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Handbook of behavioral neurobiology. Vol. 2. Neurophsychology
B O O K REVIEWS very usefu~ s u m m a r y o f t h e b o o k . S~)ecific criticisms include unclear ( i ) e l e c t r o d e iinkages, t2) p o l a r i t y o f wave f o r m s , (3) t i m e lines, (4) tiny letters r e p r e s e n t i n g d i f f e r e n t p a r t s o f figures, (5) e x p r e s s i o n s ( ' E E G was e r r a t i c ' ) a n d q u e s t i o n a b l e t e c h n i c a l p o i n t s , like e l e c t r o d e resistance varying f r o m 5 t~ 50 k ~ . S h i p l e y ' s rule t h a t 'surface negativity r e p r e s e n t s i n h i b i t i o n a n d positivity e x c i t a t i o n ' is clearly io be q u e s t i o n e d . On the o t h e r h a n d , t h e reader learns t h a t retinitis p i g m e n t o s a is always associated w i t h an a b s e n t E R G and a n o r m a l V E R , t h a t a n o r m a l V E R is also seen in bilateral cataracts and in ' i n f a n t b l i n d n e s s ' , t h e latter an e x a m p l e o f a p r i m a r y s e n s o r y i n a t t e n t i o n . The major finding w o r t h careful, f u t u r e investigation is thai ' f o r the organically involved child, t h e r e s p o n s e to two s i m u l t a n e o u s i n t e r s e n s o r y stimuli will be just barely equal to or even significantly less t h a n t h e sum o f the separate a m p l i t u d e s o f t h e t w o single m o d e responses ' For t h e p e d i a t r i c i a n or pediatric n e u r o l o g i s t this b o o k will p r e s e n t evoked p o t e n t i a l s in a simple way and at t h e same t i m e i n t r o d u c e t h e c o m p l e x field o f i n t e r s e n s o r y integration. F o r t h e s o p h i s t i c a t e d w o r k e r s in evoked p o t e n t i a l s this new field o f i n t e r s e n s o r y evoked r e s p o n s e s , as i n t r o d u c e d and d e v e l o p e d b y Shipley, may be t h e s t i m u l u s for replicating s o m e o f t h e s e i n t e r e s t i n g findings.
335 p o i n t w h e r e a technical survey w h i c h w o u l d s y s t e m atize and digest the area w o u l d be w e l c o m e d . Unfort u n a t e l y , this b o o k d o e s n o t provide such a review. It is a c o l l e c t i o n o f 17 c h a p t e r s ranging in quality f r o m low to very high and c o m b i n e d into s e c t i o n s n o t always for reasons obvious to this reviewer. For e x a m p l e , t h e c h a p t e r "Cerebral M e c h a n i s m s o f Inform a t i o n S t o r a g e " is in the s e c t i o n on disorders following brain d a m a g e while the c h a p t e r e n t i t l e d " I n f o r m a t i o n Processing and The Cerebral H e m i s p h e r e s " is in t h e s e c t i o n o n general issues. This latter also c o n t a i n s an e x c e l l e n t c h a p t e r o n evoked potentials. Several o f the c h a p t e r s in the s e c t i o n o n language disorders deal w i t h their subject m a t t e r very well. The p o r t i o n o f the b o o k d e v o t e d to d e v e l o p m e n t a l n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y is d i s a p p o i n t i n g . It c o n t a i n s o n l y t w o chapters, o n e o n h y p e r k i n e t i c children. This b o o k is V o l u m e 2 in the H a n d b o o k o f Behavioral N e u r o b i o l o g y Series. However, it does n o t fulfill my c o n c e p t i o n o f a " h a n d b o o k / ' It d o e s n ' t digest or s y s t e m a t i z e an area t h a t is in need o f organiz a t i o n , and while it does justice to s o m e topics, il is t o o e l e m e n t a r y and c u r s o r y in dealing with o t h e r areas to be highly r e c o m m e n d e d . VICTOR MILSTEIN Larue D. Carter M e m o r i a l fiospital, and Indiana University S c h o o l o f Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind. 4 6 2 0 2 (U.S,A.)
J O H N R. H U G H E S Univ. o f illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, Ill. 6 0 6 1 2 (U.S.A.) The s y n a p t i c o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e brain. 2nd e d n . G.M. S h e p h e r d ( O x f o r d Univ. Press. New York, 1979, 436 p., U.S. $ 1 8 . 9 5 ) H a n d b o o k o f behavioral n e u r o b i o l o g y . Vol. 2. Neurop s y c h o l o g y . - - M.S. Gazzaniga (Ed.) ( P l e n u m , New York, 1979, 566 p., U.S. $ 35.00) The i m m e d i a t e a n t e c e d e n t s o f n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y are the t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y e f f o r t s o f r e s e a r c h e r / p r a c t i t i o n e r s to a p p l y e x p e r i m e n t a l a n d clinical psychological k n o w l e d g e w h i c h t h e y c o m b i n e d w i t h neurological data, to t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f cerebral p a t h o l o g y . In turn, t h e s e s t e m m e d f r o m n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y investigation o f brain p a t h o l o g y , especially studies o f aphasia and t h e e f f e c t s o f lesions and head injury. Thus, the clinical-pathological o r i e n t a t i o n was very i m p o r t a n t in the w o r k o f p e o p l e such as Luria, T e u b e r and B e n t o n . H o w e v e r , n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y has m o r e r e c e n t l y c o m e t o e n c o m p a s s an area w h i c h includes a l m o s t any e f f o r t seeking c o r r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n brain and behavior. An i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o c i e t y d e v o t e d t o n e u r o p s y c h o l ogy has b e e n f o r m e d . F r o m t h e p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f arti-. cles and journals c o n c e r n e d w i t h the topic, it is clear t h a t t h e mass o f material dealing w i t h higher m e n t a l processes and b e h a v i o r has r e a c h e d or passed the
We live in an age o f specialization t h a t has struct u r e d the subfields o f science to such a degree t h a t research o p p o r t u n i t i e s for the individual scientist n o w rarely e x t e n d b e y o n d the n a r r o w c o n f i n e s o f a few highly specialized t e c h n i q u e s . In the broad vista o f n e u r o b i o l o g y , one is all t o o o f t e n e x p e c t e d to accept a d e s i g n a t e d role based on c o m p e t e n c e in these s o p h i s t i c a t e d but all t o o trivial tools o f trade. As a p h i l o s o p h i c p a r e n t h e s i s , o n e m a y observe the increasingly devastating e f f e c t s o n w e s t e r n science. Training o f y o u n g scientists all t o o o f t e n asks only their m e e k a c c e p t a n c e o f this c o n f o r m i s t role. He w h o (lares to seek a b r o a d e r e x p e r i e n c e , b o t h as a s t u d e n t and in t h e f o r m a t i v e years of a scientific career, risks the o u t e r darkness o f scientific o p p r o b r i u m , in w h i c h he is cast in the role o f a jack o f all trades, and certainly m a s t e r o f n o n e . The dreariness o f scientific p r o d u c t s u r r o u n d s on every side, and the giant leap by which we m i g h t u n d e r s t a n d the brain or the cellular d i s orders o f neoplastic disease will forever escape us by very reason o f the e a r n e s t n e s s of our e f f o r t s with d o w n c a s t eyes.
335 p o i n t w h e r e a technical survey w h i c h w o u l d s y s t e m atize and digest the area w o u l d be w e l c o m e d . Unfort u n a t e l y , this b o o k d o e s n o t provide such a review. It is a c o l l e c t i o n o f 17 c h a p t e r s ranging in quality f r o m low to very high and c o m b i n e d into s e c t i o n s n o t always for reasons obvious to this reviewer. For e x a m p l e , t h e c h a p t e r "Cerebral M e c h a n i s m s o f Inform a t i o n S t o r a g e " is in the s e c t i o n on disorders following brain d a m a g e while the c h a p t e r e n t i t l e d " I n f o r m a t i o n Processing and The Cerebral H e m i s p h e r e s " is in t h e s e c t i o n o n general issues. This latter also c o n t a i n s an e x c e l l e n t c h a p t e r o n evoked potentials. Several o f the c h a p t e r s in the s e c t i o n o n language disorders deal w i t h their subject m a t t e r very well. The p o r t i o n o f the b o o k d e v o t e d to d e v e l o p m e n t a l n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y is d i s a p p o i n t i n g . It c o n t a i n s o n l y t w o chapters, o n e o n h y p e r k i n e t i c children. This b o o k is V o l u m e 2 in the H a n d b o o k o f Behavioral N e u r o b i o l o g y Series. However, it does n o t fulfill my c o n c e p t i o n o f a " h a n d b o o k / ' It d o e s n ' t digest or s y s t e m a t i z e an area t h a t is in need o f organiz a t i o n , and while it does justice to s o m e topics, il is t o o e l e m e n t a r y and c u r s o r y in dealing with o t h e r areas to be highly r e c o m m e n d e d . VICTOR MILSTEIN Larue D. Carter M e m o r i a l fiospital, and Indiana University S c h o o l o f Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind. 4 6 2 0 2 (U.S,A.)
J O H N R. H U G H E S Univ. o f illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, Ill. 6 0 6 1 2 (U.S.A.) The s y n a p t i c o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e brain. 2nd e d n . G.M. S h e p h e r d ( O x f o r d Univ. Press. New York, 1979, 436 p., U.S. $ 1 8 . 9 5 ) H a n d b o o k o f behavioral n e u r o b i o l o g y . Vol. 2. Neurop s y c h o l o g y . - - M.S. Gazzaniga (Ed.) ( P l e n u m , New York, 1979, 566 p., U.S. $ 35.00) The i m m e d i a t e a n t e c e d e n t s o f n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y are the t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y e f f o r t s o f r e s e a r c h e r / p r a c t i t i o n e r s to a p p l y e x p e r i m e n t a l a n d clinical psychological k n o w l e d g e w h i c h t h e y c o m b i n e d w i t h neurological data, to t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f cerebral p a t h o l o g y . In turn, t h e s e s t e m m e d f r o m n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y investigation o f brain p a t h o l o g y , especially studies o f aphasia and t h e e f f e c t s o f lesions and head injury. Thus, the clinical-pathological o r i e n t a t i o n was very i m p o r t a n t in the w o r k o f p e o p l e such as Luria, T e u b e r and B e n t o n . H o w e v e r , n e u r o p s y c h o l o g y has m o r e r e c e n t l y c o m e t o e n c o m p a s s an area w h i c h includes a l m o s t any e f f o r t seeking c o r r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n brain and behavior. An i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o c i e t y d e v o t e d t o n e u r o p s y c h o l ogy has b e e n f o r m e d . F r o m t h e p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f arti-. cles and journals c o n c e r n e d w i t h the topic, it is clear t h a t t h e mass o f material dealing w i t h higher m e n t a l processes and b e h a v i o r has r e a c h e d or passed the
We live in an age o f specialization t h a t has struct u r e d the subfields o f science to such a degree t h a t research o p p o r t u n i t i e s for the individual scientist n o w rarely e x t e n d b e y o n d the n a r r o w c o n f i n e s o f a few highly specialized t e c h n i q u e s . In the broad vista o f n e u r o b i o l o g y , one is all t o o o f t e n e x p e c t e d to accept a d e s i g n a t e d role based on c o m p e t e n c e in these s o p h i s t i c a t e d but all t o o trivial tools o f trade. As a p h i l o s o p h i c p a r e n t h e s i s , o n e m a y observe the increasingly devastating e f f e c t s o n w e s t e r n science. Training o f y o u n g scientists all t o o o f t e n asks only their m e e k a c c e p t a n c e o f this c o n f o r m i s t role. He w h o (lares to seek a b r o a d e r e x p e r i e n c e , b o t h as a s t u d e n t and in t h e f o r m a t i v e years of a scientific career, risks the o u t e r darkness o f scientific o p p r o b r i u m , in w h i c h he is cast in the role o f a jack o f all trades, and certainly m a s t e r o f n o n e . The dreariness o f scientific p r o d u c t s u r r o u n d s on every side, and the giant leap by which we m i g h t u n d e r s t a n d the brain or the cellular d i s orders o f neoplastic disease will forever escape us by very reason o f the e a r n e s t n e s s of our e f f o r t s with d o w n c a s t eyes.