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Parkinson's disease — A guide for patient and family, fourth edition
Book Reviews systemic disease. It was particularly pleasing in this context to find a strong section on myopathies as they occur in relation to endocrine disease. This is an important area which is all too often neglected. The molecular biology of the mitochondrial diseases is by contrast a subject of major current interest in which knowledge continues to advance rapidly. The coverage of this topic is probably as up-todate as possible in a volume of this sort and, just as importantly, will also be comprehensible to those without a specialist knowledge of this area. There is also a useful section on genetics although I wonder if this would have been better placed nearer the beginning of the book rather than at the end. There is a well-presented chapter on the potential contribution of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to the study of metabolic muscle disease. The style of this book is very 'uniform'--it is not 'patchy' in any way. Although there are four authors, it would be difficult to discern that the text had been written by more than one person. This suggests that extensive stylistic editing has taken place. I think that in many ways this enhances the value of this book for reference purposes. While this volume is not bedtime reading, it is good value for money. The highly structured text will make it easier for the busy clinician to answer his day-to-day questions over the whole spectrum of metabolic muscle disease. I am sure that this will become a well-thumbed book in many neurological departments and will also be of interest to those in the wide range of other specialities in which myopathy can occur in association with non-neurological disease. J. D. Mitchell Royal Preston Hospital, Preston Parkinson's Disease - - A Guide for Patient and Family, Fourth Edition. Roger C. Duvoisin
and Jacob Sage. Published 1995 by Lippincott-Raven. ISBN 0 7817 0312 3, 192 pp. Price £ 15.50. Due to the rapid advances in knowledge of Parkinsonism, this fourth edition has required major re-writing. The book comprehensively covers most of the aspects of Parkinson's
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Disease but I have reservations that it is too detailed and somewhat heavy reading for patients and their carers. The subject is well described and useful information is given on the early signs and symptoms and on the less well known symptoms including sexual dysfunction. The authors make several important points about the difficulty of treating all the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and how treatment of one symptom may well make another symptom worse (e.g. constipation due to anticholinergics). They describe the side-effects of all the different drugs available, but knowledge of these may be distressing to patients and their carers. There is a useful section on tips for problem situations, but I was disappointed with the relative lack of non-medical treatments. Physical therapy is well covered but little mention is made of the value of speech and language therapy and no mention is made of occupational therapists. This history of the disease including the M P T P story, discussion on genetics and environmental factors are interesting. The reader is left with a chapter on Future Prospects which gives hope for the continued fight to manage the disease. There are two useful appendices, one on common drugs used with their trade and generic names, and the other on organizations concerned with Parkinson's Disease, both in North America and the United Kingdom, which will be of great value to patients and their caters. There is also a very helpful glossary at the end of the book and the index is comprehensive. Unfortunately there is a mistake in the first two figures with the text interposed which may give the reader a bad first impression. This book is aimed mainly at the North American market but will still be of interest to European readers as long as it is appreciated that the availability and names of some of the drugs are different. If sufferers of Parkinson's Disease and their families read and assimilate the information in this book, then those doctors who are dealing with them will need to be on their toes and up to date. Roger G. Smith Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh
and Jacob Sage. Published 1995 by Lippincott-Raven. ISBN 0 7817 0312 3, 192 pp. Price £ 15.50. Due to the rapid advances in knowledge of Parkinsonism, this fourth edition has required major re-writing. The book comprehensively covers most of the aspects of Parkinson's
223
Disease but I have reservations that it is too detailed and somewhat heavy reading for patients and their carers. The subject is well described and useful information is given on the early signs and symptoms and on the less well known symptoms including sexual dysfunction. The authors make several important points about the difficulty of treating all the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and how treatment of one symptom may well make another symptom worse (e.g. constipation due to anticholinergics). They describe the side-effects of all the different drugs available, but knowledge of these may be distressing to patients and their carers. There is a useful section on tips for problem situations, but I was disappointed with the relative lack of non-medical treatments. Physical therapy is well covered but little mention is made of the value of speech and language therapy and no mention is made of occupational therapists. This history of the disease including the M P T P story, discussion on genetics and environmental factors are interesting. The reader is left with a chapter on Future Prospects which gives hope for the continued fight to manage the disease. There are two useful appendices, one on common drugs used with their trade and generic names, and the other on organizations concerned with Parkinson's Disease, both in North America and the United Kingdom, which will be of great value to patients and their caters. There is also a very helpful glossary at the end of the book and the index is comprehensive. Unfortunately there is a mistake in the first two figures with the text interposed which may give the reader a bad first impression. This book is aimed mainly at the North American market but will still be of interest to European readers as long as it is appreciated that the availability and names of some of the drugs are different. If sufferers of Parkinson's Disease and their families read and assimilate the information in this book, then those doctors who are dealing with them will need to be on their toes and up to date. Roger G. Smith Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh