Book Review

The Axon: Structure, function, and pathophysiology

N Engl J Med 1995; 333:1651-1652December 14, 1995

Article

The Axon: Structure, function, and pathophysiology
Edited by Stephen G. Waxman, Jeffery D. Kocsis, and Peter K. Stys. 692 pp., illustrated. New York, Oxford University Press, 1995. $175. ISBN: 0-19-508293-1

This book is an excellent new contribution to the expanding field of neurobiology. Although a number of neuroscience textbooks are available, none have previously emphasized the relation between structure and function of the axon in detail. The editors of The Axon: Structure, Function, and Pathophysiology have assembled a group of internationally acclaimed basic and clinical neuroscientists to provide readers with a comprehensive and authoritative discussion of the axon. This book gives a much needed synthesis of axonal anatomy, electrophysiology, and pathology.

The editors approach the axon in a multidisciplinary fashion. After an excellent chapter on the historical perspective of the field by Sir Andrew Huxley, the book continues with a thorough discussion of the normal axon. A description of axonal morphology in the peripheral and central nervous systems is followed by sections on peripheral and central nervous system glia, with an especially clear discussion of myelination. After reviewing topics of axonal transport, cellular adhesion, and growth-cone guidance, the book devotes eight chapters to axonal physiology, with an emphasis on the distribution and development of voltage-gated ion channels and their functional role and relevance to neurologic disease. The introductory chapter on voltage-gated ion channels in axons and a separate chapter on the molecular biology of voltage-dependent potassium and sodium channels are particularly useful, each clearly explaining the relation between ion-channel structure and function. These two chapters firmly lay the groundwork for understanding later discussions on axonal pathophysiology. This section ends with a lucid discussion of standard techniques for recording electrical activity in axons, followed by a very interesting chapter on the use of electropotential-sensitive dyes and optical recording techniques as a means to measure voltage changes across small surface areas.

In the final section, entitled “Principles of Axonal Pathophysiology,” the editors build on the framework developed in the initial chapter to begin a discussion of axonal pathology and its importance in neurologic disorders. Certain chapters present particularly clear overviews of information that is frequently scattered over several chapters in other neuroscience textbooks. Noteworthy chapters include “Axonal Degeneration and Disorders of the Axonal Cytoskeleton,” “Anoxic/Ischemic Injury in Axons,” and a chapter focused on peripheral neuropathy, entitled “Human Peripheral Nerve Disease.” This section ends with chapters devoted to clinical assessments of axonal disease in humans. Chapters on clinical electrophysiology and evoked potentials are well written and present explanations of clinically relevant techniques that neurologists as well as basic neuroscientists will find useful and informative.

As with any large, multiauthored textbook (there are 34 chapters and 50 contributors), there is some redundancy. This occurs especially later in the book in the introductory sections of more clinically oriented chapters, where aspects of basic neurobiology are frequently reviewed briefly. There are thorough discussions of these same basic concepts in earlier chapters. However, there is probably some value to this redundancy. If the book is used as a reference textbook, it is likely that single chapters will be read; in this context, some redundancy is useful and, indeed, preferable.

Throughout the book, the illustrations are clear and easily understandable. The quality of the reproductions of photomicrographs is especially good as compared with those in other neuroscience textbooks. Two color plates demonstrating calcium flux in growth cones are exceptional.

The Axon: Structure, Function, and Pathophysiology is an excellent addition to the field of axon physiology and pathophysiology. The book is well written and topics are thoroughly covered in a fashion suitable for both basic and clinical neuroscientists. The high-quality illustrations and photomicrographs and the succinct figure legends make it easy for readers to find and understand key points. This book should become an important reference for people seeking a better understanding of axon biology.

Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0588