Book Review

Challenges in Neurology

N Engl J Med 1993; 329:1049-1050September 30, 1993

Article

Challenges in Neurology
Edited by Vladimir C. Hachinski. 294 pp., illustrated. Philadelphia, F.A. Davis, 1992. $80. ISBN: 0-8036-4504-X

This book is a fitting tribute to the “decade of the brain.” It maintains a strong clinical focus and emphasizes state-of-the-art issues in several important areas of clinical neuroscience. The editor introduces each chapter with succinct commentary, whetting the reader's appetite for the presentation to follow.

The 18 chapters deal with a wide range of topics, from whiplash injuries to neural transplantation for Parkinson's disease. I highly recommend Challenges in Neurology to practicing neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuro-oncologists. Neuroscientists wishing to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical neurology will also find this work of interest. Its greatest strength is that the individual chapters are well written and comprehensive. They provide practical information for both experienced clinicians and trainees in a well-organized format. A minor criticism: some areas of neurologic challenge are overrepresented, perhaps at the expense of other important topics. For example, one third of the chapters are devoted to epilepsy, whereas cerebrovascular disease, dementia, neuromuscular disorders, and chronic pain are not addressed at all. The excellent presentations in this book leave the reader hoping that other works will follow and will address an even wider range of neurologic challenges.

Jerome E. Kurent, M.D.
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425