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Show BOOK REVIEWS Section Editor: Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility, 6th Edition Gunter K. von Noorden and Emilio C. Campos. C. V. Mosby, St. Louis, 2002. ISBN: 0323011292. Price: $ 149.00 Type of book: This two- authored textbook is intended for strabismus surgeons and those who aspire to be. Contents: This book is a comprehensive text of strabismus. It is unequaled in the available literature. Part One covers physiology of the sensorimotor system. Part Two discusses neuromuscular anomalies of the eyes and the examination of the patient. Part Three characterizes common types of strabismus ( esodeviations, exodeviations), cyclovertical deviations, pattern strabismus, and paralytic strabismus. Finally, Part Four surveys surgical and nonsurgical therapies. Strengths: The 6th edition offers several changes. First is the addition of Dr. Emilio Campos, an Italian strabismolo-gist, as coauthor. Second is an expansion of the areas of sensory testing in strabismus. Sensorial anomalies in strabismus are an important aspect of squint but receive little coverage in most other textbooks. This new edition has divided the sensory adaptations to strabismus into three separate chapters and has expanded each of them. This effort represents the most comprehensive textbook coverage of sensory adaptations. The new edition also has incorporated advances in the diagnosis and management of strabismus that have occurred over the past five years. Weaknesses: The greatest difficulty with this textbook is its level of focus. Because it is written by pediatric ophthalmologists, primarily for pediatric ophthalmologists, it can be difficult reading for the beginning resident and intimidating for the comprehensive ophthalmologist. However, the graduating resident who has received a firm grounding in pediatric ophthalmology should be able to understand and appreciate most of what is offered here. There are some omissions that probably have occurred because the author assumed extensive knowledge of pediatric ophthalmology on the part of the reader. For example, in the management of superior oblique palsies, there is a discussion of the traction test but no mention of how to perform it. Likewise, secondary contracture of the ipsilat-eral superior rectus is mentioned as a management issue in the treatment of superior oblique palsy, but how to determine whether it exists is not described. There are other areas where omission seems to reflect the authors' opinions regarding strabismus management. Although many paradigms have been proposed for the surgical management of superior oblique palsies, the only one mentioned in the text is that of Knapp. Likewise, there is only minimal discussion of the prism adaptation trial for the surgical management of Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Un J Neuro- Ophthalmol, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2003 Katz, MD, MBA acquired partially accommodative esotropia; it is discussed only briefly in the chapter on surgical treatment principles, and not at all in the chapter on management of esodeviations. While this may be because of the author's bias against prism adaptation, the prism adaptation trial represents the only NIH- funded, prospective, multicenter trial in strabismus. It should be given more attention. Other parts of this book could use the editorial assistance of a neuro- ophthalmologist. The use of " disseminated sclerosis" could be changed to " multiple sclerosis," and " neural imaging" should be " neuroimaging." These limitations do not detract from the overall importance of this text. Recommended audience: This book is essential for all physicians who plan to do pediatric ophthalmology. It belongs in all ophthalmology training program libraries and in the personal collection of any ophthalmologist who deals with strabismus. The new edition represents a significant improvement over previous editions. Critical appraisal: Reading this text for the first time is one of the most vivid memories of my training, when as a second- year resident I prepared to hear a lecture on esodeviations. I read the Esodeviations chapter of the 3rd edition of von Noorden's Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility twice. Now, a dozen years later, I find that I have used the 4th and 5th editions on many occasions during my fellowship and practice, and I suggest to my own residents that they read it prior to my lectures. Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville, Tennessee The Wills Eye Hospital Atlas of Clinical Ophthalmology, 2nd Edition William Tasman and Edward A. Jaeger. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2001. ISBN: 078172774X. Price: $ 379.00 Type of book: This is a multiauthored comprehensive atlas with detailed text, tables, and diagrams. It presents a pictorial overview of ophthalmic disease. Contents: The book analyzes the field of ophthalmology from its various subspecialties. Most subspecialties have a single chapter ( external disease, lens, glaucoma, intraocular inflammation, neuro- ophthalmology, oculoplastics, and pediatric ophthalmology); retina has four ( vitreoretinal disorders, retinal vascular disease, tumors of the uveal tract, and retinal tumors). Each chapter is multiauthored. The illustrations are plentiful and of excellent quality. The text is thorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 99 JNeuro- Ophthalmol, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2003 BOOK REVIEWS more than an expanded caption for the photographs and covers not only diagnoses but also treatment of disease. Some chapters have supplemental diagrams and tables. Strengths: The comprehensive nature of this work makes it one of the better and more complete atlases. The photographs and diagrams are of outstanding quality. The text is an additional benefit, adding more detail than traditional atlases. The glaucoma chapter is particularly good. Weaknesses: The strength of the book may also be its weakness in that it overreaches its objective as an atlas and may be mislabeled. The chapters are not equally detailed. Some information on the retina is repeated in more than one section. Recommended audience: The book would be a welcome addition to any resident's or general ophthalmologist's library. It is a wonderful reference to aid in the diagnosis and management of eye disease. Critical appraisal: The Wills Eye Hospital attending staff is a rich source of disease information. In this 2nd edition, the authors have again compiled an excellent pictorial reference that can be easily used and will be useful to all. Susan M. Ksiazek, MD Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana Stroke: A Practical Guide to Management, 2nd Edition Charles P. Warlow, Martin S. Dennis, Jan C. van Gijn, Graeme J. Hankey, Peter A. G. Sandercock, John M. Bam-ford, and Joanna M. Wardlaw. Blackwell Science, Maiden, MA 2001. ISBN: 0632054182. Price: $ 208.95 Type of book: This multiauthored textbook on stroke is directed at physicians ( neurologists, geriatricians, stroke physicians, radiologists, general internists) as well as physical therapists, nurses, and managers of stroke units. Contents: The book covers a broad range of topics, from the history of stroke to how to organize a stroke service. It is divided into 18 chapters designed for easy accessibility, usefulness, and practical advice. Chapters are multidisci-plinary in flavor (" which arterial territory is involved?" or " what caused this subarachnoid hemorrhage?"). Each chapter is further subdivided into bite- sized readable sections. A chapter begins with an overview and is followed by focus and direction as the authors drill down. Scattered throughout are summaries of practical points, highlighted within colored boxes. Illustrations and tables liberally supplement each section. There are copious and timely references. Good- quality computed tomographic images, magnetic resonance images, and angiograms demonstrate clinical points. Topics are thoroughly cross- referenced; for example, where carotid dissection is mentioned, other relevant subsections are referenced. A complete index adds to the value of the book. Fine color plates of retinal strokes are included. Topics include historical aspects, localization of the neurologic abnormality ( including a nice section on disturbances of the visual system), classifications of stroke based on the arterial territory involved and the histologic changes thereof ( with an extensive discussion the usefulness and appearance of various magnetic resonance imaging sequences), differential diagnosis of stroke, exotic causes of stroke and transient ischemic attacks, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute stroke management ( including excellent information about designing clinical trials, doing a meta- analysis, and even where to look up reports about randomized trials), treatment of intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage, vascular malformations, and the patient with stroke. The text is supplemented by discussions on aiding the patient with stroke, including dealing with homonymous hemianopia and preventing further strokes. Strengths: Although this is a multiauthored text, there is little redundancy of material. The style is even and immensely readable. There are useful, digestible bites of information that make the whole more than the sum of its parts. Most discussions are evidence- based and heavily cross- referenced, with scholarly themes. The sections on treatment of stroke make liberal use of odds ratio and confidence interval tables, which help the reader immediately see the value of a major trial. Data are presented without overwhelming the reader. Weaknesses: Whereas the authors state that they have worked to eliminate errors in the previous edition, they still have to live with an occasional photograph that is improperly labeled or inadvertently reprinted. Some major subjects are only scantily discussed. For example, stroke in children and younger individuals is afforded less than one page. Although the book projects evidence- based medicine, there are occasional lapses into personal opinion and anecdote. The authors are from the United Kingdom, where practice patterns are different from those in North America. For example, TPA is discussed but not stressed as a treatment of acute stroke. Critical appraisal: The authors have written the tour de force of stroke books. In trying to be practical, they will appeal to a very wide audience. One can be easily overwhelmed by the size of this book- its 800 pages threaten to live quietly on a bookshelf. Physicians who care for patients with stroke, workers on a stroke unit, and neuro- rehabilita-tion specialists will no doubt want access to this book. Neuro- ophthalmologists will especially appreciate the discussion of differential diagnosis of transient blindness and the practical treatments of visual manifestations. Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 100 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins BOOK REVIEWS JNeuro- Ophthalmol, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2003 Kathleen B. Digre, MD Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Vision in the Brain: Organization and Plasticity in the Visual System Panagiotis G. Simos. Swets & Zeitlinger, Lisse, The Netherlands, 2002. ISBN 9026518145. Price: $ 120.00 Type of book: This scholarly, in- depth monograph reviews the basic physiology and organization of the primate visual system. The author is an accomplished research scientist with considerable expertise in brain imaging in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Vivian Smith Center for Neurologic Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The book has a decidedly cognitive slant and is intended as an introductory text, either for graduate studies in psychology and cognitive neuroscience or for medical residents who wish to understand the links between physiologic mechanisms and perceptual phenomena. Contents: A good 75% of this book is devoted to a step-by- step description of the fundamentals of visual processing and their underlying anatomic pathways. The book begins with a delightful essay on the relationships between neuronal signaling and higher levels of sensory processing. This is a critical ingredient for students studying abstract topics in brain function who might not otherwise find exposure to the nuts and bolts of the visual pathways. The flavor of this approach persists through the first six chapters, all dealing with increasingly higher levels of visual processing, from photoreception in the retina to the effects of cortical lesions on specialized visual function. The remaining three chapters are devoted to the fundamentals of the development and maturation of the visual pathways from retina to cortex. These chapters provide a concise introduction to the amazing and rather daunting plethora of demonstrations of the ability of the visual brain to respond to perturbations and injury. The focus here is, of course, on cortical structure and how retinal inputs to the brain correlate with anatomic segregation of function. Strengths: The primary strength of this book is its simplicity. Readers will not be overwhelmed with detail or conflicting accounts within the empiric history of visual processing. Simos knows his audience and never looses sight of his goal: to provide students of cognition a firm footing in the physiology underlying visual perception. The book is easy to read, and Simos generously explains the mountains of jargon that have grown out of the multidisciplinary nature of visual science. This approach is not easy to find in the many other books available on vision, most of which bite off a highly pointed area of visual science and direct their treatment to equally specialized audiences. Weaknesses: The book suffers from a tendency toward involved verbal descriptions where illustrations would better serve the purpose. The illustrations that are presented are a little rudimentary, of poor quality, and a bit sparse but probably sufficient for readers looking for simple explanations of complex structures and physiologic responses. The bibliography is incomplete, but this is to be expected in a book intended as an outreach to students not specializing in the detailed physiology and anatomy of vision. Recommended audience: Visual scientists are often challenged to find one introductory textbook that provides a sufficient overview of both retinal and cortical mechanisms while explaining the psychophysical phenomena on which studies of those mechanisms are based. Usually, we are forced to assign multiple chapters from general neuroscience textbooks to attain the breadth necessary for a complete overview. This book by Simos will provide an excellent opportunity to avoid piecing together bits and pieces from the burgeoning literature on vision. Critical appraisal: Vision in the Brain is not going to overwhelm the vision community with a novel and complete presentation of visual pathways. If one desires books about color vision, retinal structure, or synaptic plasticity, more comprehensive and detailed treatments are available. However, this book has a solid place in the field, providing an easy stem- to- stern read of visual processing and its underlying physiology. The book gives an equitable background for understanding the links between activity at the level of single neurons and the more global networking that ultimately gives rise to vision. David J. Calkins, PhD The University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, New York The Newborn Brain: Neuroscience and Clinical Applications Hugo Lagercrantz, Mark Hanson, Philippe Evrard, and Charles H. Rodeck. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2002. ISBN: 0521793386. Price: $ 140.00 Type of book: This book consists of linked review articles written by 37 basic scientists and clinicians. The editors planned this book to be of interest to a broad readership, from the theoretic biologist to the clinical fellow in obstetrics, neonatology, or neuropediatrics. It aims to present contemporary developmental neurobiology in a form that is accessible to the clinician who lacks enough time to keep abreast of the basic science literature, as well as the basic Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 101 JNeuro- Ophthalmol, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2003 BOOK REVIEWS scientist with a limited understanding of the clinical manifestations of disordered brain development. Contents: The book consists of 22 chapters comprising 530 pages with many color illustrations. In the partly philosophic first chapter, " Reflections on the Origins of the Human Brain," the challenges facing developmental neurobi-ologists are defined. The author highlights the problem of rationalizing the characteristics that make the human brain human, even in the newborn, and yet allow for the wide diversity of subsequent cognitive abilities. Explanations are offered for the relatively constant number of genes in bony fish and humans despite the dramatic difference in brain organization. Neuronal connections are analyzed, not as the parts of a computer but through a trial- and- error mechanism that resembles the evolutionary process of natural selection itself. Events during early embryogenesis may thus contribute to significant variability in neural development. Indeed, even " cloned" individuals are not anticipated to be neurally identical. Underlying the process of natural selection are phases of proliferation and regression of neurones and synapses that, while genetically determined, may also be susceptible to constantly changing influences such as growth factors, the electric activity of adjacent neurons, and synapses. Consequently, there emerge in the text the concepts of a " global workspace" and a " reconstructionist" rather than " reductionist" approach to the philosophy of neuroscience. The next 7 chapters deal with the mechanisms controlling neural development, including molecular mechanisms and the genes directly relevant to malformations of the human central nervous system, neocortical neuronogen-esis, neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, and glial cell biology. Development of the somatosensory system, visual system, and the auditory system are discussed in the following 3 chapters. The chapter on the visual system demonstrates that, whereas developmental processes are dependent upon sensory- derived neuronal activity- as shown by the work of Hubel and Wiesel on the development of primary visual cortex- there are also " activity- dependent" processes related to spontaneous neuronal activity. Evidence is offered that early development ( such as cell type determination and pathway formation) is often guided by such " activity- independent" processes. The chapter " Cerebrovascular Regulation in the Neonate" is a useful prelude to later chapters dealing with hypoxic- ischemic encephalopathy and the clinical consequences of periventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia. Several chapters deal with the elucidation of normal brain development. These offer examples drawn from ultrasound examinations, newborn imaging with magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) and MRS, and various elec-troencephalographic techniques. The differences in brain MRI changes in hypoxic- ischemic and hypoglycemic injury are discussed. The last 2 chapters cover the postnatal development of motor functions in health and disease, and the role of glucocorticoids in brain development. Strengths: The book provides a comprehensive and generally accessible synthesis of the current understanding of brain development. There is reference to direct clinical applications. Despite the diversity of authorship, the chapters hold together well. Weaknesses: The subject matter is oriented toward basic sciences. Despite attempts of the various authors to bridge the gap, much of the material discussed is far removed from the clinical arena. Recommended audience: This is not a book that will be " required reading" for ophthalmologists, neuro- ophthal-mologists, or even pediatric ophthalmologists; indeed, such was not the intention of the editors. However, it can be recommended to those interested in the depth and breadth of knowledge in contemporary developmental neurobiology. It offers an overview of what the future may hold in assisting clinicians in their understanding and management of neurologic disease of the newborn. Critical appraisal: This is a well- written and fascinating text that will justify the time spent reading it, more for its ability to expand horizons than to provide assistance in clinical practice. Paul Riordan- Eva, MD King's College Hospital London, England The Cerebellum and Its Disorders Mario Ubaldo Manto and Massimo Pandolfo, Editors. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2002. ISBN: 0521771560. Price: $ 225.00 Type of book: This is a multiauthored textbook about the cerebellum and its disorders. The authors are all renowned researchers and clinicians from around the world, who have thoroughly reviewed the basic science relevant to the cerebellum as well as the major clinical disorders affecting the cerebellum. With its combination of excellent basic and clinical science, this book is extremely valuable for students, researchers, and practitioners with an interest in the cerebellum and diseases affecting its function. Contents: The book is divided into nine chapters. In each chapter, the latest advances are presented in the context of their clinical relevance. In Part I, the fundamental aspects of cerebellar structure and functions are covered. Part II addresses the main models of cerebellar function. Part III includes an overview of cerebellar symptoms and their physiology, including the emerging concepts of the role of the Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 102 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins BOOK REVIEWS JNeuro- Ophthalmol, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2003 cerebellum in cognition. Part IV addresses the broad spectrum of sporadic cerebellar disorders. Part V deals with the effects of toxic agents on the cerebellum. Part VI covers the growing area of cerebellar grafts. Part VII summarizes the neuropathology of cerebellar disorders. Parts VIII and IX are dedicated to the genetics of the dominant and recessive cerebellar ataxias. Strengths: The editors have brought together an outstanding and thorough review of the basic sciences relevant to the cerebellum and have related them to major clinical disorders affecting the cerebellum. Although the book emphasizes the clinical aspects of cerebellar function, it contains excellent reviews of the current status of the embryology, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of the cerebellum. There are numerous illustrations, both in color and in black and white. The writing is clear and the chapters well organized, with abundant tables. Weaknesses: The only weakness of this book is that it covers a topic on which new information is discovered daily. The rapid expansion of knowledge in basic and clinical cerebellar neurosciences ( e. g., the hereditary cerebellar ataxias) will make the information contained in this text rapidly out of date. A second edition will be needed before too long. Recommended audience: With its combination of excellent basic and clinical science, this book is extremely valuable for students, researchers, and practitioners with an interest in the cerebellum and the diseases affecting its function. It will be especially relevant to the neuro- ophthalmologist. Critical appraisal: The text was written by experts in the field who provide accurate and timely information on the cerebellum and its dysfunction. This book will become a singular reference in the field of cerebellar disorders. Valerie Biousse, MD Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology Emory University Atlanta, Georgia Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited. 103 |
