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Transport phenomena in the nervous system — Physiological and pathological aspects
300 of recent research in its historical context. The last is achieved by describing selected major advances towards the contemporary position, e.g. Galvani's early experiments on axonal transmission. The third part, 6 chapters long and entitled "physiological-behavioural correlates", surveys the major psychological topics of study and the relevant physiological processes. Sub-cortical mechanisms are described in relation to motivation, emotion and consciousness. One chapter is devoted to localization and frontal-lobe functions, another to learning and, finally, personality is considered from a biological viewpoint with reference to abnormal as well as normal variations and to psychomatic disorders. This leads naturally to Part IV which deals with social behaviour. One of the 2 chapters is concerned with drug and placebo effects. The other, less satisfactorily, deals with aggressive and affiliative social interactions. Brown seems over-optimistic about the physiological approach to this area claiming that further knowledge should make this the longest instead of one of the shortest chapters in the book. The final single-chapter part returns to the initial theme of mind-body relationships. After a brief historical review of various philosophical positions the selected contemporary viewpoints of Sperry, Eccles, Pribram and Rosenbleuth are described. Split-brain studies are mentioned but rather surprisingly, are not given the prominence which perhaps they deserve in this context. Altogether, the book provides a good course-text for students, such as those to whom Brow~ lectured, with minimal initial biological knowledge. It might well serve that function in psychology courses within some Social Science Departments in Britain. It might also serve as a biologically orientated introduction to behavioural science in some paramedical, nursing and pre-clinical medical courses. Full degree courses in psychology require a more advanced treatment. H. Gwynne Jones
ClinicalNeuropharmacology, Vol. 1, by H. L. K l a w a n s (Ed.), xii + 225 pages, 33 i l l u s t r a tions, 16 tables, R a v e n Press, N e w Y o r k , N . Y . , 1976, U S $ 22.00. The expanding discipline of clinical pharmacology has fathered many lusty infants in the last few years, of which neuropharmacology is unquestionably one of the most vigorous. A number of textbooks and monographs on this topic have appeared, varying considerably in their aims, scope and emphasis. Dr, Klawans has been a leader in the study of the pharmacology of the basal ganglia and hence ! opened this volume with considerable interest in order to determine how he decided to tackle this subject. His own doubts concerning the nature of the best approach emerge clearly from his Preface. After much deliberation he has chosen to produce a series of multi-author volumes of which this is the first, and he has given his authors their heads so that each chapter is an authoritative essay in its own right. In this volume we have chapters on schizophrenia, tardive dyskinesia, the use of physostigmine in neurology and psychiatry, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, vitamin B6, spasticity, increased intracranial pressure, anticonvulsants and pain, and the biochemical basis of migraine. To be frank, the editor's plan of campaign, despite his comprehensive preface, is mysterious. Why begin with schizophrenia? Why have some chapters dealing with a disease, others with clinical phenomena and their treatment, another with a single vitamin and yet others with single drugs or classes of drugs? When one dips more searchingly into the volume, a more logical plan of campaign begins to emerge and the chapters themselves are certainly well referenced and detailed reviews. That on anticonvulsants and pain, for instance, in a sense belies its title as it deals with painful syndromes such as tic douloureux which can be influenced by anticonvulsant drugs. No doubt as further volumes appear the overall concept and plan will be clarified, but one cannot resist a feeling that the first of the series demonstrates a somewhat idiosyncratic choice of topics, though each of the contributions is admirable in itself. John N. Walton
Transport Phenomena in the Nervous System - - Physiological and Pathological Aspects ( A d v a n c e s in E x p e r i m e n t a l M e d i c i n e a n d B i o l o g y , Vol. 69) ( P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e Satellite S y m p o s i u m o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l S o c i e t y f o r N e u r o c h e m i s t r y , P a d u a , 9-11 Sep-
301 tember, 1975), by G. Levi, L. Battistin a n d A. Lajtha (Eds.), xxii + 541 pages, illustrated, with tables, P l e n u m Press, N e w York, L o n d o n , 1976, U S $ 47.40. Neurologists may like to take note of the publication of this book, which is concerned with that fata morgana, the blood-brain barrier. As Abel Lajtha observes in his preface, the complexity of the barrier system is insufficiently recognised. It is now known that the homeostasis of the brain depends not on a coherent yet elusive physicochemical entity but on a complex set of mechanisms residing heterogeneously in a complex set of membranes - - not only the membranes of the capillary endothelium, which are of relevance to short-term studies of the penetration of materials from the blood to the brain parenchyma, but also those of nerve cells and glia and their subcellular components. It is the investigation of transport systems present in these various membranes that is the subject of this book, the proceedings of a neurochemical symposium held in Padua in September 1975. The contributions deal with the entry of drugs and metabolites from the bloodstream, the uptake and release of neurotransmitter amines and amino-acids, and the transport of proteins, glucose and ions. Clinicians and neuropathologists may find the papers of Brightman and Broadwell (morphological approach to the study of normal and abnormal brain permeability) and Oldendorf (aspects of drug distribution to brain) of immediate relevance, as well as those in the final section of the book, which is devoted to alterations of transport mechanisms in such pathological circumstances as epilepsy, high blood pressure, cerebral oedema and amino-acid overload. P. D. Lewis
Anticonvulsant Drugs and Enzyme Induction (Study G r o u p 9 o f the Institute for Research into M e n t a l a n d Multiple H a n d i c a p , L o n d o n , 29 April-1 May, 1975), by A. Richens a n d F. P. W o o d f o r d (Eds.), viii + 203 pages, 55 illustrations, 42 tables, Associated Scientific Publishers, A m s t e r d a m , 1976, U S $ 18.95. Many anticonvulsants (including phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone and carbamazepine)are potent "inducers" of hepatic microsomal enzymes. That is to say, they stimulate the formation of enzymes concerned with the metabolism of a variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. This book reports the proceedings of a Symposium held at the Ciba Foundation in London under the auspices of the Institute for Research into Mental and Multiple Handicap. This excellent monograph covers three areas: first, it contains contributions describing methods for detecting enzyme induction by drugs, in animals and man. These represent a "state of the art" review for anyone contemplating entering this field. Second, it describes studies investigating the role of enzyme induction in producing certain adverse effects encountered during chronic anticonvulsant therapy (osteomalacia, megaloblastic anaemia, hirsutes, acne, connective tissue changes and altered liver function tests). Thirdly, it considers the effects of enhanced drug oxidation on anticonvulsants themselves, and on other drugs. All the contributors have written clearly and succinctly and the Editors have excelled themselves in producing this volume. The book can be recommended unreservedly to all who wish to understand more completely the actions of these important therapeutic agents. Michael D. Rawlins
Neoplasia in the Central Nervous System (Advances in Neurology, Vol. 15), by R. A. T h o m p s o n a n d J. R. G r e e n (Eds.), xi -t- 382 pages, 113 illustrations, 38 tables, R a v e n Press, New York, N.Y., 1976, U S $ 35.50. This volume consists of chapters based on papers which were read at a symposium held in January 1975 at Phoenix, Arizona. All the contributors work in North American centres, and much of the book's prose reflects American rather than British usage. In their preface, the editors explain that the purpose of this symposium was to "up-date the clinician's knowledge of recent developments and to
ClinicalNeuropharmacology, Vol. 1, by H. L. K l a w a n s (Ed.), xii + 225 pages, 33 i l l u s t r a tions, 16 tables, R a v e n Press, N e w Y o r k , N . Y . , 1976, U S $ 22.00. The expanding discipline of clinical pharmacology has fathered many lusty infants in the last few years, of which neuropharmacology is unquestionably one of the most vigorous. A number of textbooks and monographs on this topic have appeared, varying considerably in their aims, scope and emphasis. Dr, Klawans has been a leader in the study of the pharmacology of the basal ganglia and hence ! opened this volume with considerable interest in order to determine how he decided to tackle this subject. His own doubts concerning the nature of the best approach emerge clearly from his Preface. After much deliberation he has chosen to produce a series of multi-author volumes of which this is the first, and he has given his authors their heads so that each chapter is an authoritative essay in its own right. In this volume we have chapters on schizophrenia, tardive dyskinesia, the use of physostigmine in neurology and psychiatry, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, vitamin B6, spasticity, increased intracranial pressure, anticonvulsants and pain, and the biochemical basis of migraine. To be frank, the editor's plan of campaign, despite his comprehensive preface, is mysterious. Why begin with schizophrenia? Why have some chapters dealing with a disease, others with clinical phenomena and their treatment, another with a single vitamin and yet others with single drugs or classes of drugs? When one dips more searchingly into the volume, a more logical plan of campaign begins to emerge and the chapters themselves are certainly well referenced and detailed reviews. That on anticonvulsants and pain, for instance, in a sense belies its title as it deals with painful syndromes such as tic douloureux which can be influenced by anticonvulsant drugs. No doubt as further volumes appear the overall concept and plan will be clarified, but one cannot resist a feeling that the first of the series demonstrates a somewhat idiosyncratic choice of topics, though each of the contributions is admirable in itself. John N. Walton
Transport Phenomena in the Nervous System - - Physiological and Pathological Aspects ( A d v a n c e s in E x p e r i m e n t a l M e d i c i n e a n d B i o l o g y , Vol. 69) ( P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e Satellite S y m p o s i u m o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l S o c i e t y f o r N e u r o c h e m i s t r y , P a d u a , 9-11 Sep-
301 tember, 1975), by G. Levi, L. Battistin a n d A. Lajtha (Eds.), xxii + 541 pages, illustrated, with tables, P l e n u m Press, N e w York, L o n d o n , 1976, U S $ 47.40. Neurologists may like to take note of the publication of this book, which is concerned with that fata morgana, the blood-brain barrier. As Abel Lajtha observes in his preface, the complexity of the barrier system is insufficiently recognised. It is now known that the homeostasis of the brain depends not on a coherent yet elusive physicochemical entity but on a complex set of mechanisms residing heterogeneously in a complex set of membranes - - not only the membranes of the capillary endothelium, which are of relevance to short-term studies of the penetration of materials from the blood to the brain parenchyma, but also those of nerve cells and glia and their subcellular components. It is the investigation of transport systems present in these various membranes that is the subject of this book, the proceedings of a neurochemical symposium held in Padua in September 1975. The contributions deal with the entry of drugs and metabolites from the bloodstream, the uptake and release of neurotransmitter amines and amino-acids, and the transport of proteins, glucose and ions. Clinicians and neuropathologists may find the papers of Brightman and Broadwell (morphological approach to the study of normal and abnormal brain permeability) and Oldendorf (aspects of drug distribution to brain) of immediate relevance, as well as those in the final section of the book, which is devoted to alterations of transport mechanisms in such pathological circumstances as epilepsy, high blood pressure, cerebral oedema and amino-acid overload. P. D. Lewis
Anticonvulsant Drugs and Enzyme Induction (Study G r o u p 9 o f the Institute for Research into M e n t a l a n d Multiple H a n d i c a p , L o n d o n , 29 April-1 May, 1975), by A. Richens a n d F. P. W o o d f o r d (Eds.), viii + 203 pages, 55 illustrations, 42 tables, Associated Scientific Publishers, A m s t e r d a m , 1976, U S $ 18.95. Many anticonvulsants (including phenobarbitone, phenytoin, primidone and carbamazepine)are potent "inducers" of hepatic microsomal enzymes. That is to say, they stimulate the formation of enzymes concerned with the metabolism of a variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. This book reports the proceedings of a Symposium held at the Ciba Foundation in London under the auspices of the Institute for Research into Mental and Multiple Handicap. This excellent monograph covers three areas: first, it contains contributions describing methods for detecting enzyme induction by drugs, in animals and man. These represent a "state of the art" review for anyone contemplating entering this field. Second, it describes studies investigating the role of enzyme induction in producing certain adverse effects encountered during chronic anticonvulsant therapy (osteomalacia, megaloblastic anaemia, hirsutes, acne, connective tissue changes and altered liver function tests). Thirdly, it considers the effects of enhanced drug oxidation on anticonvulsants themselves, and on other drugs. All the contributors have written clearly and succinctly and the Editors have excelled themselves in producing this volume. The book can be recommended unreservedly to all who wish to understand more completely the actions of these important therapeutic agents. Michael D. Rawlins
Neoplasia in the Central Nervous System (Advances in Neurology, Vol. 15), by R. A. T h o m p s o n a n d J. R. G r e e n (Eds.), xi -t- 382 pages, 113 illustrations, 38 tables, R a v e n Press, New York, N.Y., 1976, U S $ 35.50. This volume consists of chapters based on papers which were read at a symposium held in January 1975 at Phoenix, Arizona. All the contributors work in North American centres, and much of the book's prose reflects American rather than British usage. In their preface, the editors explain that the purpose of this symposium was to "up-date the clinician's knowledge of recent developments and to