunculo-pontine neurons (Kitai and Kuga). I would also like to single out chapters 11 (G.C. Newman et al.: "Radiotracer labeling of brain slices") and 12, written by the editors Schurr and Rigor ("The pharmacology of excitotoxins and energy deprivation in hippocampal slices"). Anoxic depolarization is the topic of chapter 15 (M. Balestrino). T.C. Pellmar presents the use of brain slices in the study of free radical actions. "The hippocampal slice provides an excellent model for examining the actions of free radicals"; there is indeed EPSP-spike coupling due to lipid peroxidation. The memory-related process of long-term potentiation is extremely vulnerable to free radicals. Chapter 17 (by Sally Veregge) presents hippocampal slices as a model to teach methods in neurophysiology. This book is an excellent - introductory and advanced - text for experimental neuroscientists but there is also a lot of most interesting fall-out for the clinical wing of the field - at least for those who do not want to lose touch with their bench-working confrbres. E. Niedermeyer

Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine and Hospital, Baltimore, MD (USA)

Occupational neurology and clinical neurotoxicology. - M.L. Bleeker and J.L. Hanson (Eds.) (Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 1994, 338 p., Price: US $75.00) This book is intended to be a practical and clinical guide in a specialized and narrow field. It is an original and courageous initiative offering valuable information, often badly accessible to most clinicians. However, as often is the case in interdisciplinary approaches, the book shows strong and weaker sections. Basic neurotoxicology opens with an excellent survey of problems in current epidemiological methodology. A theoretical contribution to neurotoxic mechanisms is unfortunately missing. Both Chapters 2 and 3 deal with "toxico"-kinetics and could be combined into a general and a more specific subsection. The clinical presentation is not well structured. Occupational neurology should not be restricted to variants of traumatic CNS lesions. The broad neuro-psychophysiological implications of shift work should be presented and discussed. In discussing the important medico-legal aspects a more international scope and approach could be adopted, this might favor the book's distribution. In conclusion, this interesting and valuable initiative could be fruitfully expanded in a second edition. Its topic deserves this positive development. B. Van Sweden

Medisch Centrum St.-Joze[, Bilzen (Belgium)