Book Review

Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology

N Engl J Med 1997; 336:591February 20, 1997

Article

Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology
Edited by Todd E. Feinberg and Martha J. Farah. 873 pp., illustrated. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1996. $79. ISBN: 0-07-020361-X

There is a long history of productive collaboration between behavioral neurologists and neuropsychologists, but differences in terminology, methodology, and philosophy between the two groups continue to frustrate students, clinicians, and researchers. In Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology, Feinberg and Farah have attempted to bridge this gap by integrating traditional behavioral neurology and modern cognitive neuropsychology. They have succeeded, and the result is a comprehensive and comprehensible textbook.

The first section provides a solid foundation of neuroanatomy, neuropsychological assessment, neurophysiology, structural neuroimaging, and functional neuroimaging. Subsequent sections give detailed discussions of individual cognitive disorders, such as aphasia, amnesia, hemispatial neglect, agnosia, and frontal–subcortical syndromes. Theories regarding the neural substrate that normally subserves the cognitive functions that are impaired in these disorders are discussed in conjunction with supporting evidence from studies of focal lesions and functional neuroimaging. These chapters are well-written, state-of-the-art reviews by experts. Interesting chapters on recovery and rehabilitation complement the discussions of amnesia and aphasia. Subsequent sections deal with dementia, epilepsy, and emotional disorders. These more clinically oriented chapters successfully build on the neurobehavioral and neuropsychological framework established in earlier sections. An excellent section on neurobehavioral disorders in children, a topic all but ignored in previous textbooks of general behavioral neurology, concludes the book.

There is little to criticize. The boundaries of behavioral neurology are poorly defined, and the authors have chosen not to discuss neuropsychiatric disorders such as Tourette's syndrome and schizophrenia. As might be expected in a multiauthored, multidisciplinary textbook, there is some variation in the scope of discussions from chapter to chapter, but I noted very little redundancy or inconsistency. The material is necessarily theoretical at times, and some readers, especially students, may have difficulty differentiating fact from opinion or conjecture. There are extensive, up-to-date references, however, to help motivated readers judge for themselves. Although a few of the contributors endorse a controversial theory or school of thought, most of the discussions are balanced and unbiased.

Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology consolidates a wealth of interdisciplinary knowledge into a single, readily accessible source. The juxtaposition of neurologic and neuropsychological opinions provides a unique perspective that should stimulate thought and research in both fields.

Thomas A. Sandson, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215