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Neural plasticity: A lifespan approach
books
in b r i e f
Neural Plasticity: A Lifespan Approach
these drugs into clinical practice in 1960, very considerable advances have been made in our underedited by Ted L. Petit and Gwen O. standing of how they produce Ivy, Alan R. Liss, 1988. $59.50 (xfi + their effects. Much of the work 383 pages) ISBN 0 8451 2738 1 over the past 10 years has been Neural Plasticity: a Lifespan concerned with the characterizaApproach is an unedited collection tion of the GABA-benzodiazepine of chapters on the topic of re- receptor involved; this book gives modelling of connections in a concise review of those studies. The book is aimed primarily at the nervous system. The book is orientated to a developmental the clinical community, and not perspective, comparing processes those actively involved in the basic in infancy, maturity and ageing. research. The author has managed As well as providing up-to-date to deal clearly with many of the results and commentary on difficult concepts that have anatomical, physiological and emerged from these studies, for behavioural indices of neural which he is to be congratulated. It plasticity in developmental growth, is inevitable with a book of this following injury and in the aged nature that some of the interesting brain, several chapters provide detail has been omitted. Nevernew information on the structural theless it provides a well-indexed and functional capacities (and and readable account of the limitations) of neural grafts. Al- subject. though the collection is the proceedings of a meeting, an unusual lan L. Martin number of the chapters are MRC Molecular Neurobiology Unit, MRC valuable reviews, presenting the Centre, Hills Road, CambridgeCB22OH, UK. perspectives and summaries of recent developments from several leading research groups, and the volume is commendably up- Neural Repair to-date, appearing within nine months of the meeting. The edited by J. Nicholls and J. Treherne, volume provides a pleasurable The Company of Biologists, 1987. browse and a useful source for £35.00/$60.00 (289 pages) ISBN insight into current ideas, per- 0 948601 07 8 spectives and directions in a selec- This is a collection of 18 communition (but far from comprehensive cations given at a Company of set) of research groups. Biologists Discussion meeting held in Crete in March 1987. All the Stephen Dunnett articles are well-written and clear. Department of ExperimentalPsychology, Uni- They cover neural repair processes versityof Cambridge,CambridgeCB23EB, UK. in invertebrates and vertebrates. The contents range very widely, from studies of individual molecules (and their receptors) involved in repair and development, such as nerve growth factor and The Benzodiazepine agrin, to descriptions of the surReceptor vival of neuronal implants in mammalian brains. The book is an by Walter E. MEtller, Cambridge Uni- excellent source of up-to-date versity Press, 1987. £27.50/$49.50 (x + 185 pages) ISBN 0 521 30481 0 references on a very wide range of topics concerned with nerve The benzodiazepines remain one repair. The addition of an index of the most frequently prescribed would have made it even more class of psychotropic drug. Their useful. Conclusion: stimulating effects in the mammalian CNS are reading for graduates and adthought to be mediated by a vanced undergraduates. specific recognition site for these drugs that is an integral part M. C. Brown of the GABAA-chloride ionophore Physiology Department, Oxford University, complex. Since the introduction of ParksRoad, Oxford OXl 3PT, UK. TINS, Vol. 11, No. 8,1988
Molecular Neurobiology: Recombinant DNA Approaches S. Heinemann and J. Patrick, Plenum Press, 1987. $49.50 (xvii + 297 pages) ISBN 0 306 42440 1
This book is a collection of research reviews on the molecular genetic analysis of a select group of genes important to neurobiologists. Although it makes no attempt to be comprehensive in this rapidly expanding area, the examples chosen (such as Na+,K+-ATPase, the acetylcholine receptors, immunoglobulin genes, pro-hormones, and others) are sufficiently broad to illustrate the importance of molecular genetic approaches to traditional problems in neuroscience. Both students and professionals will find the individual articles very useful and readable reviews on the topics. As most techniques of molecular genetics are used in one or another of the systems discussed, the reader is easily clued in to the potential application of these approaches to other systems. The reference lists for each article, which are generally quite extensive, can then be used for details of the techniques, if desired. In short, my students and I thoroughly enjoyed having such a collection of reviews which, while being specialized in their methodology, were at the same time broad-ranging in their scientific scope. Huntington Potter
Departmentof Neurobiology,HarvardMedical School, 220 LongwoodAvenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
The Cytoskeleton in Cell Differentiation and Development edited by Ricardo B. Maccioni and Juan Arachaga, IRL Press, 1987. £45.00/,f;85.00 (xiii + 367 pages) ISBN 1 85221 093 1
It is not obvious who would buy this book. The fifty-odd specialist articles are cobbled together without explanation, integration or any true editing that one can 371
in b r i e f
Neural Plasticity: A Lifespan Approach
these drugs into clinical practice in 1960, very considerable advances have been made in our underedited by Ted L. Petit and Gwen O. standing of how they produce Ivy, Alan R. Liss, 1988. $59.50 (xfi + their effects. Much of the work 383 pages) ISBN 0 8451 2738 1 over the past 10 years has been Neural Plasticity: a Lifespan concerned with the characterizaApproach is an unedited collection tion of the GABA-benzodiazepine of chapters on the topic of re- receptor involved; this book gives modelling of connections in a concise review of those studies. The book is aimed primarily at the nervous system. The book is orientated to a developmental the clinical community, and not perspective, comparing processes those actively involved in the basic in infancy, maturity and ageing. research. The author has managed As well as providing up-to-date to deal clearly with many of the results and commentary on difficult concepts that have anatomical, physiological and emerged from these studies, for behavioural indices of neural which he is to be congratulated. It plasticity in developmental growth, is inevitable with a book of this following injury and in the aged nature that some of the interesting brain, several chapters provide detail has been omitted. Nevernew information on the structural theless it provides a well-indexed and functional capacities (and and readable account of the limitations) of neural grafts. Al- subject. though the collection is the proceedings of a meeting, an unusual lan L. Martin number of the chapters are MRC Molecular Neurobiology Unit, MRC valuable reviews, presenting the Centre, Hills Road, CambridgeCB22OH, UK. perspectives and summaries of recent developments from several leading research groups, and the volume is commendably up- Neural Repair to-date, appearing within nine months of the meeting. The edited by J. Nicholls and J. Treherne, volume provides a pleasurable The Company of Biologists, 1987. browse and a useful source for £35.00/$60.00 (289 pages) ISBN insight into current ideas, per- 0 948601 07 8 spectives and directions in a selec- This is a collection of 18 communition (but far from comprehensive cations given at a Company of set) of research groups. Biologists Discussion meeting held in Crete in March 1987. All the Stephen Dunnett articles are well-written and clear. Department of ExperimentalPsychology, Uni- They cover neural repair processes versityof Cambridge,CambridgeCB23EB, UK. in invertebrates and vertebrates. The contents range very widely, from studies of individual molecules (and their receptors) involved in repair and development, such as nerve growth factor and The Benzodiazepine agrin, to descriptions of the surReceptor vival of neuronal implants in mammalian brains. The book is an by Walter E. MEtller, Cambridge Uni- excellent source of up-to-date versity Press, 1987. £27.50/$49.50 (x + 185 pages) ISBN 0 521 30481 0 references on a very wide range of topics concerned with nerve The benzodiazepines remain one repair. The addition of an index of the most frequently prescribed would have made it even more class of psychotropic drug. Their useful. Conclusion: stimulating effects in the mammalian CNS are reading for graduates and adthought to be mediated by a vanced undergraduates. specific recognition site for these drugs that is an integral part M. C. Brown of the GABAA-chloride ionophore Physiology Department, Oxford University, complex. Since the introduction of ParksRoad, Oxford OXl 3PT, UK. TINS, Vol. 11, No. 8,1988
Molecular Neurobiology: Recombinant DNA Approaches S. Heinemann and J. Patrick, Plenum Press, 1987. $49.50 (xvii + 297 pages) ISBN 0 306 42440 1
This book is a collection of research reviews on the molecular genetic analysis of a select group of genes important to neurobiologists. Although it makes no attempt to be comprehensive in this rapidly expanding area, the examples chosen (such as Na+,K+-ATPase, the acetylcholine receptors, immunoglobulin genes, pro-hormones, and others) are sufficiently broad to illustrate the importance of molecular genetic approaches to traditional problems in neuroscience. Both students and professionals will find the individual articles very useful and readable reviews on the topics. As most techniques of molecular genetics are used in one or another of the systems discussed, the reader is easily clued in to the potential application of these approaches to other systems. The reference lists for each article, which are generally quite extensive, can then be used for details of the techniques, if desired. In short, my students and I thoroughly enjoyed having such a collection of reviews which, while being specialized in their methodology, were at the same time broad-ranging in their scientific scope. Huntington Potter
Departmentof Neurobiology,HarvardMedical School, 220 LongwoodAvenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
The Cytoskeleton in Cell Differentiation and Development edited by Ricardo B. Maccioni and Juan Arachaga, IRL Press, 1987. £45.00/,f;85.00 (xiii + 367 pages) ISBN 1 85221 093 1
It is not obvious who would buy this book. The fifty-odd specialist articles are cobbled together without explanation, integration or any true editing that one can 371