Posts Tagged ‘neurologists’

Lecture Notes on Neurology

Lecture Notes on Neurology. Sixth Edition

Ivan T. Draper

Boston, MA, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1985. 217 pp.

This is the sixth edition of this concise, pocket-sized review text. One of an extensive series of similar works by British authors, this book seems aimed primarily at undergraduate medical students or other non-neurologists interested in a broad overview of the field.

Dr. Draper, neurologist at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, has divided his work into three major parts: Structure and Function of the Nervous System, History and Examination, and Diseases of the Nervous System. The individual chapters are well organized and well written, making it possible for the reader to review the basic information concerning a neurological subject in a matter of minutes.

Omissions are almost inevitable in a book of this size; although it is not a comprehensive textbook, one would have hoped to have found discussion of such topics as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fungal meningitis, which are not covered. References for futher reading are not provided, leaving the reader with no entree into the neurologic literature if elaboration of an obscure or controversial point is desired.

In spite of these faults, the book is not without its merits, including an evenness in style that makes it a pleasure to read. Some sections, such as that on the history and examination, are especially good. It is recommended as a convenient reference for the non-neurologist.

Neurologic Emergencies

Neurologic Emergencies. Recognition and Management. 2nd Edition

Edited by Michael Salcman

New York, Raven Press, 1990. 442 pp.

The second edition of Salcman’s Neurologic Emergencies. Recognition and Management is an excellent resource manual for non-specialists responsible for early management of neurologic emergencies. Its chapters are brief and consistently pertinent in guiding the evaluation and initial treatment of neurologic presentations ranging from headache and backache through major trauma and stroke.

The book is divided into five sections. The first chapter in section one, on “general considerations,” reviews the pathophysiology common to cerebral infarction, hemorrhage, and trauma. The second chapter provides a clear exposition on the approach to the unconscious patient — always a demanding diagnostic challenge; this chapter also sets the standard for most of the following chapters by including a simple and very valuable algorithm illustrating a logical approach to the presenting problem. Section one concludes with a chapter on cardio-respiratory management in neurologic emergencies.

Section two on stroke and tumor contains useful chapters on subarachnoid hemorrhage (including a differential diagnosis of headache), stroke, and neoplastic emergencies.

Neurologic trauma is reviewed in section three. The first chapter, head injury, provides an algorithm for evaluation and treatment, summarizes medical problems often associated with major head injury, and reproduces the University of Maryland neuroassessment flow sheet as a model for documenting the ongoing status and care of injured patients. The chapter on spine injury and acute paralysis is a brief, logical, and readable summary on evaluation and treatment. A half-page presentation on reading plain spine X-rays is in itself worth the price of the book. The chapter also contains useful algorithms on compressive traumatic lesions, disruptive lesions, pyogenic lesions, and vascular occlusive lesions. The chapter on acute nerve root compression and backache describes these common syndromes in a clear manner and also defines the circumstances under which emergency consultation is mandatory. Careful attention to this subject will save many patients — and doctors. The section on trauma concludes with evaluation of peripheral nerve injury.

There are six chapters in the section on medical neuro-emergencies: seizures, polyneuropathy, respiratory muscle failure, encephalitis, meningitis, and toxic-metabolic encephalopathy. All are concise and logical in presentation. The chapter on toxic-metabolic encephalopathy, including an excellent algorithm, provides in a mere 35 pages information sufficient to diagnose and treat the majority of presentations of altered mental status.

Salcman’s book concludes with a two-chapter section on pediatric neurologic and neurosurgical emergencies. Both chapters review the similarities and differences in early management of pediatric and adult patients; both provide a useful, albeit very brief, review of these fields.

Clearly, this is a book to be enthusiastic about, and I recommend it highly to all who deal with neuro-emergencies. One pet peeve about terminology, however: if my profession is to be named by the location of where I work, i.e., “emergency room doctor,” then Dr. Salcman is an “operating room doctor.” Furthermore, if the suite of rooms in which emergency care is practiced is an “emergency room,” then why not “critical care room” or “intensive care room”? I am disappointed to see these obsolete terms perpetuated in such an outstanding book.

Essentials of Clinical Neurology

Essentials of Clinical Neurology

Carl H. Gunderson

New York, Raven Press, 1990. 550 pp.

Essentials of Clinical Neurology is an intermediate-sized tome on neurological diagnosis and treatment. From the start, the author states that his goal is not to follow the examples of other “encyclopedic” volumes such as Merritt or Adams and Victor, but rather to provide a distilled body of facts.

The book is organized into four parts. Part one, “Introduction to Neurological Evaluation,” provides brief introductions to the currently available neurodiagnostic modalities, including the electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), computerized axial tomogram (CAT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As is true of the remainder of the book, this part is well organized and quite easy to follow. In general, the reproductions of MRI and CT scans are of good quality. Part two, “Analysis of Common Neurological Complaints,” contains chapters on movement disorders, sensory disorders, neurology of vision, headache, dementia, and aphasia. Each chapter initially provides a review of the basic neuroanatomy and neurophysiology; these reviews are particularly well done in the chapters on movement disorders and the neurology of vision. Much of the emphasis is on diagnosis, and each chapter provides pertinent aspects of patient history, the neurological exam as well as a condensed differential diagnosis. Parts three and four discuss differential diagnoses and selected neurological diseases.

A strength of this book is its organization. First, it is written in outline format. In addition, the basic terminology is not assumed, and all terms (e.g., hypotonia, akathisia) are well defined; however, I did not really find the distinction between the major subheadings (parts two through four) to be very helpful. Another criticism is that certain areas, such as child neurology, are entirely lacking, although the author does mention this as a shortcoming in the introduction.

Despite these criticisms, this work is an exceptionally well-assembled volume. What distinguishes it from others is the author’s gift of distilling information. He intentionally avoids the encyclopedic approach, while, at the same time, avoiding the pitfalls of many of the smaller manuals which provide choppy, partially digested bits of information. The choice of facts leaves the reader with a true gestalt of neurological disease. The emphasis on basic physiology, diagnosis, and treatment makes the book particularly appropriate for neurology residents.

Comprehensive Neurology

Comprehensive Neurology

Edited by Roger N. Rosenberg

New York, Raven Press, 1991.920 pp.

Comprehensive Neurology proposes to review “all aspects of neurologic disease,” providing yet another addition to the ever-growing list of neurology references. Its editor, R.N. Rosenberg, claims substantial experience in neurology editorship with The Treatment of Neurological Diseases (1979), Neurology (1980), and the five-volume Clinical Neurosciences (1983); more recently, he has produced shorter studies, including Neurogenetics: Principles and Practice (1985) and Molecular Biology of Neurological Disease (1988). In contrast to other textbooks like Asbury, Mckhann, and McDonald’s Diseases of the Nervous System, which contain two cumbersome volumes of material, Rosenberg hopes with the present volume to produce a comprehensive neurological reference in a single volume, while providing a “detailed, scholarly account” of neurological diseases, synthesizing the basic and clinical neural sciences for clinicians and interested researchers.

Unfortunately, Rosenberg only partially accomplishes his goal, instead producing a book that conveys a fragmented view of neurology. Compared to other comprehensive textbooks, like Asbury et al.’s Diseases of the Nervous System, or even smaller works much as Rowland’s Merritt’s Textbook of Neurology, Rosenberg’s haphazard contribution simply pales. Comprehensive Neurology attempts to touch upon every aspect of neurological disease with chapters by various specialists, on topics from teratology to psychiatric disorders to coma; but the book fails to tackle an in-depth discussion of neurology. Indeed, most chapters do not consider all aspects of their respective topics, and the accounts tend to be either all-encompassing but superficial or else informative but specialized. For example, such chapters as “Diseases of the Autonomic Nervous System” or “Cerebellar Disorders” provide only brief descriptions of clinical phenomena, while “Headache Syndromes” and “The Comatose Patient” provide informative detail on pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and treatment, albeit limited to their specialized disease. The book treats more general topics rather lightly, though it offers excellent timely information on particular specialized subjects. The result is, by avoiding a thorough coverage of basic neurological concepts and disorders, its utility as a reference diminishes.

Comprehensive Neurology further suffers from a lack of focus or direction in editorship. The table of contents itself reflects a dense conglomeration of chapters without any obvious logical sequence. Many chapters overlap in coverage of several topics, including such conceptual issues as the principles of magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography, or such background issues as the neuroanatomy of the vestibular or ocular systems. As the most obvious example, even though Rosenberg generally devotes, at most, one chapter to individual sensory systems, the eighth nerve system alone receives two chapters of coverage, and the majority of their content reiterates information found in other chapters. Moreover, despite Rosenberg’s expressed desire to coordinate basic science with clinical disease and treatment, chapter formats vary tremendously, with some chapters presenting mostly background information, like G. Rosenberg and Wolfson’s chapter on brain fluid and electrolyte disorders, while other chapters present only clinical information, for example, Damasio and Tranel’s chapter on disorders of higher brain function. Some chapters even stray from their title topics: Hecox and Hogan’s chapter, “Diagnostic Principles in Neuro-otology,” for instance, scarcely even addresses diagnostics and instead focuses on neuroanatomy and physiology, while Richter and Corder’s “Neurotoxic Syndromes” chapter concentrates mostly on substance abuse, virtually skipping the role of biological toxins or metabolic toxicities. On the other hand, such chapters as Kase et al.’s on cardiovascular disease, Chad and Munsat’s on muscular disease, and Wray’s on neuro-ophthalmologic disorders clearly and concisely provide thorough, up-to-date information about their respective fields. Laudably, these chapters provide informative, thoughtful presentations. In my view, this volume contains a great diversity of writing quality and content, reflecting an editorship that allows the book’s contributors overmuch free rein to digress. The end product strays too far from the claim “comprehensive neurology.”

In light of other alternative neurology references, a clinician or any interested scientist might therefore find little of interest in Rosenberg’s Comprehensive Neurology, other than some specialized topics such as multiple sclerosis, metabolic encephalopathy, and the aforementioned cardiovascular, muscular, and ophthalmologic diseases. The book’s chapters generally offer unsatisfying whirlwind tours of neurological disorders, never providing a unique or novel presentation of the material. Other contemporary works provide identical information, presented in a more pragmatic, informative, and concise manner, such as Swash and Oxbury’s Clinical Neurology (1991) or, particularly, Asbury et al.’s thoughtfully organized and edited Diseases of the Nervous System (1992). Rosenberg’s present work fails to satisfy the requirements for a comprehensive neurological work in one volume because it rambles through neurological discourses. The editor and his contributors have unfortunately and disappointingly produced a weak overall contribution to the neurological library.

Stress: Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology

Stress: Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology

Edited by Marvin R. Brown, George F. Koob, and Catherine Rivier

New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1991. 703 pp.

Stress: Neurobiology and Neuroendocrinology is an ambitious attempt to review the latest work in stress research to, state the editors, stimulate “… the development of innovative methods … for further studies in stress biology.” The work presents a great deal of data on stress biology, endocrinology, and physiology, and is for the most part a well-written and fully referenced contribution to the field of stress research.

The book, a collection of 29 reviews by biomedical faculty at American institutions, is organized into four main sections: (1) a general overview regarding issues defining and measuring stress; (2) basic central nervous system (CNS) and endocrine biology during stress; (3) discussions of pathophysiology resulting from stress, such as ischemia, gastric ulcers, immune dysfunctions, and psychiatric disorders; and (4) stress management strategies with explanations of how they may work.

Section three, which concerns itself with stress pathophysiology, is perhaps the book’s strongest section. Here the authors effectively demonstrate links between stressful events and eventual disease processes and provide critical reviews of their fields. For example, Chapter 3 tackles the role of mental stress in causing myocardial ischemia. The authors persuasively argue for ischemia as the best measurement of cardiac pathology vis-a-vis stress, and reproduce studies of ischemia during mental stress over an array of diagnostic modalities (technetium, echocardiography, PET). They further proceed to explain the possible endothelial pathophysiology in response to acetylcholine, resulting in coronary vasoconstriction and subsequent ischemia. In their summary, the authors lucidly delineate avenues of further research.

Chapter 27 reviews stress-induced immune dysfunction in humans. In this chapter, the author ably points out the gap in current research: although studies exist which show an association between psychological stress and immune changes, and psychological stress and disease, there exists a dearth of studies to demonstrate a clear association among all three. He questions the current assumption of the role of endogenous cortisol in immunosuppression by showing studies in which elevated cortisol during stressful events did not always result in depressed natural killer cell activity. Laudably, the author does not leave the reader to wonder about other mechanisms of immune suppression and presents studies which demonstrate that the autonomic nervous system may be ultimately responsible.

The book’s major missed opportunity is a cohesive chapter which connects the disparate discussions of neurobiology and pathophysiology. Chapter 2, the closest stab at this goal, is clearly written, yet digresses into dozens of areas. Instead, a lucid summary of the basic science chapters which follow, demonstrating stress as an insult to the CNS and the endocrine system, which filters down to other organ systems, would have been highly valuable. Aside from suggestive studies, however, this chapter does not include sufficient evidence to support such a theory. Chapter 29 on “Stress Technology Medicine,” another chapter which could demonstrate how various systems interact with one another, spends much of its force explaining the theory of autonomic rhythms and laterality (supported by a collection of one-subject experiments). It leaves the reader disappointed, stating that “the credibility of these sophisticated tools” (fascinating yogi relaxation techniques combining breathing and body position) “comes best through their application” without showing any studies demonstrating stress-reducing effects of these relaxation techniques.

In summary, this book is, for the most part, a well-organized contribution to the field of stress research in its cataloging of the latest findings in one accessible work. Unarguably, much of this information is not easily obtained in the standard medical and scientific texts. This volume can be especially helpful to investigators, working with one particular area of stress biology and physiology, who wish to obtain rapid knowledge of other related fields. It may also be of use to physicians and to health personnel who have a strong desire to grasp the complex science underlying stress and its influence on disease. In many ways, such a work may represent one praiseworthy attempt to gather together the current knowledge of mind’s effects and relate it to disparate organ dysfunctions. Yet it is perhaps too much to ask this work to make durable connections between the different research areas and to allow the reader “a look beyond the trees.” More to the point, that flaw may be a reflection on this still unmapped and intertwined field of neurobiology and pathophysiology, and further editions on the subject will no doubt strive to achieve just such a goal.

Stress, the Aging Brain, and the Mechanisms of Neuron Death

Stress, the Aging Brain, and the Mechanisms of Neuron Death

Robert M. Sapolsky

Cambridge, M., The MIT Press, 1992.429 pp

Does stress kill brain cells, and if so, how? In Stress, The Aging Brain, and Mechanisms of Neuronal Death, Dr. Robert Sapolsky presents data supporting the disturbing notion that psychological stresses may be associated with chemical processes in the brain that subject neurons to toxic processes. Dr. Sapolsky’s research, which has taken him from the African veldt to the neurobiology laboratory, provides a framework to orient readers to this interesting review.

In a well-crafted presentation, Dr. Sapolsky integrates his highly original research with related topics of great interest to neuroscientists, neurologists and psychiatrists. He takes care to review hot issues, such as the impact of glucocorticoids on brain function, the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in learning and neurotoxicity, and the function of nitric oxide as a mediator of NMDA receptor function. In a particularly creative step, Dr. Sapolsky bridges the traditional neuropharmacologic focus on neuro-modulation and the study of energy regulation within neurons during neuromodulation. He presents evidence to support the hypothesis that elevated glucocorticoid levels associated with stress deplete neuronal energy, making them less capable of fending off the toxic effects of inotropic excitatory amino acid receptor stimulation and its associated increase in calcium influx.

As the product of four years of work and “everything (he) knows as of January 10, 1992,” this book contains a prodigious amount of information presented in a thoughtful and user-friendly fashion. It is evident that Dr. Sapolsky has considered challenges facing the reader. Each chapter begins with a review of the book to that point and finishes with a summary of concepts presented within the chapter. These efforts make the text more accessible and enhance its utility as a reference source. In a scientific world dominated by least publishable units and multi-authored texts, Dr. Sapolsky succeeds in developing his views on stress and neurotoxicity in depth with an informal and somewhat socratic style. This stylistic approach makes the large body of information presented more engaging to the reader.

Dr. Sapolsky acknowledges the limitations of his book, occasionally, as they appear in the text. He reviews rapidly evolving fields of research. As a result, significant developments have already occurred in some areas of study reviewed in this book. Also, clinical perspectives on the type of stresses that push neurons “to the brink” could be developed further. The notion that routine social stresses might increase neuronal loss during a seizure is less formidable than the hypothesis that these stresses are neurotoxic in the absence of a medical crisis. One might also have appreciated a more thorough discussion of psychological trauma and its aftermath.

Overall, this is a very good book for researchers in many areas of clinical and basic neurosciences. It serves as a good entry point for researchers and clinicians interested in the areas of stress, neuroactive corticosteroids, excitatory amino acids, and neurotoxicity. Researchers well-versed in these areas may benefit from Dr. Sapolsky’s novel evaluations of a broad range of data and the numerous and intriguing hypotheses presented.

The Dementias: Crossroads between Neurology and Psychiatry

The Dementias: Crossroads between Neurology and Psychiatry

M. Girgis and K. Harris

St. Louis, Warren H. Green, Inc., 1992, 187 pp.

“The average human life expectancy has increased markedly since the turn of this century … unmasking a new epidemic: dementia.” This epidemic, dementia, is the focus of the book The Dementias: Crossroads between Neurology and Psychiatry, by Girgis and Harris, both of the University of Sydney, Australia. This book provides a fairly technical look at the role of neurotransmitters in degenerative neurologic disease. Glutamate is one major focus. The authors discuss extensively its chemical structure, synthesis, metabolism, and its many known and theorized pathways in the brain, arguing for a role of glutamate in dementia. The authors include data from their own current research, and extensively reference the work of others in the field. In addition they continually suggest new directions for research.

Additional chapters are devoted to such topics as “Neurotoxic Amino Acids in Human Degenerative Disorders” and there is a chapter providing an excellent overview of research in “Neurotransmitter Imbalance in Psychiatric Disorders”. This chapter relates the neurotransmitters discussed previously in reference to dementia to their theorized roles in depression, and in the action of antidepressant medications. The final chapter moves away from discussion of glutamate and deals with another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, and studies of its role in Alzheimer’s disease.

The middle section of the book contains three chapters which deal with neurotransmitters in limbic epilepsy. As the authors explain in the preface, their own research focus is mediation of excitation in brain tissue in relation to limbic epilepsy. It was neurotransmitters in limbic epilepsy they were studying when data suggested to them a connection between these neurotransmitters and dementia. This specific research interest seems to be the only link between the information presented in the three chapters on limbic epilepsy and the rest of the book. These chapters do, however, present at thorough and up to date discussion of kindling in limbic epilepsy.

In summary, The Dementias: Crossroads between Neurology and Psychiatry presents a good technical discussion of research on the role of neurotransmitters, and especially glutamate, in human degenerative disorders. Although some background information is given, some prior knowledge of biochemistry and neurophysiology is helpful in understanding this text.

Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy

Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy: Evolution and Adaptation

Ann B. Butler and William Hodos

New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996. 552 pp.

Comparative Vertebrate Neuroanatomy is a unique book in that it provides very up-to-date neuroanatomy from a comparative perspective and presents it for an uninitiated audience. The book stresses a common theme of anatomy, the relationship between structure and function, and through the comparative window, offers an interesting view of the eyolution of the vertebrate nervous system. The book is intended primarily for graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in the neurosciences, although fans of evolutionary biology will also find it accessible. Knowledge of undergraduate-level biology is assumed, but no prior knowledge of neuroscience or neuroanatomy is required. The authors stress that the prime objective of the book is to present an introductory treatment of neuroanatomy which can be used as preparation for subsequent advanced topics in neuroanatomy and the neurosciences. Thus, this book falls short for the serious neuroanatomists, or those seeking an all-encompassing reference text. The authors succeed in presenting the material in a basic enough fashion to be readable by just about everyone with some biological background, while also providing enough breadth and depth to serve as a springboard to more in-depth treatment of the topics presented in advanced neuroscience courses. Furthermore, a full four chapters are devoted to the comparative evolution, derivation, and organization of the cranial nerves, and therefore may be of value to students interested in neurology,

The book is organized into six major sections, the first being an introduction to the evolution and organization of the central nervous system, and subsequent sections providing more detailed treatment of the various regions of the brain from the spinal chord and hindbrain, to the forebrain. A concluding chapter provides synthesis from an evolutionary standpoint. The text is very easy to read and understand, with the use of bold type highlighting important concepts or anatomy which may be found in the well-organized index. A discussion of relevant embryology is included where deemed appropriate, and this helps to clarify the derivation and evolution of the anatomy. Also, certain techniques are described briefly to show how the anatomy was studied and traced. The text is replete with easy to follow figures and tables, and this allows a visual comparison of the anatomy across species. For those intrigued by the topics and who may want more, at the end of every chapter there are references to textbooks cited for “Further Reading,” as well as references to the original literature cited as “Additional Reading.” The book also provides very useful appendices, such as a list of anatomical, terms with their roots and origins, diagrams describing anatomical directional terms, and a useful but somewhat limited glossary.

In summary, this would make an excellent book for the uninitiated student interested in learning neuroanatomy. The material is clearly presented, and the treatment is thorough enough to serve as a strong foundation for the study of more advanced topics. The evolutionary perspective enhances understanding of the anatomy, and also provides interesting insights.

Elements of Molecular Neurobiology

Elements of Molecular Neurobiology, Second Edition

C.U.M. Smith

New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1996. 640 pp.

Elements of Molecular Neurobiology, Second Edition is one of the most readable and comprehensive introductions to molecular neuroscience available. Recent advances in the neurosciences, particularly in molecular neuroscience, in the six years since the first edition of this book was published, make this edition timely and useful. Large sections of the text have been rewritten to include current approaches, such as “gene-knockout mice,” and recent advances such as ion channel research. New findings indevelopmental neurobiology have been included an entirely new chapter on “Epigenetics of the brain.” Several new illustrations supplement, either schematically or pictorially, the already lucid descriptions found in the text.

Aside from these revisions, the overall structure of the book remains the same as in the first edition. After an introductory chapter on-the nervous system, the next few chapters clearly describe basic concepts in general molecular biology needed throughout the remainder of the book. Appropriate references are made to the application of the molecular biology to the neurosciences, even in these early chapters, to help maintain the focus of the book. In this way the book is a self-contained unit, serving as a very valuable tool to the student wishing to learn neurobiology from the molecular perspective, without being forced to refer to another text on molecular biology. Molecular biological or neurobiological “tidbits” are placed into boxes through the text, allowing the interested student to read further. The book then goes on to discuss receptors, ion channels, the action potential and neurotransmitters in a very conceptual and easy-to-follow manner. The last chapters integrate the material on an organismal level through discussion of memory and basic neuropathology (in which I was impressed to find a section on prion diseases). In fact, throughout the text, neurological correlates are provided which serve to “bring back home” a major purpose of studying molecular neurobiology.

There is enough depth in the book to satisfy the introductory reader, but in the event that more information is desired, a complete bibliography is provided in the back, which is broken down by chapter and topic. In addition, useful appendices, a glossary, and an organized index allow easy referencing. This book would be ideal for an undergraduate student beginning to study neuroscience, the neuroscience student wanting a treatment of molecular biology as applied to the nervous system or for the student with a firm grounding in molecular biology, but who would like an introduction to molecular neurobiology. The book’s greatest value may be to this latter group. For those readers who are fairly comfortable with molecular biology, but who feel that the field of neuroscience is whirling by and would like a tether to help reel it in, this book provides a thorough yet accessible introduction.

Biological Psychology

Biological Psychology: An Introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (Book and CD-ROM), Third Edition

Mark R. Rosenzweig, S. Marc Breedlove, and Arnold L. Leiman

Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, 2001. 651 pp.

Biological Psychology by the trio of Rosenzweig, Breedlove, and Leiman explains the biological foundations of evolution, development of the nervous system, regulation of behavior, emotions and mental disorders on a student-oriented textbook. Throughout the entire book lies a strong emphasis in the biological processes that produce and govern behavior and cognition with respect to the environment. The level of the text is geared to the beginning student in the discipline. With a colorful format, icons, key terms, boxes, and a CD-ROM, which contains quizzes and Sylvius, a module to learn neuroanatomy, a new student should consider purchasing or buying Biological Psychology.

The writing is clear and the illustrations that accompany it are not only attractive but illustrative as well. With CD-ROM links to several key illustrations, the book is undoubtedly tightly integrated and cross-referenced among its various modes of presenting information to the student. Because the text is geared for the beginner that would consider specializing in the discipline, it was general, yet technical enough that as a medical student I found it helpful in relearning some neuroanatomy structures such as the circle of Willis. Therefore, certain parts of the text can also be used by students who wish to become clinicians in addition to those who want to become specialized researchers. All chapters contain up-to-date research that would prove useful to both kinds of students. As an aside, the book actually contains photographs of current researchers such as Nancy Wexler, which connects a face with hot-off-the press research.

Usually, I devote the second or third paragraphs in the review to criticisms of the book. The terseness of this paragraph indicates how I feel this textbook is as close to a paragon for excellence for biological psychology textbooks that I have read.

Biological Psychology was clearly designed with the student in mind. I give it the highest recommendation and it should be welcome addition to your library.