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Show ]. Clin. Neuro-ophthalmol. 1: 1-2, 1981. Welcome to the first issue of Journal of Clinical Neuro-ophthalmology! At this point, you may be mentally asking the question, "Why another journal?" It is appropriate, therefore, to list the aims and purposes of this new quarterly journal so you can see for yourself what we are trying to accomplish. There are 12 re.lsons for this new journal, which we shall list in order: 1. ProJifer.Jtion of Medical Knowledge. It is so difficult to try and keep up with the medical literature and scientific explosion these days! In fact, on a recent short sabbatical trip someone told me, "It isn't a question of trying to keep up any more; it's how can I keep from getting less far behind?" This is the first American journal devoted exclusively to the field of clinical neuro-ophthalmology, and a major aim is to try to keep the busy practioner aware by reading one journal of the major thrusts of expanding knowledge in all spheres of the neurological and ophthalmological sciences. 2. Crossing Specialty Lines. Many ophthalmologists may not want to subscribe to neurology or neurosurgical journals. likewise, many neurologists and neurosurgeons may not want to subscribe to ophthalamological journals. A major purpose of this journal is to cross specialty lines to help the practitioner in any field of endeavor keep up to some extent in all of the neurological sciences. To this end, the Editorial Board has been specifically selected to include the disciplines of ophthalmology, neurosurgery, neurology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, and neuroanatomy. We believe the material will be of sufficient general interest, therefore, that a neurosurgeon or neurologist may want to keep advised of the contents of this little journal, whereas he might find the average number of articles that will help him rather low in a general ophthalmological journal. 3. Clinical Material. This journal will emphasize not only diagnostic papers, but also papers with helpful infonnation regarding office management, and medical and surgical therapy. Someone has to aim at trying to help the "treating" doctor! This is not to be construed as being opposed to good clinical research papers at all. It is simply that this journal will be aimed at the clinician and material of a basic research nature that could not be appreciated by a clinician should properly go elsewhere. 4. Easy to Read- With No Abbreviations! There is nothing harder for someone who has worked all day in the office than to come home and pick up a journal and start reading an article, only to find the abbreviation "MHC" used liberally March 1981 From the Editor throughout the paper and have to keep going back to find the paragraph where this is defined as "major histocompatibility complex." Another common example is the use of abbreviations in which the letters do not jibe-as "Collaborative Study in Coronary Artery Surgery (CASS)." One wonders why the abbreviations "CSCAS" or "CSICAS" was not used, or why the title was not simply "Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS)." One can perhaps guess which journal I have on my desk as I cite these two examples, but it is not necessary to mention that, as it is widespread in today's journals. Therefore, we shall use no abbreviations at all and believe that one less paper per issue would be a small price to pay to help the poor reader make his way through the article. We also hope that the papers will not only be understandable but even, hopefully, a pleasure to read-as is often the case with British medical literature as opposed to that in the United States. 5. Drug Names-Prescriptions Win Out Here! In this journal, all drugs will be written as the actual name you write out! I see no reason why the reader must interrupt his study time for repeated trips through the PDR! The ultimate example of this recently occurred and is cited here as the "straw that broke the camel's back." An excellent article appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine [302(8): 453-455, Feb. 21, 1980] entitled "Sustained Remission of Nelson's Syndrome after Stopping Cyproheptadine Treatment." Shortly after reading this terrific paper I saw a patient with Nelson's syndrome and wondered if I should try "cyproheptadine." Now that chemical name is a bit fonnidable, I must say, and after looking in The Physicians Desk Reference for 1980 and not finding it, I came to the conclusion that this must be a new investigative drug that I probably could not get anyway. However, Dr. James Mitchell read another article in the same issue and found this sentence on page 449: "There are also limited claims for the effectiveness of the antihistaminic preparation cyproheptadine (Periactin)." The light flashed on! All I had to try in my patient was a good old 4 mg/day Periactin tablet-a medicine that is very commonly used for allergic rhinitisand I really didn't have to get someone in Europe to smuggle in a new exotic agent and try to help my patient. Why didn't the original paper simply state, "cyproheptadine (Periactin)"? To help in this regard, in this journal we will publish the name "Periactin." At the end of the article you can also say, "Periactin (cyproheptadine)" if you like. However, the physician reading the papers here can 1 From the Editor actually have a prescription blank handy after they see the article. 6. Visions Will Be Listed as "20/20" Here! It is very difficult to try to figure out the difference between "6/7.5" or "6/9" if you haven't been using that system much. Therefore, vye are requesting our writers to supply visions in the more commonly used form in the United States and believe that will make it easier for the majority of clinicians. Therefore, if you have sent in the vision in metric form, we'll simply transpose it for you. 7. Literature Abstracts Will Tell You Where to Write for a Reprint (including zip codes). Dr. John A. McCrary has agreed to do a feature section on current literature abstracts. He will try to keep abreast of many, many journals which you may not commonly see-even the"Acta Obscura"! He will then write a short two- to three-sentence abstract of the main pearls in the paper and will properly cite the reference. A big help to the clinician, however, will be the printing of the exact name, address, and postal code for you to write for a reprint. This will save you (or your secretary) from calling the library, finding the journal is checked out (or they don't take it), and not being able to get a reprint. You can simply write to the address supplied in the current literature abstracts section and get your reprint directly-bypassing a trip or call to the library. More help for the tired clinician! 8. Neuroradiologic Clinical Pathologic Correlation Cases. In each issue Dr. Robert Quencer will report on an interesting case with the clinical history and findings first and then some selected neuroradiologic findings. A discussion will then ensue, and you will have your own opportunity to try to make the diagnosis. (I hope you'll forgive me if we use the abbreviation "CPC" here. Actually, there are certain abbreviations that are so widely accepted that they might slip in. Thus, "CSF," "VORL," "ITA-ABS," and the like are well known and generally accepted abbreviations-just as "CT" scan is nowadays. However, we'll really try to use no abbreviations.) Neuroradiology is coming to the fore so rapidly in neuro-ophthalmologic diagnosis, however, that this new section written by Dr. Quencer should be of general interest. 9. Update Editorials. We want to have a section in which a topic of general neuro-ophthalmologic interest is reviewed and updated by one of the Editorial Board, or by others invited to write such reviews. An example is the editorial "Myasthenia Gravis: A New Look" by Dr. Ronald BurdI' in this issue. In future issues we hope to address other subjects, such as cranial arteritis, transsphenoidal microsurgery, advances in neuroradiology, and hopefully we can get some new information about 2 neuroanatomy from Dr. Ronald Clark df' j :If'Li' pathology from Dr. Joseph Parker, too' 10. New Pearls Check list. If you Jr,' :. ·~,t too tired and too busy to read anything, at d'" end of the issue you will find a numbered "pead" list that may help you. Look at the one in this issue. It may also help you to review mentally some of the articles you have written. It will not include everything, obviously, but may be helpful when you're under pressure for time. Many doctors respond to this question, "Do you have 20 times too much to do, or 30 times too much to do?" If that is your case, you'll appreciate the checklist! 11. Other Sections. We are considering other feature sections for subsequent issues. These might include "Historical Vignettes" with a short review of notable men in the field of neuro-ophthalmology and related disciplines, or a "Resident/Fellow Comer" in which we hold space for a good clinical paper written by a house officer or fellow in ophthalmology, neurology, or neurosurgery. (You can construe this as a call for papers at this point.) Whereas some journals will not print a "case report" and consider it "lowly" and "anecdotaL" we want to say forthwith that we invite good case reports! A well-documented and well-written case report is helpful to the memory and refreshing to the clinician, and we encourage them. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Sir Douglas Lamb Cooper Argyll Robertson had sent in his paper "On Four Cases of Spinal Miosis" and was turned down because of it being simply case reports, or if the same thing had happened to Mr. Thomas Addison in the early days. Therefore, if you have a "knockout" case, send it in and let us look it over! Also, please let us know other sections that you would enjoy; we are open to your suggestions. 12. Theme. We want to acknowledge and welcome Dr. Huber's and Dr. Van Dalen's new journal in Europe. We think the world is large enough to accomodate both of these, and with different emphases here, as noted above. We certainly wish them well! Our thanks also go to Masson Publishing Company for all their help and patience. Finally, I personally believe the following statement is absolutely true: "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." That should make a good theme for a new medical journal. The papers we want to print should be good, i.e., well written; and right, Le., helpful to patient and physician alike; and true, i.e., factually correct. If you, the reader, will help us with suggestions and by sending in good material and by supporting this journal, we'll do our best to fulfill this aim. J. lawton Smith, M.D. Journal of Clinical Neuro-ophthalmology |
