- Email: [email protected]
Vision at Neuroscience
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220 R e a d i n g list I Borb~ly, A. A. (1982)Abstracts Sixth European Congress of Sieep Research. p. 284. Zurich 2 Borb~ty. A A. and Tobler. I 11980) Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 1. 356-358 3 Cocolescu, M., Serbane~u. A. and Temeh, t:. (I 979) Waking Sleeping 3.27_3-277 4 Cramer. H.. B6hme. W.. Kendel. K. and Donnadieu. M. (1976) Arzneim. Forsch. 26. 1076-1078 5 Danguir. J. and Nicolaidis. S. (19801 Am. J. Physiol. 238, E223-E230 6 Danguir. J. and Nicolaidis. S. (1980) Am. J. Physiol. 238, E307-E312 7 Drucker-Colin. R. R. (1973) Brain Res. 56. 123-134 8 Drucker-Colin, R. R. (19811 in Psychopharmacology of Sleep (Wheatley, D.. ed.L pp. 5.3-72. Raven Press. New York 9 Drucker-Colin. R. R., Rojas-Ramirez. J. A.. Vera-Trueba, J.. Monroy-Ayala, G. and Hemfindez-Pe6n. R. (19701 Brain Res. 23. 269-273 10 Drucker-Colin. R., Tuena de G6mez-Puyou. M., Gutierrez. M. C. and Dreyfus.Corl~s. G. (19801 Exp. Neurol. 69, 563-575 I1 Fend. V.. Koski. G. and Puppenheimer. J. R. ( 1971)J. Physiol. (London) 216. 565-589 12 Garcia-Arrarhs, J. E. (1981)Am. J. Physiol. 241. E269-E274 13 Graf. M.. Christen. l-I.. Tobler, H. J.. Maier, P. F. and Schoenenbergcr. G. A. ( 1981 ) Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 15,717-721 14 Graf. M., Lorez. H. P., Gillesen. D , Tobler, H. J. and Schoenenberger. G. A, ( 1981 ) Experientia 37. 625 15 Honda. K. and lnoue. S. (1981)Rep. Inst. Med. Dent. Eng. 15. 115-123 16 lnon6. S., Honda. K. and Komoda. Y. in Sleep 1982 (Koella, W. P., ed.L Karger, Basel (in press) 17 Kastin. A. J., Castellanos, P. F.. Banks, W. A. and Coy, D, H. (1981) Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 15. 969-974 18 Kastin. A. J.. Nissen. C.. Schally, A. V. and Coy. D. H. (1978)Brain Res. Bull. 3.691-695 19 Kastin. A. J,. Olson, G. A.. Schally. A. V. and Coy. D. H. (1980) Trends NeuroSci. 3,163--165 20 Koella, W. P. (1981 ) in Psychopharmacology of 51eep (Wheatley. D., ed.). pp. 1,°--52. Raven
t:'rcss. Nev, York 21 KornmtiHer. A. E.. Lux. H. D., Winkel, K. and Klee. M (1%1 b Vaturwissenschafien 48. 503~.505 22 Kroll. F. W. ( 19331 Z. (;esamw. Ncarol. P,sychiatr. 146,208-218 23 Kmll, F W, (19521 Dt~ch. Med. Wochenschr. 77. 879--88O 24 Krueger. J. M,. Bascik. J. and Garcia-Arrar~ts. J. ( 19801Am. J. Physiol. 238. E116-E123 25 Krucger, J. M . Pappenheimer. J. R. and Kamovsky, M. L, (1978) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 65, 5235-5238 26 Krucger. J. M.. Pappenheimer, J. R. and Karnovsky. M. 1,. (19821 3. Biol. Chem. 257. 1664-1669 27 Legendre. R and Pieron. H. (1910) ('.R. Soc. Bi, I. (ParLs') 68. 1077-I(178 28 Legendre, R. and Pieron. H (19131 Z. Allg. Physiol. 14. 235-262 29 Marczynski, T. L. Yamaguchi. N.. Ling, G M. and Grodzinska. L G964) Experientia 20, 435 -437 30 Matsumoto. J.. Sogabe. K. and Hori-Santiago, Y. ( 10711Experientia 28. 1043--1044 31 Monnier, M. and Gainard. J. M, (19811 Fxperientia 36.21-24 32 Monnier. M. and H6sli, I. (19641 Science 146. 796--798 ~3 Monnier. M., Koller. 1. and Graber. S. (19631 I:xp. Neurol. 8. 264-277 34 Nagasaki. H.. lriki. M., lnoue, S. and Uchizono. K. (1974)Proc. Jpn Acad. 50. 241-246 35 Nagasaki. H., Kitahama, K., Valatx. J. L. and Jouvet, M. ( t 980) Brain Res. 192.276-280 36 Pappenheimer. J. R., Koski. G., Fencl. V.. Kamovsky, M. K. and Krueger. J. (1975) J. Neurophysiol. 38. 1299-1311 37 Pappenheimer. J. R., Miller. T. B. and Goodrich. C. A. (1%71 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 58, 513-517 38 Pavel. S. (1980)in Sleep 1978 (Popoviciu. L.. Asgian, B. and Badiu. G.. eds), pp. 381-383. Karger. Basel 39 Pavel, S., Psatta. D. and Goldstein. R. (19771 Brain Res. Bull. 2, 251-254 40 Pole, P.. Schneeberger, J. and Haefely. W. ( 19781 Neurosci. l,en. 9.33-36 4t Rion, F.. Cespuglio, R. and Jouvet, M. (1982) .4hwraet~ Sixth European ( ongress of Sleep
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ie¢!~, .ltC;2
Research. p, ~,2 Zurich 42 Sachs. J. Ungm. J . Wascr. P. t~..t~d B.,hc~. A. A. (19761Neurosti. Lett, 2, g3.-St! 43 Schnedorl. J. G. and Ivy, A. (' (l,~,i1,4m. i Physud. 125. 491.5115 44 Schneider-Helmcrl. I) and S~boeaenbcrger. G, A. ( 1981 ) Z(xperientia 37. 913-917 45 SchoenenbergeL ( ; A.. Maier, P l-. loblcr. H, J. and Monnicr, M. 119771 Pflt:iCer~ Arch. 369, 9O--109 46 Schoanenberger, G, A. and Monnicr, M. t19771 Proc. Nad Acad. SoL U.S.A. 74, 1282-1286 47 Schiitz, F. I]~W,4) s~tllttrt' tl.ond, m) 15L 432~,33 48 Spanis. (', q.. Gutierrez. M. ( . und DruckerColin. R R. (1976) Pharmacol Biochem, Behav. 5. 165 173 49 Stepita-Klauco. M.. Dolezalova. H. and Fairweather. R. (1974) Science 183,536-537 50 Tobler, 1. and Borbbly, A A 11980) Waking Sleeping 4. 139-153 51 Torii, S.. Mitsumori, K.. lnubushL S. and Yanagisawa. h (1973)Pvychopharmacok~gia 29.65-75 52 Uchizono. K,, lshikawa, M.. Iriki. M., lnone, S., Komoda. Y.. Nagasaki. H., Higashi. A,, Honda. K. and McRae-Degueurcc, A. 0982) in Advances in Pharmacology and Therapeutics H, Vol. 1. ( N S Pharmacology and Neuropeptides (Yoshida. H.. Hagihara, Y. and EbashL S.. eds), pp, 217-220. Pergamon Press, Oxfi,wd and New York 53 Yanagisawa, h and Yoshikawu. H. (19731 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 329, 283-294 54 Zondek, H. and Bier. A. (39321 Klin. Wochenschr. 18. 760-762 SHOJIRO INOUE KOJI UCHIZONO HIROAKI NAGASAKI Shojiro lnou~ is Professor and Head at the Biocybernetics Division. Institute for Medical and Dental Engineering. Tokyo Medical amt Dental University. Tokyo 101. Japan; Koji Ut~hizono is Director at the National Institute fi)r Physiological Sciences. Okazaki, Japan; and Hiroakt Nagasaki is Associate Professor at the Physiology Department. Yamanashi Medical University. Yamanashi-ken. Japan.
We wekeme eommems h'am our reade/s. Slmct communkatteas stand the best chance of ~ . The Editor reserves the right to taite extracts frma the longer ones.
Vision at Neuroscience SIR: T h e lead article o f R e s e a r c h N e w s in the M a r c h issue o f T I N S L w h i c h h u m o r o u s l y describes vision r e s e a r c h at the 1981 Society o f N e u r o s c i e n c e ( S N S ) m e e t i n g in Los A n g e l e s , g i v e s the impression that the papers on retinal r e s e a r c h w e r e f e w and o f poor quality; ' a n e m i c ' was the w o r d chosen to describe t h e m . This is far f r o m the truth. T h e r e w e r e 70 p a p e r s on retinal w o r k , 49 o f w h i c h w e r e c o n c e n t r a t e d in four sessions. and m a n y o f w h i c h are w o r t h y o f note. T h e s e n u m b e r s c o m p a r e f a v o r a b l y , by the w a y , with the 100-or-so non-clinical papers in retinal n e u r o b i o l o g y presented at the last
A R V O m e e t i n g s in Sarasota, Florida. w h e r e retinal n e u r o b i o l o g y is alleged to h a v e retired. G i v e n limited space, personal predilections, and a slightly different view o f w h a t h a p p e n e d at Los A n g e l e s ( w e do c o n c u r on deficiencies in the 'quality o f life' at the m e e t i n g ) . I h a v e noted just a f e w o f the excellent reports on retinal research. McReynolds, D v o r a k and B e l g u m (95.191 presented c o m p e l l i n g e v i d e n c e obtained by m e a n s o f intracelhilar recording during current injection and synaptic blockade, that, contrary to conventional w i s d o m , the sustained r e c e p t i v e field c e n t e r c o m p o n e n t s o f O N - and O F F - c e n t e r ganglion cells are due as m u c h or m o r e to
c h a n g e s in tonic inhibitory inputs as to tonic excitatory inputs in N e c t u r u s retina. In an ultrastructural, serial thin-section analysis o f m o u s e retina. H i n d s and Hinds ( 1 7 6 . 2 0 ) p r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e for two fund a m e n t a l l y different p r o g r a m s o f a m a c r i n e cell d e v e l o p m e n t . T h e first is parallel to and s i m u l t a n e o u s with ganglion cell developm e n t (including the transient possession o f an a x o n ) , a n d g i v e s rise to n o r m a l and displaced a m a c r i n e s . T h e second involves the later differentiation o f ventricular cells, and g i v e s rise to n o r m a l l y placed a m a c r i n e s , and perhaps only to narrow-field amacrines. H a v i n g s h o w n that G A B A agonists and
TINS -July 1982
221
antagonists affect both light-evoked and resting effiux of ACh from rabbit reina, and given the evidence for independent ON and OFF ACh amacrines (Masland and Mills, 1979; Famiglietti and Siegfried, 1980; Bloomfield and Miller, 1981), Massey, Crawford and Redburn (95.10) have used APB to block the ON pathway in a perfused preparation. They obtained a considerable reduction in light-evoked release of ACh, but little effect on GABA-controlled resting efflux, implicating the OFF pathway as a major input to GABA amacrine cells. Balkema and Sarthy (95.23) have made an interesting beginning in work on a new set of techniques which promise to be very
useful in cellular and molecular characterization of functional subpopulations of retinal ganglion cells. They inject fluorescent tracers into different destinations of optic axons, and subsequently identify the individually labelled cells obtained from enzymatically dissociated retinas. The obvious next step of making purified preparations using a fluorescent cell-sorter has no doubt already been attempted by these and other workers in the field. Finally, a number of papers on isolated, identified retinal cells in culture (234.2, 234.3, 234.4, 141.4) involving investigators from Harvard's Department of Neurobiology, the University of Chicago,
The forgotten avant-garde
ality disorder' has been documented by a large number of investigators with remarkable consistency in the lists of central features: such individuals are histrionic, manipulative, immature in behaviour, dependent, and psychosexually disturbed, showing a combination of frigidity and provocativeness. Also, there are individuals (archetypally described by Charcot) in whom quite gross and bizarre conversion states of various sorts appear for the greater part of their lives, and such individuals usually show many of the personality features mentioned above. Conversion states as described in 'What is hysteria?' probably have the least claim
SIR: l should like to make some comments on the Perspectives article by Dr F. M. Mai, The forgotten avant-gardeL First, it seems to me quite improper for anyone to write an article on Briquet and his relevance to modem psychiatry without quoting the very extensive literature contributed since the 1950's by the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. (Ref. 1 of his article more or less marks the beginning of this contribution, and Ref. 2 will give access to most of the further literature. ) Second, though clearly this is a connected point, it seems even more improper to say 'Briquet has endured a long and unjustified period of obscurity' and to suggest that '(his work's) replication using modem investigative and processing techniques would indeed be a fascinating and richly rewarding exercise' ; not only has the St. Louis school published reams on this theme, but they have also been urging the use of the title 'Briquet's Syndrome' for the stable syndrome of hysteria for 25 years or more. Finally, since T I N S is read by neuroscientists of a very wide range of fields, ! consider it necessary to point out that the explanatory box on p. 67 entitled 'What is hysteria?' is a grossly inadequate description, being limited to a description of Conversion, which is only one aspect of the phenomenon of hysteria and not a very central one at that - certainly not to be compared with Briquet's Syndrome! This latter, which others prefer to call "the stable syndrome of hysteria' can be formally defined by the requirements of onset by early adult life; a large number of different and specifiable somatic symptoms in the absence of patent physical disease, and stability over many years. In addition, 'hysterical person-
Reply to P. J. Eames
the University of Geneva, and also from the Department of Biology at Harvard, show the power of this technique in the study of ionic mechanisms and neurotransmitter sensitivities divorced from the potential confusion of synaptic interconnections,
Reference I Kelly, A. S., Movshon,J. A., Schoppmann,A., Shatz, C., Stccker, M. P. and Van Sluyters, R. C. (1982) Trends NeuroSci. 5.61~55 EDWARDV. FAMIGL1Eq*FI,JR Chairman, Session on "Retina: intrinsic organization'. 1981 SNS meeting. Dept. of Anatomy. Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Avenue. Detroit, M148201. U.S.A.
on the title 'hysteria': they appear in all sorts of personalities, and in the majority of cases they involve just one symptom on one occasion; they are clearly identifiable as reactions of defence against stress, and, not surprisingly therefore, they appear most frequently when stress is most generally applied. (There can be no better example of this than their particular frequency in the trenches of the First World War. )
Reference 1 Mai~F. M. (1982) 7)'ends NeuroSci. 5, 6748 PETER EAMES ( onsuhant NeuropTychiatrist. St. Andrew's HowttaL Northampton.
a different category of illness. I, for one. do not accept the concept of 'the stable synSIR: drome of hysteria'. To define a condition in i am fully aware of the excellent work terms of its 'stability' or its outcome is which has been done by the St. Louis totally inadequate at the time of a clinical school, as Dr Eames would have disco- consultation when diagnostic and treatment vered if he had read either of my earlier pub- decisions have to be made. Even worse, it lications in this field (Refs 4 and 5 in the promotes an attitude of therapeutic nihilarticle). The St. Louis group, however, ism. The features described in the box rephave concentrated largely on diagnostic and resent a mix of phenomenological (e.g. demographic criteria, whereas Briquet's 'one or a number of symptoms') and work covers a much broader area, including interpretive (e.g. 'the secondary gain') a history of hysteria, aetiological factors, criteria which can be applied by any eclecclinical features, course, prognosis and treat- tic physician involved in the management ment. No comparable synthesis of the total of patients with hysteria. field of hysteria has been published in the The tone of Dr Eames" letter well illusmodem era, hence my suggestion for a trates the emotive attitude which has replication of Briquet's work. Incidently, bedevilled rational discussion of hysteria the St. Louis school first suggested the title over the centuries. 'Briquet's Syndrome' in a paper 10 years ago' not 25 years ago as stated by Dr Reference I Guze, S. B.. Woodruff,R. A. and Clayton, P. J. Eames. ( 19721Am. J. PsychiatO' 129. 745-748 The cxplanatory box 'What is hysteria' while necessarily brief, does not justify the FRANq'(}ISM. MAI epithet 'grossly inadequate'. The description given does encompass 'Briquet's Syn- Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, drome' but was not intended to include University Hospital. 339 Windermere Road, Lon'hysterical personality disorder' which is in don. Ontario NOA 5A5. Canada.
220 R e a d i n g list I Borb~ly, A. A. (1982)Abstracts Sixth European Congress of Sieep Research. p. 284. Zurich 2 Borb~ty. A A. and Tobler. I 11980) Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 1. 356-358 3 Cocolescu, M., Serbane~u. A. and Temeh, t:. (I 979) Waking Sleeping 3.27_3-277 4 Cramer. H.. B6hme. W.. Kendel. K. and Donnadieu. M. (1976) Arzneim. Forsch. 26. 1076-1078 5 Danguir. J. and Nicolaidis. S. (19801 Am. J. Physiol. 238, E223-E230 6 Danguir. J. and Nicolaidis. S. (1980) Am. J. Physiol. 238, E307-E312 7 Drucker-Colin. R. R. (1973) Brain Res. 56. 123-134 8 Drucker-Colin, R. R. (19811 in Psychopharmacology of Sleep (Wheatley, D.. ed.L pp. 5.3-72. Raven Press. New York 9 Drucker-Colin. R. R., Rojas-Ramirez. J. A.. Vera-Trueba, J.. Monroy-Ayala, G. and Hemfindez-Pe6n. R. (19701 Brain Res. 23. 269-273 10 Drucker-Colin. R., Tuena de G6mez-Puyou. M., Gutierrez. M. C. and Dreyfus.Corl~s. G. (19801 Exp. Neurol. 69, 563-575 I1 Fend. V.. Koski. G. and Puppenheimer. J. R. ( 1971)J. Physiol. (London) 216. 565-589 12 Garcia-Arrarhs, J. E. (1981)Am. J. Physiol. 241. E269-E274 13 Graf. M.. Christen. l-I.. Tobler, H. J.. Maier, P. F. and Schoenenbergcr. G. A. ( 1981 ) Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 15,717-721 14 Graf. M., Lorez. H. P., Gillesen. D , Tobler, H. J. and Schoenenberger. G. A, ( 1981 ) Experientia 37. 625 15 Honda. K. and lnoue. S. (1981)Rep. Inst. Med. Dent. Eng. 15. 115-123 16 lnon6. S., Honda. K. and Komoda. Y. in Sleep 1982 (Koella, W. P., ed.L Karger, Basel (in press) 17 Kastin. A. J., Castellanos, P. F.. Banks, W. A. and Coy, D, H. (1981) Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 15. 969-974 18 Kastin. A. J.. Nissen. C.. Schally, A. V. and Coy. D. H. (1978)Brain Res. Bull. 3.691-695 19 Kastin. A. J,. Olson, G. A.. Schally. A. V. and Coy. D. H. (1980) Trends NeuroSci. 3,163--165 20 Koella, W. P. (1981 ) in Psychopharmacology of 51eep (Wheatley. D., ed.). pp. 1,°--52. Raven
t:'rcss. Nev, York 21 KornmtiHer. A. E.. Lux. H. D., Winkel, K. and Klee. M (1%1 b Vaturwissenschafien 48. 503~.505 22 Kroll. F. W. ( 19331 Z. (;esamw. Ncarol. P,sychiatr. 146,208-218 23 Kmll, F W, (19521 Dt~ch. Med. Wochenschr. 77. 879--88O 24 Krueger. J. M,. Bascik. J. and Garcia-Arrar~ts. J. ( 19801Am. J. Physiol. 238. E116-E123 25 Krucger, J. M . Pappenheimer. J. R. and Kamovsky, M. L, (1978) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 65, 5235-5238 26 Krucger. J. M.. Pappenheimer, J. R. and Karnovsky. M. 1,. (19821 3. Biol. Chem. 257. 1664-1669 27 Legendre. R and Pieron. H. (1910) ('.R. Soc. Bi, I. (ParLs') 68. 1077-I(178 28 Legendre, R. and Pieron. H (19131 Z. Allg. Physiol. 14. 235-262 29 Marczynski, T. L. Yamaguchi. N.. Ling, G M. and Grodzinska. L G964) Experientia 20, 435 -437 30 Matsumoto. J.. Sogabe. K. and Hori-Santiago, Y. ( 10711Experientia 28. 1043--1044 31 Monnier, M. and Gainard. J. M, (19811 Fxperientia 36.21-24 32 Monnier. M. and H6sli, I. (19641 Science 146. 796--798 ~3 Monnier. M., Koller. 1. and Graber. S. (19631 I:xp. Neurol. 8. 264-277 34 Nagasaki. H.. lriki. M., lnoue, S. and Uchizono. K. (1974)Proc. Jpn Acad. 50. 241-246 35 Nagasaki. H., Kitahama, K., Valatx. J. L. and Jouvet, M. ( t 980) Brain Res. 192.276-280 36 Pappenheimer. J. R., Koski. G., Fencl. V.. Kamovsky, M. K. and Krueger. J. (1975) J. Neurophysiol. 38. 1299-1311 37 Pappenheimer. J. R., Miller. T. B. and Goodrich. C. A. (1%71 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 58, 513-517 38 Pavel. S. (1980)in Sleep 1978 (Popoviciu. L.. Asgian, B. and Badiu. G.. eds), pp. 381-383. Karger. Basel 39 Pavel, S., Psatta. D. and Goldstein. R. (19771 Brain Res. Bull. 2, 251-254 40 Pole, P.. Schneeberger, J. and Haefely. W. ( 19781 Neurosci. l,en. 9.33-36 4t Rion, F.. Cespuglio, R. and Jouvet, M. (1982) .4hwraet~ Sixth European ( ongress of Sleep
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ie¢!~, .ltC;2
Research. p, ~,2 Zurich 42 Sachs. J. Ungm. J . Wascr. P. t~..t~d B.,hc~. A. A. (19761Neurosti. Lett, 2, g3.-St! 43 Schnedorl. J. G. and Ivy, A. (' (l,~,i1,4m. i Physud. 125. 491.5115 44 Schneider-Helmcrl. I) and S~boeaenbcrger. G, A. ( 1981 ) Z(xperientia 37. 913-917 45 SchoenenbergeL ( ; A.. Maier, P l-. loblcr. H, J. and Monnicr, M. 119771 Pflt:iCer~ Arch. 369, 9O--109 46 Schoanenberger, G, A. and Monnicr, M. t19771 Proc. Nad Acad. SoL U.S.A. 74, 1282-1286 47 Schiitz, F. I]~W,4) s~tllttrt' tl.ond, m) 15L 432~,33 48 Spanis. (', q.. Gutierrez. M. ( . und DruckerColin. R R. (1976) Pharmacol Biochem, Behav. 5. 165 173 49 Stepita-Klauco. M.. Dolezalova. H. and Fairweather. R. (1974) Science 183,536-537 50 Tobler, 1. and Borbbly, A A 11980) Waking Sleeping 4. 139-153 51 Torii, S.. Mitsumori, K.. lnubushL S. and Yanagisawa. h (1973)Pvychopharmacok~gia 29.65-75 52 Uchizono. K,, lshikawa, M.. Iriki. M., lnone, S., Komoda. Y.. Nagasaki. H., Higashi. A,, Honda. K. and McRae-Degueurcc, A. 0982) in Advances in Pharmacology and Therapeutics H, Vol. 1. ( N S Pharmacology and Neuropeptides (Yoshida. H.. Hagihara, Y. and EbashL S.. eds), pp, 217-220. Pergamon Press, Oxfi,wd and New York 53 Yanagisawa, h and Yoshikawu. H. (19731 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 329, 283-294 54 Zondek, H. and Bier. A. (39321 Klin. Wochenschr. 18. 760-762 SHOJIRO INOUE KOJI UCHIZONO HIROAKI NAGASAKI Shojiro lnou~ is Professor and Head at the Biocybernetics Division. Institute for Medical and Dental Engineering. Tokyo Medical amt Dental University. Tokyo 101. Japan; Koji Ut~hizono is Director at the National Institute fi)r Physiological Sciences. Okazaki, Japan; and Hiroakt Nagasaki is Associate Professor at the Physiology Department. Yamanashi Medical University. Yamanashi-ken. Japan.
We wekeme eommems h'am our reade/s. Slmct communkatteas stand the best chance of ~ . The Editor reserves the right to taite extracts frma the longer ones.
Vision at Neuroscience SIR: T h e lead article o f R e s e a r c h N e w s in the M a r c h issue o f T I N S L w h i c h h u m o r o u s l y describes vision r e s e a r c h at the 1981 Society o f N e u r o s c i e n c e ( S N S ) m e e t i n g in Los A n g e l e s , g i v e s the impression that the papers on retinal r e s e a r c h w e r e f e w and o f poor quality; ' a n e m i c ' was the w o r d chosen to describe t h e m . This is far f r o m the truth. T h e r e w e r e 70 p a p e r s on retinal w o r k , 49 o f w h i c h w e r e c o n c e n t r a t e d in four sessions. and m a n y o f w h i c h are w o r t h y o f note. T h e s e n u m b e r s c o m p a r e f a v o r a b l y , by the w a y , with the 100-or-so non-clinical papers in retinal n e u r o b i o l o g y presented at the last
A R V O m e e t i n g s in Sarasota, Florida. w h e r e retinal n e u r o b i o l o g y is alleged to h a v e retired. G i v e n limited space, personal predilections, and a slightly different view o f w h a t h a p p e n e d at Los A n g e l e s ( w e do c o n c u r on deficiencies in the 'quality o f life' at the m e e t i n g ) . I h a v e noted just a f e w o f the excellent reports on retinal research. McReynolds, D v o r a k and B e l g u m (95.191 presented c o m p e l l i n g e v i d e n c e obtained by m e a n s o f intracelhilar recording during current injection and synaptic blockade, that, contrary to conventional w i s d o m , the sustained r e c e p t i v e field c e n t e r c o m p o n e n t s o f O N - and O F F - c e n t e r ganglion cells are due as m u c h or m o r e to
c h a n g e s in tonic inhibitory inputs as to tonic excitatory inputs in N e c t u r u s retina. In an ultrastructural, serial thin-section analysis o f m o u s e retina. H i n d s and Hinds ( 1 7 6 . 2 0 ) p r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e for two fund a m e n t a l l y different p r o g r a m s o f a m a c r i n e cell d e v e l o p m e n t . T h e first is parallel to and s i m u l t a n e o u s with ganglion cell developm e n t (including the transient possession o f an a x o n ) , a n d g i v e s rise to n o r m a l and displaced a m a c r i n e s . T h e second involves the later differentiation o f ventricular cells, and g i v e s rise to n o r m a l l y placed a m a c r i n e s , and perhaps only to narrow-field amacrines. H a v i n g s h o w n that G A B A agonists and
TINS -July 1982
221
antagonists affect both light-evoked and resting effiux of ACh from rabbit reina, and given the evidence for independent ON and OFF ACh amacrines (Masland and Mills, 1979; Famiglietti and Siegfried, 1980; Bloomfield and Miller, 1981), Massey, Crawford and Redburn (95.10) have used APB to block the ON pathway in a perfused preparation. They obtained a considerable reduction in light-evoked release of ACh, but little effect on GABA-controlled resting efflux, implicating the OFF pathway as a major input to GABA amacrine cells. Balkema and Sarthy (95.23) have made an interesting beginning in work on a new set of techniques which promise to be very
useful in cellular and molecular characterization of functional subpopulations of retinal ganglion cells. They inject fluorescent tracers into different destinations of optic axons, and subsequently identify the individually labelled cells obtained from enzymatically dissociated retinas. The obvious next step of making purified preparations using a fluorescent cell-sorter has no doubt already been attempted by these and other workers in the field. Finally, a number of papers on isolated, identified retinal cells in culture (234.2, 234.3, 234.4, 141.4) involving investigators from Harvard's Department of Neurobiology, the University of Chicago,
The forgotten avant-garde
ality disorder' has been documented by a large number of investigators with remarkable consistency in the lists of central features: such individuals are histrionic, manipulative, immature in behaviour, dependent, and psychosexually disturbed, showing a combination of frigidity and provocativeness. Also, there are individuals (archetypally described by Charcot) in whom quite gross and bizarre conversion states of various sorts appear for the greater part of their lives, and such individuals usually show many of the personality features mentioned above. Conversion states as described in 'What is hysteria?' probably have the least claim
SIR: l should like to make some comments on the Perspectives article by Dr F. M. Mai, The forgotten avant-gardeL First, it seems to me quite improper for anyone to write an article on Briquet and his relevance to modem psychiatry without quoting the very extensive literature contributed since the 1950's by the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. (Ref. 1 of his article more or less marks the beginning of this contribution, and Ref. 2 will give access to most of the further literature. ) Second, though clearly this is a connected point, it seems even more improper to say 'Briquet has endured a long and unjustified period of obscurity' and to suggest that '(his work's) replication using modem investigative and processing techniques would indeed be a fascinating and richly rewarding exercise' ; not only has the St. Louis school published reams on this theme, but they have also been urging the use of the title 'Briquet's Syndrome' for the stable syndrome of hysteria for 25 years or more. Finally, since T I N S is read by neuroscientists of a very wide range of fields, ! consider it necessary to point out that the explanatory box on p. 67 entitled 'What is hysteria?' is a grossly inadequate description, being limited to a description of Conversion, which is only one aspect of the phenomenon of hysteria and not a very central one at that - certainly not to be compared with Briquet's Syndrome! This latter, which others prefer to call "the stable syndrome of hysteria' can be formally defined by the requirements of onset by early adult life; a large number of different and specifiable somatic symptoms in the absence of patent physical disease, and stability over many years. In addition, 'hysterical person-
Reply to P. J. Eames
the University of Geneva, and also from the Department of Biology at Harvard, show the power of this technique in the study of ionic mechanisms and neurotransmitter sensitivities divorced from the potential confusion of synaptic interconnections,
Reference I Kelly, A. S., Movshon,J. A., Schoppmann,A., Shatz, C., Stccker, M. P. and Van Sluyters, R. C. (1982) Trends NeuroSci. 5.61~55 EDWARDV. FAMIGL1Eq*FI,JR Chairman, Session on "Retina: intrinsic organization'. 1981 SNS meeting. Dept. of Anatomy. Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 E. Canfield Avenue. Detroit, M148201. U.S.A.
on the title 'hysteria': they appear in all sorts of personalities, and in the majority of cases they involve just one symptom on one occasion; they are clearly identifiable as reactions of defence against stress, and, not surprisingly therefore, they appear most frequently when stress is most generally applied. (There can be no better example of this than their particular frequency in the trenches of the First World War. )
Reference 1 Mai~F. M. (1982) 7)'ends NeuroSci. 5, 6748 PETER EAMES ( onsuhant NeuropTychiatrist. St. Andrew's HowttaL Northampton.
a different category of illness. I, for one. do not accept the concept of 'the stable synSIR: drome of hysteria'. To define a condition in i am fully aware of the excellent work terms of its 'stability' or its outcome is which has been done by the St. Louis totally inadequate at the time of a clinical school, as Dr Eames would have disco- consultation when diagnostic and treatment vered if he had read either of my earlier pub- decisions have to be made. Even worse, it lications in this field (Refs 4 and 5 in the promotes an attitude of therapeutic nihilarticle). The St. Louis group, however, ism. The features described in the box rephave concentrated largely on diagnostic and resent a mix of phenomenological (e.g. demographic criteria, whereas Briquet's 'one or a number of symptoms') and work covers a much broader area, including interpretive (e.g. 'the secondary gain') a history of hysteria, aetiological factors, criteria which can be applied by any eclecclinical features, course, prognosis and treat- tic physician involved in the management ment. No comparable synthesis of the total of patients with hysteria. field of hysteria has been published in the The tone of Dr Eames" letter well illusmodem era, hence my suggestion for a trates the emotive attitude which has replication of Briquet's work. Incidently, bedevilled rational discussion of hysteria the St. Louis school first suggested the title over the centuries. 'Briquet's Syndrome' in a paper 10 years ago' not 25 years ago as stated by Dr Reference I Guze, S. B.. Woodruff,R. A. and Clayton, P. J. Eames. ( 19721Am. J. PsychiatO' 129. 745-748 The cxplanatory box 'What is hysteria' while necessarily brief, does not justify the FRANq'(}ISM. MAI epithet 'grossly inadequate'. The description given does encompass 'Briquet's Syn- Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, drome' but was not intended to include University Hospital. 339 Windermere Road, Lon'hysterical personality disorder' which is in don. Ontario NOA 5A5. Canada.