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Pain (Balliére's Clinical Rheumatology, Vol. 1, No. 1)
264
cussed in two chapters by Blau and by Isler. The effects of cerebral hypoxia, hypoglycemia and dopaminergic mechanisms are debated, followed by a brief description of the effects of therapy instituted during the premo~tory phase, by such authors as Amery and Waelkens. The discussion of the aura generally revolves around the consideration of migraine as a neurological phenomenon, especially one involving spreading depression of Leao, with the background chapter provided by Lego himself. Spierings presents a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis of the ~gra~e aura, where other considerations for neurological and vascular involvement are described, including the symptoms associated with each. The section begins with clinical descriptions by Lord and Diamond and ends with chapters summarizing the effects of drugs and other therapeutic measures on the aura. In Sudan, this is a small volume filled with much authoritative information about a restricted topic. Each chapter begins with a succinct summary, presents the information directly and informatively, and most end with a good list of references. The book is of interest to both clinicians and researchers in the field of migraine, and can be highly recommended. Philip L. Gildenberg Ciinical Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX (U.S.A.)
Pain ~Bai~i~re’sC~ini&a~Rh~~ato~o~, Vol. 1, No. I), edited by V. Wright, Ball&e Tindall/
Saunders, London, 1987, Price U.K.+ Eire f. 17.50 (all other areas ): 19.50), ISBN 0-70201228-9. In an interview Rheumatology and tioned that I was control. Since pain,
for a fellowship position in Clinical Immunology, I meninterested in pain and pain or more precisely, hyperalge-
sia is the patient’s complaint to rheumatologists, I was immensely surprised to be told by the interviewer that rheumatologists were not really interested in the area of pain control research. a view promptly validated by scanning the index of the major textbooks of rheumatology. This inaugural volume of Ball&e’s Clinical Rheumatology is thus a welcome beginning to the recognition of pain as an important diagnostic and therapeutic focus in rheumatology. A general review of the major areas of current interest in pain research, this small volume discusses rather comprehensively the current yuestions being addressed in the field. From mechanisms of pain through measurement to management Prof. Wright has included selections by established algologists and rheumatologists. For example, the chapter by Cape11 and Fraser, ‘Drug treatment in rheumatoid disorders,’ provides a rational framework for the classification and treatment of rheumatic pain, contains a clear discussion of the medical indications and side-effects of individual classes of drugs and their actions as well as easily readible tables summarizing the material. I would, in general, have liked to have seen more discussion including hypotheses of the relevance of some of the basic research findings to rheumatic pain. While this volume is quite informative for the clinician it would be hard for rheumatologists and other allied health professionals to attain from this volume a set of fundamental tenets with which to evaluate the pain research literature. In summary, this volume is an important, overdue cont~bution, introducing pain as a topic of interest and concern to rheumatologists and allied health professionals. Jon D. Levine Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, U-427, Box 0724, U~iversi~ of Ca~~ar~~a, San Francisco, CA 94143 (U.S.A.)
cussed in two chapters by Blau and by Isler. The effects of cerebral hypoxia, hypoglycemia and dopaminergic mechanisms are debated, followed by a brief description of the effects of therapy instituted during the premo~tory phase, by such authors as Amery and Waelkens. The discussion of the aura generally revolves around the consideration of migraine as a neurological phenomenon, especially one involving spreading depression of Leao, with the background chapter provided by Lego himself. Spierings presents a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis of the ~gra~e aura, where other considerations for neurological and vascular involvement are described, including the symptoms associated with each. The section begins with clinical descriptions by Lord and Diamond and ends with chapters summarizing the effects of drugs and other therapeutic measures on the aura. In Sudan, this is a small volume filled with much authoritative information about a restricted topic. Each chapter begins with a succinct summary, presents the information directly and informatively, and most end with a good list of references. The book is of interest to both clinicians and researchers in the field of migraine, and can be highly recommended. Philip L. Gildenberg Ciinical Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX (U.S.A.)
Pain ~Bai~i~re’sC~ini&a~Rh~~ato~o~, Vol. 1, No. I), edited by V. Wright, Ball&e Tindall/
Saunders, London, 1987, Price U.K.+ Eire f. 17.50 (all other areas ): 19.50), ISBN 0-70201228-9. In an interview Rheumatology and tioned that I was control. Since pain,
for a fellowship position in Clinical Immunology, I meninterested in pain and pain or more precisely, hyperalge-
sia is the patient’s complaint to rheumatologists, I was immensely surprised to be told by the interviewer that rheumatologists were not really interested in the area of pain control research. a view promptly validated by scanning the index of the major textbooks of rheumatology. This inaugural volume of Ball&e’s Clinical Rheumatology is thus a welcome beginning to the recognition of pain as an important diagnostic and therapeutic focus in rheumatology. A general review of the major areas of current interest in pain research, this small volume discusses rather comprehensively the current yuestions being addressed in the field. From mechanisms of pain through measurement to management Prof. Wright has included selections by established algologists and rheumatologists. For example, the chapter by Cape11 and Fraser, ‘Drug treatment in rheumatoid disorders,’ provides a rational framework for the classification and treatment of rheumatic pain, contains a clear discussion of the medical indications and side-effects of individual classes of drugs and their actions as well as easily readible tables summarizing the material. I would, in general, have liked to have seen more discussion including hypotheses of the relevance of some of the basic research findings to rheumatic pain. While this volume is quite informative for the clinician it would be hard for rheumatologists and other allied health professionals to attain from this volume a set of fundamental tenets with which to evaluate the pain research literature. In summary, this volume is an important, overdue cont~bution, introducing pain as a topic of interest and concern to rheumatologists and allied health professionals. Jon D. Levine Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, U-427, Box 0724, U~iversi~ of Ca~~ar~~a, San Francisco, CA 94143 (U.S.A.)