Book Review

Indian Pediatrics 2000;37: 1293.

Encyclopaedia of Pediatric Neurology : Theory and Practices

This book, another addition to the volume of literature on Pediatric neurology, deals with a host of topics ranging from development to diagnosis and treatment of a variety of disorders. The book has been entitled ‘Encyclopedia of Pediatric Neurology’: however, after reviewing the book, it is difficult to agree that the authors have really covered A-Z of pediatric neurology to justify the use of the word ‘Encyclopedia’.

Because of being a multi-authored book, the chapters show wide variations in quality considering the aims, content, presentation, authenticity and utility. The quality of the chapters can be considered to range from below average to good. Out of a total of 50 chapters in the book, about 14 chapters can be considered as good, rest are average to below average.

Several chapters in the book are dogged by lack of clarity, inadequate substantiation of statements and deviation from the theme. In many chapters appropriate references at appropriate places (where it is a must) are not there leaving many areas to uncertainty. In some chapters there are terms and phrases which are unusual and even confusing.

Several editing problems also remain in the book, probably it was difficult for the editor to avoid these, a common problem in a multi-authored book. There are duplication of topics/areas and even chapters. The chapters on ‘Pediatric Neuroimaging’ could have been clubbed into one, same being the case with the chapters ‘CNS and Spinal Tumors in Children’ and ‘Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric CNS Tumors’. The rationale of including neurocutaneous syndromes in the chapter on Congenital Malformations of the nervous system is questionable especially when there is a complete chapter on Neurocutaneous Syndromes. In the chapter on ‘Neurocutaneous Syndromes’ a large number of skin diseases have been included making one wonder whether all the skin diseases with some CNS symptoms should be classfied under the neurocutaneous syndromes? There is a complete chapter on ‘Botulinum Toxin in the Treatment of Spastic Movement Disorders in Children and Adolescence’ which is simply a mode of therapy still being investigated. There is a chapter entitled ‘Modern Neurophysiological Methods in Pediatric Practice with Special Reference to Magnetoencephalography’ which however deals with only megnetoencephalography leaving aside the rest. The last chapter ‘Clinical Pharmacology of Drugs for Neurological Disorders in Childhood’ deals with only anti-epileptic drugs and anti-depressants.

A few chapters however deserve to be commended namely ‘Biochemical Aspects of Neural Structure and Function’, ‘Cellular and Molecular Basis of Nervous Tissue Growth and Differentiation’, ‘Brain Development and Metabolism: Biochemical and Nutritional Correlates’, ‘Prenatal Diagnosis in Neurologic Disease’, ‘Status Epilepticus in Children’, ‘New Aspects of Childhood Neurometabolic Disorders’, ‘Movement Disorders’, ‘Cerebro-vascular Disease in Children‘ and ‘Headache’. An attractive cover, excellent figures and diagrams and excellent print add to the plus points of the book. The treatise should serve as a useful reference book on selelcted topics.

B. Talukdar,

Professor,
Department of Pediatrics,
Maulana Azad Medical College,
New Delhi 110 002, India.