- Email: [email protected]
Progress in learning disabilities
122
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands
BOOK
REVIEWS
Edited by H. PETSCHEand JOHN R. HUGHES
EEG handbook. - - R. Hess. N. J., 1966, 148 p.).
(Sandoz Ltd., Hannover,
We are asked by Sandoz Ltd. to report their regret that this book, reviewed by Dr. Charles E. Henry in Vol. 25, p. 304, has been out of print for some time and that they are unable to honour requests for it.
Eleetroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:122
Progress in learning disabilities. Vol. I. - - H. R. Myklebust (Editor). (Grune and Stratton, New York, 1968, 273 p., $12.50). The subject of learning disabilities represents one of the most interesting and challenging problems of our age, not only because it involves important questions concerning neurophysiology, psychology and other disciplines, but because it deals with impairment of one of the few characteristics that man can contribute to his claim for superiority over other animal species. The capability of acquiring knowledge leading to progress, whatever that may mean, in a system of life is part of the definition of Homo
sapiens. Progress in learning disabilities is a title that should be attractive to investigators in several "behavioral" disciplines. The initial impression is reinforced by the editor's words when he writes in the preface: "The discussions and research reports will be of interest to educators, psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, electroencephalographists, language pathologists, and others..." The book is composed of ten chapters written by ten different authors. The subject index and the author index are adequate. There is, in addition, a detailed list of references after each chapter. Two characteristics are outstanding in the book: a high degree of variability in the general quality of the different chapters and a lack of coordination in the outlook and approach of the individual contributors to the ostensibly common goal. The first chapter, written by the editor, is entitled: "Learning disabilities: definition and overview". The author deals with the question of definition by calling it a complex problem and referring the reader to one of his previous works. He then attempts to characterize the different learning disabilities upon the principle of "classification on the basis of the major handicap". Statements that may not be considered important by
some readers are somewhat disturbing to me, because they express the excited attitude of a person who is supposed to be an authority in language pathology when he discovers (in 1968!) that: " N o longer can it be said that, in studying learning, we are not studying brain function or that, in studying brain function, we are not studying learning". In the second chapter, entitled "Pediatric neurology and learning disabilities", Vuckovich gives a conventional, medical school level, description of developmental milestones and of the technique of neurological examination of infants and children. Bates Ames writes the next chapter: "Learning disabilities. The developmental point of view". She expresses the point of view that learning disorders are often caused by pushing children into attempted performance before they are ready. One may deal with a matter of timing rather than of actual difference in potential. Summarizing the chapter, the author states: "The outstanding cause of school difficulty in our experience is immaturity". Chapter IV deals with "The role of child psychiatry in learning disabilities", by Giffin. Its orientation is straight, orthodox, classic Freudian. Ong deals with "The pediatrician's role in learning disabilities" in Chapter V. He describes the conventional technique for clinical examination and comments upon supplementary investigations to be carried out in cases of learning problems. Most of the opinions given are the author's and are apparently based on his own clinical experience. The next four chapters are quite different from those previously discussed. They comprise critical reviews of work done by other specialists in the field and most of the conclusions, unlike the case in the preceding chapters, are based on a combination of published experimental or clinical research and actual data collected by the authors. Hughes analyzes "Electroencephalography and learning." After a critically selective review of representative results obtained by others relating to learning mechanisms in animals and in man, the author describes his own findings from electroencephalographic studies in children with learning problems. Among the outstanding types of abnormalities, he reports the high incidence of occipital slowing and of "6-7 and 14/sec positive spike phenomenon". Unfortunately no normal controls are mentioned. The author then presents a sophisticated statistical analysis of his data, comparing incidence of EEG abnormality and results of several psychological tests. The conclusion is that while univariant analysis is unrewarding, the multivariant approach shows significant relationships between abnormal EEGs and psychological abnormalities.
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:122-123
BOOK REVIEWS In Chapter VII, "Ophthalmological factors in learning disabilities," Lawson presents an interesting and widereaching analysis of the role of the visual system in learning and, more specifically, in learning to read. He considers, in addition, the very important interrelationships of visual and non-visual factors that may occur in learning and reading disabilities. Original data from the author's research are included and correlation of ophthalmological disorders with results from psychological tests are analyzed. Geschwind discusses in Chapter VIII "Neurological foundations of language". He presents once more his imaginative and stimulating views concerning language and its disorders. Unfortunately only a short section is devoted to acquired aphasias of childhood. In Chapter IX, McGrady, discussing "Language pathology and learning disabilities", contributes probably the best part of the book. This is a truly global analysis of interdisciplinary type which should interest most readers, regardless of their specialty. A long list of references, including three important contributions by the author, should be very useful to anyone interested in the subject. The final chapter, "Education for children with learning disabilities" by Frostig, gives first a description of several tests, among them the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception, designed to evaluate factors that may contribute to the cause of learning disabilities. Training methods for the different types of disabilities are then described. In summary, this book covers a wide range in scientific quality. Only a few chapters, perhaps only one or two, can be said to have a broad enough approach to this very complicated subject. Most authors seem to address themselves exclusively to workers in their own field. This is a demonstration of the fact that to produce a multidisciplinary book by collecting contributions from different specialists and putting them together in a given order is not profitable enough. This is mainly due to lack of communication among contributors. Progress in Learning Disabilities, Volume I, contains some important contributions, but one gets the impression that the only part of the book that each author ever read was his own chapter. This results in lack of coordination and unity and in unnecessary redundancy. FERNANDO TORRES
University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455 (U.S.A.) Electroenceph. clin. NeurophysioL, 1969, 26:122-123 Angiographie des Hirnkreislaufs. - - K. Decker und H. Baekmund. (Thieme, Stuttgart, 1968, 76 p., 66 Fig., DM 44.00). Ce livre, comme le souligne l'6diteur, s'adresse au praticien; il lui offre, avec ses 135 clich6s et un texte d'environ 25 pages, une r u e condens6e, remarquablement bien condens6e, sur l'angiographie c6r6brale. Les images sont saisissantes et pratiquement toutes obtenues par radiocin6matographie ou par m6thodes de soustraction et
123
d'addition dont les auteurs ont une grande exp6rience. Ces techniques apportent des documents 6tonnants (en noir et blanc ou en couleur) sur la circulation capillaire, sur les phases angiographique et phl6bographique (projett6es simultan6ment sur un m~me clich6), sur la dynamique circulatoire et ses variations d'un h6misph6re l'autre. Dans ce livre sont abord6es toute une s6rie d'affections c6r6brales du domaine neuro-chirurgical ou vasculaire (gliomes h6misph6riques, m6ningiomes de toutes localisations, tumeurs hypophysaires ou de la fosse post6rieure, affections vasculaires cong6nitales ou acquises, etc.); chaque cas poss6de son clich6 radiologique caract6ristique. Tout cela est remarquable mais pourquoi ce titre prometteur, trop prometteur? pourquoi se perdre, alors qu'on ne dispose que d'un texte de quelques 25 pages, dans un ensemble de consid6rations cliniques, chirurgicales ou anesth6siologiques, alors qu'on aurait souhait6 avoir de plus amples d~tails, par exemple, sur l'art6riogramme normal et ses multiples variantes et sur l'h6matome sous ou extra-durem6rien qui repr6sente pourtant une partie importante de l'activit6 neuro-radiologique quotidienne? Pourquoi avoir ~t peine effleur6 la sujet des st6noses imm6diatement sous-carotidiennes alors que ces derni6res constituent un facteur non n6gligeable dans la gen6se des accidents c6r6braux vasculaires? Cela dit, ce livre, par sa prgsentation impeccable, par la qualit6 de ses clich6s qui mettent en jeu les techniques neuro-radiologiques les plus rgcentes, apporte au praticien des documents 6tonnants sur l'angiographie c6r6brale normale et pathologique. J. SCHNEIDER
Centre Hospitalier, Colmar (France) Eleetroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:123
Electrotherapeutic sleep and electroanesthesia (Proceedings of the First International Symposium, Graz, Austria, 12-17 September 1966). - - F. A. Wageneder and St. Schuy (Editors). (Excerpta Medica Foundation, Amsterdam, 1967, 359 p., U.S. $19.20). The first chapter ("Basic Research") contains several papers of general interest. Marsoner et al. and CluttonBrock deal with probes for the measurement of intracerebral current densities. Pfurtscheller and Schuy describe a method for recording the EEG during transcranial stimulation (100 c/see pulses, 1 msec pulse duration, 0.3 mA) by means of filters and special differential amplifiers. Chapter II (100 pages, discussion included) contains only papers on electrotherapeutic sleep. This chapter mostly consists of a wearisome enumeration of cases which are thought to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of electrical currents. Unfortunately in only one paper is an oscillogram of the shape of the pulses given, but without any scale (Magora et al.). A few authors mention control experiments, but no one is able to demonstrate beyond any doubt that the "electrosleep-currents" really have a direct effect upon the brain. The methods of inves-
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:123-124
Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands
BOOK
REVIEWS
Edited by H. PETSCHEand JOHN R. HUGHES
EEG handbook. - - R. Hess. N. J., 1966, 148 p.).
(Sandoz Ltd., Hannover,
We are asked by Sandoz Ltd. to report their regret that this book, reviewed by Dr. Charles E. Henry in Vol. 25, p. 304, has been out of print for some time and that they are unable to honour requests for it.
Eleetroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:122
Progress in learning disabilities. Vol. I. - - H. R. Myklebust (Editor). (Grune and Stratton, New York, 1968, 273 p., $12.50). The subject of learning disabilities represents one of the most interesting and challenging problems of our age, not only because it involves important questions concerning neurophysiology, psychology and other disciplines, but because it deals with impairment of one of the few characteristics that man can contribute to his claim for superiority over other animal species. The capability of acquiring knowledge leading to progress, whatever that may mean, in a system of life is part of the definition of Homo
sapiens. Progress in learning disabilities is a title that should be attractive to investigators in several "behavioral" disciplines. The initial impression is reinforced by the editor's words when he writes in the preface: "The discussions and research reports will be of interest to educators, psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, electroencephalographists, language pathologists, and others..." The book is composed of ten chapters written by ten different authors. The subject index and the author index are adequate. There is, in addition, a detailed list of references after each chapter. Two characteristics are outstanding in the book: a high degree of variability in the general quality of the different chapters and a lack of coordination in the outlook and approach of the individual contributors to the ostensibly common goal. The first chapter, written by the editor, is entitled: "Learning disabilities: definition and overview". The author deals with the question of definition by calling it a complex problem and referring the reader to one of his previous works. He then attempts to characterize the different learning disabilities upon the principle of "classification on the basis of the major handicap". Statements that may not be considered important by
some readers are somewhat disturbing to me, because they express the excited attitude of a person who is supposed to be an authority in language pathology when he discovers (in 1968!) that: " N o longer can it be said that, in studying learning, we are not studying brain function or that, in studying brain function, we are not studying learning". In the second chapter, entitled "Pediatric neurology and learning disabilities", Vuckovich gives a conventional, medical school level, description of developmental milestones and of the technique of neurological examination of infants and children. Bates Ames writes the next chapter: "Learning disabilities. The developmental point of view". She expresses the point of view that learning disorders are often caused by pushing children into attempted performance before they are ready. One may deal with a matter of timing rather than of actual difference in potential. Summarizing the chapter, the author states: "The outstanding cause of school difficulty in our experience is immaturity". Chapter IV deals with "The role of child psychiatry in learning disabilities", by Giffin. Its orientation is straight, orthodox, classic Freudian. Ong deals with "The pediatrician's role in learning disabilities" in Chapter V. He describes the conventional technique for clinical examination and comments upon supplementary investigations to be carried out in cases of learning problems. Most of the opinions given are the author's and are apparently based on his own clinical experience. The next four chapters are quite different from those previously discussed. They comprise critical reviews of work done by other specialists in the field and most of the conclusions, unlike the case in the preceding chapters, are based on a combination of published experimental or clinical research and actual data collected by the authors. Hughes analyzes "Electroencephalography and learning." After a critically selective review of representative results obtained by others relating to learning mechanisms in animals and in man, the author describes his own findings from electroencephalographic studies in children with learning problems. Among the outstanding types of abnormalities, he reports the high incidence of occipital slowing and of "6-7 and 14/sec positive spike phenomenon". Unfortunately no normal controls are mentioned. The author then presents a sophisticated statistical analysis of his data, comparing incidence of EEG abnormality and results of several psychological tests. The conclusion is that while univariant analysis is unrewarding, the multivariant approach shows significant relationships between abnormal EEGs and psychological abnormalities.
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:122-123
BOOK REVIEWS In Chapter VII, "Ophthalmological factors in learning disabilities," Lawson presents an interesting and widereaching analysis of the role of the visual system in learning and, more specifically, in learning to read. He considers, in addition, the very important interrelationships of visual and non-visual factors that may occur in learning and reading disabilities. Original data from the author's research are included and correlation of ophthalmological disorders with results from psychological tests are analyzed. Geschwind discusses in Chapter VIII "Neurological foundations of language". He presents once more his imaginative and stimulating views concerning language and its disorders. Unfortunately only a short section is devoted to acquired aphasias of childhood. In Chapter IX, McGrady, discussing "Language pathology and learning disabilities", contributes probably the best part of the book. This is a truly global analysis of interdisciplinary type which should interest most readers, regardless of their specialty. A long list of references, including three important contributions by the author, should be very useful to anyone interested in the subject. The final chapter, "Education for children with learning disabilities" by Frostig, gives first a description of several tests, among them the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception, designed to evaluate factors that may contribute to the cause of learning disabilities. Training methods for the different types of disabilities are then described. In summary, this book covers a wide range in scientific quality. Only a few chapters, perhaps only one or two, can be said to have a broad enough approach to this very complicated subject. Most authors seem to address themselves exclusively to workers in their own field. This is a demonstration of the fact that to produce a multidisciplinary book by collecting contributions from different specialists and putting them together in a given order is not profitable enough. This is mainly due to lack of communication among contributors. Progress in Learning Disabilities, Volume I, contains some important contributions, but one gets the impression that the only part of the book that each author ever read was his own chapter. This results in lack of coordination and unity and in unnecessary redundancy. FERNANDO TORRES
University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455 (U.S.A.) Electroenceph. clin. NeurophysioL, 1969, 26:122-123 Angiographie des Hirnkreislaufs. - - K. Decker und H. Baekmund. (Thieme, Stuttgart, 1968, 76 p., 66 Fig., DM 44.00). Ce livre, comme le souligne l'6diteur, s'adresse au praticien; il lui offre, avec ses 135 clich6s et un texte d'environ 25 pages, une r u e condens6e, remarquablement bien condens6e, sur l'angiographie c6r6brale. Les images sont saisissantes et pratiquement toutes obtenues par radiocin6matographie ou par m6thodes de soustraction et
123
d'addition dont les auteurs ont une grande exp6rience. Ces techniques apportent des documents 6tonnants (en noir et blanc ou en couleur) sur la circulation capillaire, sur les phases angiographique et phl6bographique (projett6es simultan6ment sur un m~me clich6), sur la dynamique circulatoire et ses variations d'un h6misph6re l'autre. Dans ce livre sont abord6es toute une s6rie d'affections c6r6brales du domaine neuro-chirurgical ou vasculaire (gliomes h6misph6riques, m6ningiomes de toutes localisations, tumeurs hypophysaires ou de la fosse post6rieure, affections vasculaires cong6nitales ou acquises, etc.); chaque cas poss6de son clich6 radiologique caract6ristique. Tout cela est remarquable mais pourquoi ce titre prometteur, trop prometteur? pourquoi se perdre, alors qu'on ne dispose que d'un texte de quelques 25 pages, dans un ensemble de consid6rations cliniques, chirurgicales ou anesth6siologiques, alors qu'on aurait souhait6 avoir de plus amples d~tails, par exemple, sur l'art6riogramme normal et ses multiples variantes et sur l'h6matome sous ou extra-durem6rien qui repr6sente pourtant une partie importante de l'activit6 neuro-radiologique quotidienne? Pourquoi avoir ~t peine effleur6 la sujet des st6noses imm6diatement sous-carotidiennes alors que ces derni6res constituent un facteur non n6gligeable dans la gen6se des accidents c6r6braux vasculaires? Cela dit, ce livre, par sa prgsentation impeccable, par la qualit6 de ses clich6s qui mettent en jeu les techniques neuro-radiologiques les plus rgcentes, apporte au praticien des documents 6tonnants sur l'angiographie c6r6brale normale et pathologique. J. SCHNEIDER
Centre Hospitalier, Colmar (France) Eleetroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:123
Electrotherapeutic sleep and electroanesthesia (Proceedings of the First International Symposium, Graz, Austria, 12-17 September 1966). - - F. A. Wageneder and St. Schuy (Editors). (Excerpta Medica Foundation, Amsterdam, 1967, 359 p., U.S. $19.20). The first chapter ("Basic Research") contains several papers of general interest. Marsoner et al. and CluttonBrock deal with probes for the measurement of intracerebral current densities. Pfurtscheller and Schuy describe a method for recording the EEG during transcranial stimulation (100 c/see pulses, 1 msec pulse duration, 0.3 mA) by means of filters and special differential amplifiers. Chapter II (100 pages, discussion included) contains only papers on electrotherapeutic sleep. This chapter mostly consists of a wearisome enumeration of cases which are thought to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of electrical currents. Unfortunately in only one paper is an oscillogram of the shape of the pulses given, but without any scale (Magora et al.). A few authors mention control experiments, but no one is able to demonstrate beyond any doubt that the "electrosleep-currents" really have a direct effect upon the brain. The methods of inves-
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol., 1969, 26:123-124